2018 NFHS Rules Changes

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by OKREF

2-32-16a: Defenseless player provisions for passer clarified.

Rationale: The committee clarified that defenseless player provisions do not apply to a passer until a legal forward pass is thrown.

Sad but true that such a clarif'n was needed. Although written plainly enough, and people should've known "passer" was a defined term, you should've seen the discussion on at least one coaching board over the existing wording.

[Jimmie24]

It is interesting to note that you mentioned passer is a defined term. I have seen and heard many veteran officials intermix passer and qb. When discussed with them about the definition of passer, they blow it off and say they will call it their way. If we learn the definitions, it makes the rest of the book a little easier to comprehend.

[Middleman]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Sad but true that such a clarif'n was needed. Although written plainly enough, and people should've known "passer" was a defined term, you should've seen the discussion on at least one coaching board over the existing wording.

The rules in 2017 did not say that a passer was a defenseless player. The rule, 2-32-16a, stated that an example of a defenseless player includes "A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass." I have not seen the exact wording of the rule change, but I am guessing that the "clarification" is intended to require that a pass must, indeed, be thrown and said pass must be a legal forward pass.

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by Middleman

The rules in 2017 did not say that a passer was a defenseless player. The rule, 2-32-16a, stated that an example of a defenseless player includes "A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass." I have not seen the exact wording of the rule change, but I am guessing that the "clarification" is intended to require that a pass must, indeed, be thrown and said pass must be a legal forward pass.

Actually NFHS 2-32-11, already defines, "A passer is a player who throws a legal forward pass. He continues to be a passer until the legal forward pass ends or until he moves to participate in the play."