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Originally Posted by Forksref
When I started doing HS FB in the 70's, the hand up was the mechanic. I don't remember when it went away. You see it at higher levels still.
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The odd thing is that at that time, Fed (and even HS officials in non-Fed games) was doing it, and NCAA & NFL were not! NFL adopted it when they changed their play clock from the RFP to a fixed time from dead ball.
It's an old, old signal meaning, "ball dead here and now". It was the original signal for a touchdown ("ball dead here, which happens to be beyond the goal line"), and is still used in rugby for that purpose. The other hand points by finger downward to the spot.
Considering that deaf people do play this game, what's the excuse for not allowing officials to give this signal?
Sure, it can also be used for other purposes. With a palm inward, it can mean, "Bring a medic." It can mean, "Help me line up an aerial out-of-bounds spot." But usually the hand would be held in the air longer for those meanings.
Robert