2006 NCAA Rules Book posted on-line

[TXMike]

TH -
Surely you jest?!?!?!?! You don't get it yet??? The NCAA rules are becoming more and more about TV and the Biggies. The rest of us are just along for the ride.

There are more HS officials working NCAA rules in the states of Texas and Mass then in ALL of NCAA combined. There are more games each season under NCAA rules in Tx and Mass thnan ALL of NCAA combined. But did TX and Mass. have any input at all????? Nope.

What is really surprising is how the Biggies were apparently able to run rough shod over everyone else on the Rules Committee for whom TV is a non-event. And even more surprising is the developing story line that even most of the major college coaches who are not on the committee are not happy with the changes.

[Theisey]

I guess I live a sheltered life TX.

Have you seen anything on the story about what the non-committee coaches are not happy with?

[TXMike]

Timing changes that could result in them not being able to come from behind quite as easy as before.

[Badger05]

"There are more HS officials working NCAA rules in the states of Texas and Mass then in ALL of NCAA combined. There are more games each season under NCAA rules in Tx and Mass thnan ALL of NCAA combined. But did TX and Mass. have any input at all????? Nope. "

I for one am not buying this one. You may have forgotten that DIAA, DII, NAIA, and DIII all use the NCAA Rules. Now I know that not many of them are on TV either, but I would guess that there are more NCAA teams using those rules than High Schools in Texas and Mass.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Originally Posted by Badger05

"There are more HS officials working NCAA rules in the states of Texas and Mass then in ALL of NCAA combined. There are more games each season under NCAA rules in Tx and Mass thnan ALL of NCAA combined. But did TX and Mass. have any input at all????? Nope. "

I for one am not buying this one. You may have forgotten that DIAA, DII, NAIA, and DIII all use the NCAA Rules. Now I know that not many of them are on TV either, but I would guess that there are more NCAA teams using those rules than High Schools in Texas and Mass.

Well, a little Internet research turns up the following facts(1):

• Massachusetts has 401 high schools(2)
• Texas has 1518 high schools(2), apparently 772 of which have teams (3)
• There are 234 D-III college football teams (4)
• There are 147 D-II college football teams (5)
• There are 120 D-IAA teams (6)
• There are 119 D-IA teams (6)
• There are 91 NAIA teams (7)

I couldn't find a number for how many H.S. in MA have teams, but let's assume it's a bit lower fraction than TX. Since the number of schools in just Texas eclipses the total number of college teams, even when you figure in that college schedules can be a bit longer and that college games all use 6 or 7 officials, I'd have to say that TXMike was still right.

Now, the real counterpoint to TXMike's argument is that the NCAA is a college organization - high school associations may use their rules, but they're not the NCAA's constituents . Really, though, his point is still valid - the rule changes are directed at the big-name D-IA schools, and smaller (read: non-TV) games aren't given as much thought. (Or, to be fair, as much scrutiny.)

(1) Given the caveat that, as a good friend of mine likes to say, "The Internet knows everything, whether or not it's true."
(2) www.schooltree.com
(3) www.texasfootballratings.com
(4) www.d3football.com
(5) www.d2football.com
(6) www.espn.com
(7) football.victorysportsnetwork.com

[JasonTX]

I can't recall which rules, but during some past clinics I have heard that there were severall NCAA rule changes that came about based upon something that happened in Texas High School games. Sure the rules are geared towards college but in the past HS games have influenced some rules.

[TxJim]

Originally Posted by Badger05

"There are more HS officials working NCAA rules in the states of Texas and Mass then in ALL of NCAA combined. There are more games each season under NCAA rules in Tx and Mass thnan ALL of NCAA combined. But did TX and Mass. have any input at all????? Nope. "

I for one am not buying this one. You may have forgotten that DIAA, DII, NAIA, and DIII all use the NCAA Rules. Now I know that not many of them are on TV either, but I would guess that there are more NCAA teams using those rules than High Schools in Texas and Mass.

I think you are wrong. You are not counting jr high and JV ball. Just considering those, not varsity, here in San Antonio alone, there will be over 2500 regular season games this year played under NCAA rules by over 200 teams. If I had a varsity schedule, I could add that them too, but I guess it probably adds about another 700+ games under NCAA rules to that total. Now factor in Dallas, Houston, Austin, etc. etc.

[TXMike]

And not to pile on or anything....but even the numbers which the roamin ump found do not tell the whole varsity story. I don't think the numbers are complete, even for public HS varsity but then you add in the private HS varsity (also played under NCAA rules) plus the factor Jim pointed out (subvarsity) plus the fact that most all youth leagues I am aware of in the state use NCAA rules with slight modifications and the numbers are overwhelming.

And as Jason pointed out, many NCAA changes over the years have resulted from incidents in Texas schoolboy football. Heck we all know if you want to see the bizarre, go to lower levels of football. You are rarely if ever going to see complex situations at the D-1A level. But try a 7th or 8th grade game and anything strange that can happen will happen. Yes the games is much much faster at D-1A but when you want to see the rules tested, come to the lower levels. The NCAA is missing out on the chance to have some potential situations dealt with before they happen in a big game by not taking advantage of the TEX and MASS experience.

Public schools in Texas only:

Class Total
5A 245
4A 230
3A 175
2A 221
1A 149
6-Man 118
1138 Public HSs in Texas playing NCAA rules

[Badger05]

I stand corrected.

[Texas Aggie]

Regardless of how many games played under their rules, the NCAA's interest in non-NCAA games is and probably should be minimal. I agree they should pay some attention to weird things that happen at lower levels, and be willing to listen to suggestions, but their interest is college football. If Texas and Mass schools want to go along for the ride, fine. But what UIL and the Mass. state association can do if they want a change is simple: adopt an exception. Last year, Texas had 33 exceptions covering everything from tee usage on place kicks and goal post size to timing and fighting regulations. It isn't that difficult for Texas to say goalposts will be 23+ feet instead of 18+. Its even less difficult to say quarter times are 12 instead of 15.

I know basketball coaches all over Texas that hate the basketball free throw lane restriction rule (can't move before ball hits rim), but they play by it (or are supposed to). There are other examples of states that don't like a mandated Fed rule. To me, Texas shouldn't complain in the least since if they used Fed, they'd have a much more limited autonomy to adjust the rules or risk not having any say in that. This way the NCAA doesn't care in the least what Texas does to their rules.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've heard, the majority of complaints on the new timing rules, as far as the coaches are concerned, deal with starting the clock on the RFP after a punt, for example. How hard can it be for Texas to put in a rule exception for that? In sub-varsity, especially below JV, we are very unregimented about timing, especially on starting the clock on RFP when we should start it on the snap. Nobody knows the difference and the games get over in a reasonable time.

[TXMike]

Chances are that even if the NCAA gets the train back on the tracks such that next year's process is more efficient than this year's (and whether or not UIL is in the room next year), there will be UIL exceptions on the timing rules. There will be a good body of evidence gathered this year which can accurately forecast the number of plays and how long the games will last were UIL to adopt all the timing changes. Once UIL and THSCA see that, I have no doubt they will go along with an exception to the timing changes.