Sounds pretty typical for that level, unfortunately.

To make it even worse, raising your hand when the ball is dead is the mechanic at the NCAA and NFL levels (in other words, basically every game you see on TV). But they're doing it to start the 40-second play clock. (And, to be honest, I see a fair amount of high school officials around here doing it also).

If in doubt, they're lined up legally.

Counting players is something that gets a lot easier with experience... you'll learn to count them by groups.

Is your R counting Team A players? If he is, he should be signaling his count. So, the easiest way to do it is look for the R's signal, and then count 4 players in the backfield.

Yes, because you (and the other line-of-scrimmage official on the other sideline) are the only one who can see it. Also, remember that in FED football, defensive offside is a dead-ball foul, so you'll want to shut the play down just before the snap if you can, or right after the snap if you have to.

You will.

Fairly typical... since blocks below the waist are almost completely illegal in FED rules, very few coaches teach cut blocking anymore. Facemask fouls are usually the result of inadvertently grabbing the mask.

If a player grabs the jersey from behind and yanks the player down backwards that is a horse collar tackle?

IIf you are using NFHS, see 9-4-3k.

Thanks man.

LINING UP OVER SNAPPER
20. No defensive player may be lined up over the snapper and on the line
of scrimmage if there is no player in position to take a hand-to-hand
snap. The
restriction is not in effect if an offensive player shifts to a position to take a hand to-
hand
snap.
A defensive player lined up over the snapper must be positioned 5 yards off his
line of scrimmage regardless of the offensive team’s formation until the ball is snapped.

Who is the primary official to call this. 5 yards seems like a lot.

That's not a FED rule (or an NCAA rule, for that matter).

If it's an NFL rule, I'd assume it's the responsibility of the Umpire or Side Judge.

Could it be a youth rule?

When all 11 get into position you count one thousand one and then someone can go in motion. Seems easy enough.

It is according to the guys on the home sideline this past week :-)

Kid was pulled down by grabbing the other right at the top of the numbers. Not even close.

Illegal Horse-Collar Tackle
Rule 9-4-3
No player or non-player shall grab the inside back or side collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and subsequently pull (backward or sideward) that opponent to he ground (Horse-collar).
The horse collar foul is enforced s a live-ball foul.

That is an NFL rule or form of it, yes....and what some youth coaches around here thought was gospel in their ruleset until we squared them up on it.

Roughing the center/snapper to these guys meant that you couldn't line up over him either. If I had a dollar for every "they touched our center" back when I did these games, I could have a lake house up North.

If I am the QB and we are on the 20 and I run back to 27 yard line and intentional ground the ball do I start the next down on the 25 or 32?

Is this a youth or Fed rule?

Is it only if there is contact before the snapper can be ready or just lining up over him its a foul? Is that youth or FED?

Youth rules are usually local adaptations of one of the major rule codes. You need to seek guidance from your local officials as none of us know which rules set you a using.

There is no regulation in NFHS regarding where to line up over the snapper. A B/R player may not charge directly into him, in a scrimmage kick formation, until he has an opportunity to recover from the snap or when he moves to participate in the play.

(FED) The 32, with loss of down.

Fed....this group (AAYFL here in WI) used WIAA w/ adaptations at the time. I believe they still do. I have no clue what the ruleset is by you, so you need to look into that and verse yourself with it.


And that's the thing...he CAN be contacted, he just can't be blown up with his head down....B needs to let him protect himself and get his head up or avoid major contact while unprotected (head down). Many of these guys would teach their C's to snap the ball on scrimmage kick formations and keep their head down and then if a guy shot the gap and bumped their kid in the hip or leg, they wanted 15....that's not what the rule is or is there for.

Roughing the center/snapper (FED/NFHS 9-4-6) 15 yards from previous and first down.

Horse collar tackle is also a FED/NFHS rule (9-4-3k) and variations exist in NFL/NCAA/CFL) 15 yards

Good luck.