Hello,

Just curious if anyone knows of a document somewhere - I did a search on ncaa.org and nfhs.org - on the use of the beanbag.

Thanks,

Mike

The info is found in their respective mechanics books. Which of course are not on-line anywhere.

I actually saw a thread a while ago that had when to drop the bean bag. I saved it in a TXT file and also the URL.

Here you go ;) http://www.officialforum.com/thread/9808

REPLY:

Here's an excerpt from the CCA 7-man mechanics book:

B. The bean bag will be dropped to mark the appropriate spot:
1. When a scrimmage kick ends inbounds. (This marks the Post Scrimmage Kick enforcement spot. Normally only one official will mark this spot with his bean bag.)
2. When the covering official actually sees a live ball fumbled anywhere on the field.
3. When a hand-off or backward pass occurs beyond the neutral zone or when there is no neutral zone.
4. When an eligible Team A pass receiver voluntarily goes out of bounds.
5. When an eligible receiver fails to return inbounds immediately after being blocked out of bounds.
6. When a Team A player goes out of bounds during a free or scrimmage kick down.
7. When a Team A player illegally touches a free or scrimmage kick.
8. When a Team B player intercepts a forward pass, fumble or backward pass between his five yard line and the goal line.
9. When a Team B player catches a free or scrimmage kick between his five yard line and the goal line.
10. When a Team B player recovers a fumble or kick between his five yard line and the goal line.
11. When necessary to mark forward progress when the runner/passer is driven back.
12. When the Team A player attempting to pass is tackled behind his line of scrimmage (QB "sack").

Hey Bob,

We are supposed to do the "toss the hat" trick for number 4 now. You know, like the NFL guys do.

Read the thread I posted, it has exactly what Bob posted and the exceptions for NFHS.

This is all so very interesting to me. In Canada, the points on the field marked by a beanbag could be (there is no official mechanic for the beanbag here):

- Point of Possession after a kick-off or punt

- Point of Fumble

- Point of Last Touching Before the Ball Goes Out of Bounds on a KO or Punt
- this may not be obvious and may warrant some delay

Unfortunately, the CCA manuals must have been published before the changes were made known, i.e. throwing your hat and then the new requirement to beanbag the spot where a fair catch signaller first touches a kick, assuming he does not complete the catch at that spot.

So in that Saints game, how many bean bags would have been dropped, after reading number 3?

Well hopefully it was 3 beanbags. Sometimes we run out of beanbags and have to throw other things, like our hats. :)


But yes, three bags. ;)

I don't think it is a real mechanic, but I often use the beanbag if I am on the wing and a player goes into the bench. The Beanbag marks the spot, while I go into the bench. This happens more often with 4 man mechanics where the BJ isn't there to help.

REPLY: Yeah Tom...I know we are. My version of the CCA 7-man manual is from 2000, back when only the NFL guys were getting their nice new hats dirty! <img src="/images/smilies/wink.gif" border=0>
Don't tell Collins on me...of course he probably won't care any more, will he?