2018 NFHS Rules Changes

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have not idea why the NF decided to actually change the rule and most here do not either. They did and that is all that matters. And whatever the reason it is, I can argue that it created no balance between the offense and defense. Because if the defense keeps causing a PI penalty, they can keep doing it and still benefit from the penalty if they are close enough to the end zone. There is not much incentive for the offense to do the same over and over again. Either way, it was dumb to do and not other level has such an allowance for this penalty to be continued without given a first down.

Peace

I can affirm removing the AFD provision for DPI was definitely a compromise by members of the committee to remove the LOD for OPI. It was the only way they could get it passed after attempts for several years. Their logic was to maintain balance between offense and defense. I believe the public documentation about the rule change mentioned that part as well. I still think it's a dumb idea and very poor justification, but that is WHY the rules committee did what they did.

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

I can affirm removing the AFD provision for DPI was definitely a compromise by members of the committee to remove the LOD for OPI. It was the only way they could get it passed after attempts for several years. Their logic was to maintain balance between offense and defense. I believe the public documentation about the rule change mentioned that part as well. I still think it's a dumb idea and very poor justification, but that is WHY the rules committee did what they did.

I agree that the justification is dumb, because no level (NCAA has just 15 yards from the previous spot, NFL has 10 yards from the previous spot, NFHS eliminated the LOD provision in 2013) uses a loss of down to penalize OPI. Therefore, the "balance" argument does not make sense.

Because offensive penalties tend to kill drives (with or without loss of down provisions), no offense has an incentive to foul in the way that a defense would, to prevent a score. Therefore, it is entirely consistent in NCAA and NFL football for 15 yard penalties on the defense (pass interference*, personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct), and it would be consistent for NFHS to have similar enforcement provisions, without corresponding loss of down provisions on the offense.

* In NFL, pass interference is always enforced at the spot of the foul, except in the end zone, when the ball is moved to the 1 yard line. NCAA pass interference is enforced as a spot foul if the foul was under 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, as a 15 yard foul if the distance from the spot of the foul to the line of scrimmage was 15 yards or more, or with the ball being placed at the defense's 2 yard line, if the ball is snapped between the B17 and the B2, and the foul is on or inside the B2 (from the B2 to the end zone).

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I agree that the justification is dumb, because no level uses a loss of down to penalize OPI. Therefore, the "balance" argument does not make sense.

It may be worthwhile to consider, and remember, that Football is a game, of serious physical contact, enjoyed by participants between the ages of minors and senior citizens, with extraordinarily different levels of skill sets, maturity and overall objectives (from teaching interactive relationship skills to generating serious revenue objectives)

It seems neither surprising, nor illogical that these dramatically different objectives would contribute to minor rule differences related, and specific, to the inherent physical, emotional, strategy and profit objectives unique to each level.

Although consistency across levels is usually beneficial, and worthy of pursuit, consistency arbitrarily ignoring the unique performance and strategic capabilities and responsibilities of each level, for the sake of consistency alone, seems excessive, unnecessary and counterproductive.