Worked the first interschool scrimmage of the season Friday night. Didn't see any 9-yards marks on the field. Asked the coach about it and he says, "There are supposed to be 9-yard marks??? What are those? Was that in the big packet the IHSA sent me?"

The big packet contains the rulebook, casebook, and handbook as well as points of emphasis and rule changes. Coach didn't bother to open it.

Can't wait until opening night :D

LOL That really doesn't suprise me to be honest.

watched a game Friday night and one school most of the time had their wide out between the numbers and sideline prior and after the ready for play. In the first half alone I counted eight times with no flags thrown. Oh yea, I left at half time because with 7 minutes to go before the half lightening was very noticeable.

Now is this IP-15yrds or IS-5yrds? From my understanding it is the IP for 15 yards but cannot understand why not one time was it blown.

Off the top of my head it is illegal formation I believe. Rule 7-2 something. And remember, the 9 yard marks only come into consideration during plays from scrimmage, not free kicks.

IP is when a subtitute enters the down in action. I'm going to stop there because I don't have the books in front of me and I don't want to spread any wrong information.

Neither IS or IP. It's illegal formation.

It is illegal formation, 5 yards from PS. See 7-2-1

I worked a field yesterday that had the marks. Watched another field that didn't. But the kicker was something I heard at the second game from another official. A coach at a 3rd field thought he had to keep his players all lined up INSIDE of these new 9 yard hash marks. 2nd year coach.

While discussing field markings at our rules meeting our supervisor said "by the way, if you're a school and you're going to fire the guy who marks the field, be sure and fire him AFTER you have him mark the field".

Apparently this was a true story here in Nebrasksa and the guy did quite a number on the field, including marking every yard line from sideline to sideline.

Maybe the refs thought that there was no advantage being gained? I understand that under the rules it's a penalty, but if there's no victim in the crime there's no need to stop the game for a flag.

My crew actually did two varsity regular season games (we get started early in South GA) and both fields had the markings correct. Shocking.

Don't your coaches have to attend a rules meeting where this should have been discussed at length? I know they did here in Indiana.

It is definately Illegal Formation Live ball foul because the offending player can rectify the situation right up until the snap.

Illegal substitution still could be called if there is a substitution not completed by a player not coming inside those "tick marks." Illegal Formation would apply if no substitution is made (or has been completed) and a player never comes inside the marks.

Peace

The 9-yard marks have nothing to do with illegal substitution. It's clearly an illegal formation call as previously stated.

North Carolina has informed us to enforce the 9-yard marks rule for scrimamge and free kicks as well for consistency.

As long as the wideouts who may not have been inside the marks are covered by B, I will be giving warnings before the illegal formation flags are thrown.

As I noticed in my game Friday night, 9 yards is relatively close to the sideline, so there should not be many problems. I do not think it will change much as far as the way the game is officiated, or number of flags for this penalty.

The rule applies to scrimmage kicks, so that's nothing new.
However, how are you going to enforce it on a free kick, and better yet, why? Most teams are lined up and spread out before the RFP and then kick away just a few seconds after the RFP. Not only that, but as officials, don't we make sure they have 11 players before we even hand the kicker the ball? The receiving team has plenty of time to find their blocking assignments. Unnecessary in my opinion.

Missouri said scrimmage plays only. As Patton said, it just isn't necessary and it doesn't work on free kicks so why try to extend the rule to cover it?