crowd noise penalty

[bigwes68]

Two years ago, prior to a game between South Carolina and Tennessee, USC coach Lou Holtz threatened to have his team stay in the huddle if the crowd at Neyland Stadium was so loud that his players could not hear the play or the snap count. One SEC official made the statement that he had only seen the crowd noise penalty called once in his life, and it was in Knoxville. What exactly would be the penalty, signal and yardage on this call (if an official ever actually had the balls to make it)? My guess would be 15-yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

[MD Longhorn]

I know NFL has a rule about this, but I don't know the wording.

I just double checked the NCAA book on line, and if there's a rule about crowd noise, it's somewhere unexpected, as I failed to find one. I believe the penalty for sitting in your huddle because you can't hear is Delay of Game, coach Holtz - get your kids to the line.

[TXMike]

3-3-f-4

4. When the offensive team believes it is unable to communicate its signals to teammates other than players positioned more than seven yards from the middle lineman of the offensive formation because of crowd noise. Following are administrative procedures for unfair noise (Rule 3-4-2-b-3):
(a) When the signal caller believes he is unable to communicate signals to teammates because of crowd noise, he may raise his hands and look to the referee to request a legal delay.
(b) The referee may deny the request by pointing toward the defensive teamÂ’s goal line or may charge himself with a timeout and the offensive team may huddle.
(c) When the offensive team returns to the line of scrimmage, the game clock will start on the snap. The referee shall declare the ball ready for play by sounding his whistle with no hand signal.
The 25-second clock is not in operation (Rule 3-4-2-b-3).
(d) Should the signal caller then, or later in the game, request a second legal delay by raising his hands and looking to the referee, the referee will charge himself with a timeout again if, in his opinion, the crowd noise makes it impossible to hear offensive signals.
(e) The referee then will request the defensive captain to ask the crowd for quiet. This signals the public-address announcer to request cooperation and courtesy to the offensive team. The announcer will state that the defensive team will be charged a timeout, or be penalized five yards if timeouts are exhausted, for the next crowd-noise infraction.
(f) When the offensive team returns to the line of scrimmage, the game clock will start on the snap. The referee shall declare the ball ready for play by sounding his whistle with no hand signal. The 25-second clock is not in operation (Rule 3-4-2-b-3).
(g) If the signal caller again during the game indicates by raising his hands and looking to the referee to request a legal crowd-noise delay and the referee agrees, a team timeout will be charged to the defensive team. If the defensive team has exhausted its allotment of timeouts, a five-yard penalty is assessed.
(h) After this timeout or the penalty, the defensive team will be penalized five yards for each unsuccessful attempt to start a play. VIOLATION—Rules 3-3-6 and 3-4-2-b [S3 or S21].
Summary of crowd-noise procedures:
Step No. 1—Referee’s timeout.
Step No. 2—Referee’s timeout plus captain’s notification and publicaddress announcement.
Step No. 3—Timeout or five-yard penalty if timeouts are exhausted.
Step No. 4—Five-yard penalty for each additional infraction.

[MD Longhorn]

I would never have thought to look in the timeouts section. That's why I didn't find it. Should have looked there though - I looked all through the next section on delays.

Funny thing is ... the rule doesn't completely answer the question at the top of the thread. It doesn't specify the signal to be given or even the name of the penalty to be called. One would assume "Delay of Game", but as detail oriented as the NCAA book is, I'm surprised they didn't detail that here.

PS - as the rule reads, Dr. Holtz is still required to get his team to the line in this situation.

[TXMike]

It does detail it. You use signal 3 (the timeout signal) at first. When you get to the point you are assessing yardage, you use signal 21 (delay of game signal)