NF or NCAA

[MD Longhorn]

Just curious. From other postings it sounds like we're in the minority here using NCAA rules as our base set of rules here in Texas. Is it just Texas, or are there others of you out there using NCAA rules?

Also - why are so many states using NF? What are the perceived better points in those rules for high-school (or younger) players? I'm not familiar enough with them to see the advantages/disavantages.

[Warrenkicker]

I believe that NCAA has more provisions to most rules and more exceptions to certain things. NCAA rules are for officials who are supposed to be more learned and more experienced as well as taking in to account that the players have a higher skill level. NF rules get the basics of how the game is played and are suitable to be applied by officials who do this as a hobby or for the fun of working around the kids.

[Schultj]

Yes, NF rules are supposed to be more simplistic for the ease of "part-time" officials. The problem that it causes is a high school ref trying to switch to NCAA on Saturday afternoons just after doing a high school game the night before. I prime example is blowing a punt dead in the end zone on Friday (correct) and on Saturday (inadvertant whistle, K can return out of the EZ). I believe that MA and TX are the only states to use NCAA rules for high school.

[MD Longhorn]

I guess I can understand the "simplistic" part - NCAA rules are often very convoluted, and you have to read them twice just to understand them at all.

But why the weird rules, like allowing multiple forward passes behind the line of scrimmage - that doesn't seem to simplify anything.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: Fed rules are definitely simpler. As others have said, the Fed goes out of its way to avoid "exceptions." But this itself causes problems when they try to integrate new rules into the code.(Can you say PSK??) And it can be a challenge going from a Friday nite game (Fed) to a Saturday afternoon college game (NCAA). My first college game I almost blew a blocked try dead. Thankfully, I caught myself just before I blew.

Why do some states use Fed rules? 48 of the 50 states belong to the National Federation of High Schools and therefore subscribe to their rules. I guess that's the simple answer.

[Huskerblue]

3 words:

SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY

That's why the rules are different.

[KEFerrell]

It's my understanding that the multiple forward pass was always legal. Stemming from the days when forward passes were first introduced. I beleve it was the NCAA who restricted the rule to one forward pass, where the Federation never did.
Can someone with a history of the NCAA rules verify this?

[JRutledge]

but entertainment is another. There are rules that allow things to take place to allow the game to have more scoring. Even though the "halo rule" is gone, it was to create more plays in the special teams. I think this is also why they allow a 2 point conversion to be returned by the defense. It is not like the NFL of course, but the NCAA does want excitement in the game.

Peace

[Theisey]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Even though the "halo rule" is gone, it was to create more plays in the special teams. Peace

Where did you come up with that rationale?

Even though NCAA allows the block below the waist on most downs, they did toughen up just who and where that block is allowed with a rule change for 2003. So it can be said they do consider safety.

For those two states playing NCAA rules, both have block below the waist overrides. So they are no different than NF in that regards. I can't think of any other rules that makes the NF more safe than NCAA or for that matter any NCAA rules that make it less safe then NF.
It is simply a political feud going back to the mid-1930's.