Holding away from point of attack

[phansen]

Did anyone else take exception to the article in the Sept issue of Referee magazine concerning not calling holding penalties away from the point of attack. Although there is a little merit to their argument of keeping the game moving and not having a flag fest, I still disagree with them for high school football, and this is why

Here are some questions that arise if this philosophy is undertaken. What do you tell the defensive lineman that is being held, and you witnessed being held when he complains to you? “You couldn’t make that play anyway”. Nothing will incite a vigilante attitude more than telling a defensive player this. Since you aren’t going to call anything away from the play anyway, he will want to institute his own form of football justice which I contend will lead to rough play and unsporting behavior later in the game which you will have to call.

Secondly, if the defensive player is away from the “point of attack” why would the backside Tackle or TE need to hold anyway? He shouldn’t be able to get in on the play, right. And how is the official who doesn’t make this holding call suppose to know that the runner isn’t running a reverse, or a cutback, or reversing his field where that backside defensive player could influence the play.

Lastly, do you think that coaches will pick up on this philosophy? So they can teach their kids all week that they will run plays away from the oppositions star defensive end, oh and by the way, grab hold of him because the refs won’t call it anyway.