Hi - I run an intramural flag football program at my high school - 250 kids or so play for 2 months, roughly 120 games, and we have a pretty well developed set of rules for them to follow, and student officials who call most of the games. I am a high school sports official, but football is not one of the sports I officiate.

We had a situation yesterday in one of our playoff games. A pass was sent over the players to a receiver in the endzone. A defensive player following the offensive player reached up in the general direction of the pass, with probably almost no likelihood of getting to it and making the catch, but on the way up with his arm, he came up under the intended receiver's arm, pushing it up about a foot, and, in my opinion, interfering with the ability for the receiver to catch the ball.

In high school football rules, what would the ruling on this be? I called pass interference, and since it was in the endzone that it occurred, I gave them the ball on the one yard line (our rules say defensive pass interference is enforced from the spot of the foul, and an automatic first down - we don't really have a rule saying that you would bring it out of the endzone in that case, but it seemed like the right thing to do).

Any ideas or rulings from high school football apply? Thanks for any help in advance.

NFHS rules do not recognize an "uncatchable pass" so you have to make a judgement call on that. If the pass is on the other side of the field you can probably warn the defender instead of throwing the flag, but if it's clearly being thrown to the receiver that's being contacted by the defender, you about have to flag it. The ball may be "uncatchable" but again, the NFHS rules don't recognize that.

Having said that, I wasn't there to see the play, so ...

I just realized in reading it, that I was a little confusing on the one point. The pass was definitely catchable for the intended receiver - it was not likely catchable for the defender. I doubt, based on your reply, that this really changes anything, but thanks for the info. I feel better now. It was directly in front of me, about 10 yards away, fyi.

Appears that the call was correct.
Abut the enforcement: Since you don't have a rule to fall back on, remember that all rule set give the head officil the right to rule on things that aren't covered in the rules. Fed has, NCAA has... the famous 9.01c in baseball,
etc.

Just remember, flag football is "no contact." Therefore, contact that gives any sort of an advantage should be flagged.

I've done flag football for about 3 years now and the "no contact" thing is the hardest to adjust to from a Friday Night Lights game. The only time I really let them play is when they are both going for a pass. So I guess the real main question is to whether or not they were both generally going for the ball.

REPLY: I hate to be the wet blanket here, but I really would have liked to actually see the play. You said that the defender had "...probably almost no likelihood of getting to it and making the catch..." which infers that there was at least some possibility that he did have some opportunity to at least bat the pass away. If he was <b>playing the ball</b> (key is where was he looking), and in jumping to knock the ball away, he contacted the receiver's arm, I might be inclined to rule it incidental contact. If, however, he was <i><u>not</u></i> looking back for the ball, but was instead <b>playing the man</b>, then I would agree with the flag.

drinkeii,

Assuming that you had a defensive pass interference foul (DPI) (I'll let the others debate the pros and cons above), here are the possible enforcements:

1. NFHS rules - DPI is 15 yds from the previous spot, automatic 1st down. Keep in mind that you may have to enforce it as half the distance from the previous spot if the snap was inside B's 30 yard line.

2. Some high schools use the NCAA college rules. If you are using these rules, then it becomes more involved depending where the snap occured. Assuming the snap was at the B-17 or closer to the B goal line, then DPI in the end zone is an automatic first down at the B-2. A 1/G @ B2. If outside the B-17, then it's 15 yds from the previous spot, no half the distance provision (take the full 15 yds).

Also, as suggested above, in order to have DPI in NCAA, the pass much be catchable. In NFHS, there is no such provision.

Hope this helps.

And in NCAA, you must have contact. But that is not a requirement in NFHS, is it (faceguarding)?

REPLY: That's correct.

I agree with Bob M. The defense has just as much right to the ball as the offense. If contact is incidental in a legitimate attempt to get to the ball, it is a no-call. And watching the DB's eyes is a great clue as to his intentions.