Why we don't kick in youth league around here!

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by Canned Heat

Up here in the youth leagues, it is standard Fed free and scrimmage kick rules for the 5th thru 8th grade, with the exception that there is no rushing the punt or the PAT by B at the 5th grade level. In an effort to try to get teams to kick the PATs, if kicking the PAT is successful, it's 2 points and running the standard 2 point conversion is worth 1 point if not kicked.

Some of the teams in this area (that have been there at the end for years) run their 5th grade teams in flag football format but run the same offense and defensive schemes to let the kids get the feel of the game. They practice a TON up here...some would argue way too much and part of the reason they are losing kids.

These 5th and 6th grade teams also can only have 6 B team players within 5 yards of the ball at the snap during scrimmage plays, unless the ball is at the 5YL or less going in.

These funky rules, like the 150# limit, are why I've quit doing youth football. None of the coaches know the rules. None of the parents know the rules. And certainly none of the kids know the rules. Yet it is the officials who get blasted for enforcing rules that nobody knows. When we had a parent run down on the field screaming at us and pushing me for screwing his kid out of TD when we blew the play dead when a kid with a stripe on his helmet (the marker for 150# or over), that was the last straw. Numerous times we've had parents on the field cussing us out, cussing coaches out, and coaches throwing hissy fits, and getting ZERO support from the league administrators. Finally, several of us in our association told them all to go to hell. They can do it themselves.

And every year our assignor begs the association to get enough volunteers to cover the youth games. And every year we hear the same stories of out of control parents and coaches. Until the league clamps down on the ridiculous behavior, I'm done, and several of my peers are done.