Forward handoffs

[jransom]

Recently had a youth game where an administrator from another league approached us at halftime about the legality of "the end around". We explained the handing rules as follows:
1. Any player may hand the ball backward to anyone at anytime anywhere on the field.
2. A forward hand-off may occur only in or behind the neutral zone on a scrimmage down (and only before team possession has changed). The only restrictions on who can receive a forward hand-off are on lineman. All ends & backs are ok unless an end also happens to be the snapper or adjacent to the snapper. Any A player that is restriced by position can still receive a forward handoff if they have met 2 conditions: a. they have done an about-face so that they are facing their own goaline, b. they are at least 1 yard behind the LOS when they get the ball.
3. The direction of the handoff is determined by the relationship of the yardline(s) of the ball and the player handing the ball.

NFHS rules ref: 7-3 and 2-19

Jonathan

[Edited by jransom on Sep 30th, 2004 at 11:24 AM]