A difficult call to make, and more difficult to explain

[Ed Hickland]

Originally posted by MJT
Originally posted by Ed Hickland


This is definitely an easier call in NCAA, where is is where he touched it compared to where he released it. I should have stated the "problem" I discussed is an NF one, not NCAA. That would be a nice change for NF.

I have to agree. Calling the backwards pass with NFHS rules is difficult because you have to be in position to see the arm and the body at the time of release. Conversely, the NCAA/NFL rule requires knowing where the pass initiated and ended. Prevailing thought is a number of NFHS games have just four officials and in lower levels three. To be able to make the call with confidence you need to have an official covering the sideline and with less than five officials that is not always possible.