Fun in Florida

[dokeeffe]

Can't wait for the season to start. The new Fed mechanic calls for the chains to operate 6 feet outside the field of play. In FL, no one other than officials and the chain crew can be in this belt from the time the snap is "imminent" through the end of the down. In other words, the coaches will have to be in the team box (from 25 to 25). This belt extends all the way around the field, meaning that no media is allowed within this belt (all the way around field) either. When the down ends, up to three coaches are allowed inside the belt (25 to 25). Snap imminent? Get back coaches! The FL High School Association insists that flags be thrown and records kept of these penalties.

It should prove interesting. Officials will love it. Coaches? Now that will be something else.

[voiceoflg]

Is this the same in Georgia?

[irefky]

Originally Posted by voiceoflg

Is this the same in Georgia?

The rule with the chains being positioned 2 yards off the field is the same. As far as the record keeping for violations, that is a state decision.

The chain crews are going to hate us! You know, the ones who have been doing it forever! I think overall, the coaches will not be much of the problem as these great experience chain crew members.

[Theisey]

I wish the NF would really help us wing officials out by putting some teeth to a rule change that would restrict the coaches from being in that two yard belt in the first place just as in NCAA and NFL.

Same goes with media and all those others they let creep close to the sidelines. A limit line of 5 yards is about as close as I would like to see them to the sideline.

Your "experinced" chain crew members will just have to get used to it. They really should have been pushed back for years, but since the old rule only said it was recommended to work up to 6 feet (or something like that), many HL's were reluctant to push'm there to start with. Two inches was about all some would be able to get!
Ha! the tables will be turned this year!

[grantsrc]

Originally Posted by Theisey

I wish the NF would really help us wing officials out by putting some teeth to a rule change that would restrict the coaches from being in that two yard belt in the first place just as in NCAA and NFL.

Same goes with media and all those others they let creep close to the sidelines. A limit line of 5 yards is about as close as I would like to see them to the sideline.

Your "experinced" chain crew members will just have to get used to it. They really should have been pushed back for years, but since the old rule only said it was recommended to work up to 6 feet (or something like that), many HL's were reluctant to push'm there to start with. Two inches was about all some would be able to get!
Ha! the tables will be turned this year!

I agree. I really wish the Fed would mandate the 2 yards back all the way around the field- period, end of story. That would make life a heck of a lot easier. Especially since some schools are going to turf, it would be easy to have that belt "installed" right from the beginning.

[HLin NC]

We were told last year to start puling the chains off.
Coaches whined, chain crews whined.

The only thing different I'd like to see is a clip mark 6 ft. off and even with each 5 yd. line but I doubt the Fed will ever help us out that far.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

We were told last year to start puling the chains off.
Coaches whined, chain crews whined.

The only thing different I'd like to see is a clip mark 6 ft. off and even with each 5 yd. line but I doubt the Fed will ever help us out that far.

We're lucky to have a properly marked field to begin with. Also, Would love the 2 yds or more line to keep the statisticians out of our way. They roam the field from GL to GL. Usually they are girls who have no clue and constantly ask us what happened on the play.

[nicefellow31]

I think this is a good thing, but I know some smaller schools in VA where you don't have 6 feet to work with. Our commisoner has some concerns about the chains and the team box as well. We will see how it goes.

[kentref]

Originally Posted by Theisey

I wish the NF would really help us wing officials out by putting some teeth to a rule change that would restrict the coaches from being in that two yard belt in the first place just as in NCAA and NFL.

Same goes with media and all those others they let creep close to the sidelines. A limit line of 5 yards is about as close as I would like to see them to the sideline.

Your "experinced" chain crew members will just have to get used to it. They really should have been pushed back for years, but since the old rule only said it was recommended to work up to 6 feet (or something like that), many HL's were reluctant to push'm there to start with. Two inches was about all some would be able to get!
Ha! the tables will be turned this year!

Agreed!
Question: If a coach is within that two yard belt and you run into him, does that ever draw a flag?

[dokeeffe]

Sure it draws a flag. Any time a coach is in the two yard belt from the time the snap is about to take place, until the ball next becomes dead, it is a flag.

[SWFLguy]

No sideline warning ??

I think the NFHS rules people should just eliminate the
"coach's box" and make the 2 yard "no-man's land" zone
mandatory, with exceptions for the few fields that cannot
accommodate the zone. It could go a long way to actually
keeping coaches off the field of play and would certainly
make dragging the chains a lot easier !

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by nicefellow31

I think this is a good thing, but I know some smaller schools in VA where you don't have 6 feet to work with. Our commisoner has some concerns about the chains and the team box as well. We will see how it goes.

Why isn't there any room? What's preventing a clear field at least up to 5 yards from the sideline?
Is there a rock ledge, a tree line, a fence or what? Small school or not, fields like this appear to me to be unsafe for play!

A lot of crap can happen in the OOB areas.

[Biscuit]

We had 2 games last year at the same field where the home team surrounded the field with T-posts and strung flags from post to post to keep people back from the field.The problem on my side of the field (visitors), was that this "fence" was only about 5 yards from the sideline, not giving anywhere for the subs, coaches, etc. to go. The rest of the field it was farther back than that. Even more dangerous was that there weren't any caps or anything on the post tops.