[JRutledge]

Billy,

I think you missed my point here. A few years ago on the NF Manual and in the Rulebook, the NF changed the picture to an "Illegal use of Hands" to an open hand chop, to a closed fist chop. People were using the closed fist chop for years and only the ultra technical cared. This change from what I remember was not made public or included in any changes the NF made that year in the Manual. A similar situation took place in relationship to the "holding" signal. The holding signal used to look exactly like a football official hold. Now the signal looks like it has been taught for years, off to the side and closer to your shoulder.

In my experience as long as you do similar to what the Manual shows, I have found very few people that really cared either way. Actually if you use the Manual for that much detail, most of the positioning was often not considered correct when it came to normal teaching of mechanics. The book would only show very basic stuff and if you were more advanced you used stuff that was not listed in the Manual. Maybe this is a problem somewhere, but not where I live and the places I have worked most of my career. I know as a clinician in my state I do not split those kinds of hairs when evaluating officials in or out of camps.

Peace