We need a new signal for IF!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Welpe

You have this completely flipped.

It is faster to count backs than it is number of linemen.

If the rule requires no more than 4 in the backfield, it doesn't matter how many players the offense has.

As it stands now, in Fed, if you want to count backs to determine legality, you need to pick up the count from the R or U. Otherwise you need to count the linemen which isn't all that easy sometimes.

Not to mention the fact that if the offense is lined up with a missing lineman, it's going to be a foul and it's a dumb one. Not a problem in NCAA.

Having called high school under both rules, I'd much rather have the NCAA rule. It would be a simple and pain free change to make.

I just worked my first college game this past weekend as a short wing and I saw nothing special about how many I counted in the backfield. Absolutely none.

I watched the Umpire and Referee signal and went off of them as I would have done in any HS game. And to add we did not have a single situation where we played with 10 at any point in the game. I have been the Referee on my high school crew and we maybe have only once had 10 on the in 3 games and that was on a scrimmage kick formation. Again this sounds like a solution looking for a problem. Everything done at the higher levels is not a good or great idea for that level. And football is one of those sports that really does not need a college rule to apply to the high school level. Other sports the game is not so different at its core.

That is why again I said I see no point in changing the rule when this is almost an insignificant and almost never is an issue. If this happen every game I could see it, but offenses do not go out unknowingly playing with 10 players. When someone is missing a coach or player is calling a timeout. And we are worried about this rule of how many should be on the line or in the backfield? Really???

Peace