formation (NFHS)

[Bob M.]

Originally posted by BushRef
Man, as a rookie and working the wing all season, I Think I may have been flubbing up this ON THE LINE/OFF THE LINE all year now. When my receivers come out, if they don't tell me, I ask them ON or OFF so that I can make sure they are lined up accordingly. Basicly, I've been putting their front foot at the "tail" of the ball if they're on, and put em about a step back if they told me they were off...(cont'd)

REPLY: bushref, let me offer you a suggestion independent of the rule. I would be very cautious about asking are you on or off the line and then moving them up or back. I believe, and I'm sure there are a number of our colleagues that will agree, that you're setting yourself up for trouble. Think about it: He tells you, "I'm on." You see he's back too far and say, "Move up." Now what happens when, as he's moving up (forward), the ball is snapped? Or conversely, you tell him to move back and he does so as another back is legally in motion? In each case, he's fouled. And the last thing you want is him saying, "You told me to move up/back." A better technique IMHO is to declare when they get there, "#81 is on the line; #32 is a back." If that's not where they belong, let them make the decision to move and take the responsibility for it. Does that make sense?