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

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Suudy

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.

That's certainly true in our club-league. Our team's defense coach had us basing out of a 5-3 in pre-season. Then we had our scrimmage the week before the season was to start, and the R or the U (not sure which) told him we couldn't have someone on defense lined up on the snapper's nose in our div. (JPW).

I'm the offense coach, but our defense coach being new, I told him that was news to me, and that I doubted its truth. We had had such a rule in the Mites div., but the Mites had been abolished 3 seasons earlier, and when they merged it w half of the JPW div., that rule was not carried over, or I'd've heard, even though I was coaching in the PW div. at the time. We'd had 2 pre-season coaches' meetings this yr. at which playing rules had been discussed, and that was not brought up, nor did it come up at the draft meeting. (They did say prominently that pass interference had been reduced to 10 yds. penalty.)

So I asked our dir. of football ops., who himself is new this season, Joe, & he said he didn't know, saying the dir. of General Motors doesn't have to know which side the gas cap is on on their cars. That might be true in such a large organiz'n, but we can count our admins. on 1 hand, & our game officials on the other. So I asked Jay, who'd been in charge for over 60 yrs. previously, and he said he didn't know, but he'd ask another coach who'd been coaching in the JPWs since the Mites were abolished. Word came back that it was indeed the rule that you couldn't line up on the snapper's nose. Huh. Wonder how they'd kept it a secret.

But then I recalled that in 2014 on the JPW team I'd coached w then, we played a 3-5 w somebody on the snapper's nose practically the entire season! So our defense coach sought further clarif'n from the admins., & the word came back that you could line up on the snapper's nose, but not charge directly into the snapper (like scrimmage kick formation rules). I don't actually believe that's our rule, though, just that some coaches are more persuasive than others in convincing the officials what our rules actually are.

An official reminded us during our last game of another playing rule the club has that I'd forgotten about, which is that only the maker of a fumble (or any opponent) can advance the fumbled ball after recovery. That one hadn't been discussed in a couple yrs., and it'd be easy for a newcomer to not know about. We also have a rule variation that AFAIK has never been discussed, but that you have to infer from the officials' administration of the game, which is that illegal formation kills the play at the snap.

[bigjohn]

It should be like a cuss jar! You blow one friday night you have to work 2 Peewee games!!

[HLin NC]

I've selected several Saturdays to work youth this fall as my son is on varsity and thus I'm off most Fridays for the next two years. I had cut youth ball entirely out of my schedule a few years back because of much of what is being discussed here. The few I have worked the last few years I quickly began quietly cursing myself for being sucked back into the morass.

Fortunately, in our area, the kids are still pretty well behaved. The coaches are all mostly named Stevebillwalshvince Lombardispurrierbellichick however. We have the occasional fan-parent pop-off but nothing too aggressive so far. All in all, its not been too bad this season BUT tomorrow is another day.

[Canned Heat]

Originally Posted by bigjohn

It should be like a cuss jar! You blow one friday night you have to work 2 Peewee games!!

I just about lost soda thru my nose...well played, sir.

Oh...and that stint 3 weeks ago, in 2 of the 4 games we had QB dump ball into bench with no ER within a mile.....had about 4 different instances of "HE WAS OUT OF THE POCKET!!!".

That stuff will likely be "coach officiated" in 5-10 years at the current rate.

[Tom.OH]

In Ohio no one kicks off until Freshman year in high school. Teams start on their 35.