Interesting way to think about offsetting fouls

[stevesmith]

I talked with someone about this exact situation today. In my mind, it is a flaw in the rulebook.

[Texas Aggie]

Perhaps the way to change this is to make an exception to offsetting fouls that if Team A gets a first down and fouls after that, then the fouls against Team A are ignored, and the fouls against Team B are enforced from the previous spot. Sort of a "split the difference" deal with Team A getting an auto first down. So, in this case, Team A has the first down at their own 25.

As one of my partners commented when I pointed this out, "yeah, that's true, but Team A is equally to blame as if they don't foul, they get a TD." In other words, A still has to be responsible for their own fouls and if it costs them a long gain or TD, that's their own problem.

[ljudge]

I've been thinking about this for at least 4 years now and continue to scratch my head on how to fix this.

[JugglingReferee]

This hiccup could never happen with the Canadian ruleset.

B's FM is a 15y foul. There's no 5y variety in Canada. This is also a UR foul - the POA is up to the non-offending team: A.

B has to choose between A's BIB and A's hold. Since the BIB = 15y, and hold = 10y, B will decline the hold and accept the BIB.

The yardage from B's FM and A's BIB will offset, but A will earn an AFD. So it's A1D @ point ball held of the BIB.

[schmitty1973]

Here's a way to solve this:
If A is the home team, wave off the facemask flag and make everybody happy, except B

If B is the home team, pretend that since there are more fouls on A than there were on B, you subtract the total yards penalized on A from the total yards penalized on B, (5 or 15 depending on the degree of the facemask) then you start at the 20 and go backwards.

If we can figure this out, then I can pass algebra!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

This hiccup could never happen with the Canadian ruleset.

B's FM is a 15y foul. There's no 5y variety in Canada. This is also a UR foul - the POA is up to the non-offending team: A.

B has to choose between A's BIB and A's hold. Since the BIB = 15y, and hold = 10y, B will decline the hold and accept the BIB.

The yardage from B's FM and A's BIB will offset, but A will earn an AFD. So it's A1D @ point ball held of the BIB.

Your abbreviations make no sense to me. What is UR?

On a different note: Thank goodness the NFHS has put in the 5 yard face mask.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Your abbreviations make no sense to me. What is UR?

On a different note: Thank goodness the NFHS has put in the 5 yard face mask.

Rich, don't speak Canadian, eh?

I'll venture a guess...

UR = Unnecessary Roughness

[Rich]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Rich, don't speak Canadian, eh?

I'll venture a guess...

UR = Unnecessary Roughness

Oh, I've never thought of a facemask as unnecessary roughness, but then again I guess a 15 yard variety would be.


POA has me confused, too.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Originally Posted by ljudge

I've been thinking about this for at least 4 years now and continue to scratch my head on how to fix this.

I'll make a suggestion - y'all can tell me why it would be broken in some other fashion. On a running play, spot the ball at the point of the first flag. On a loose-ball play, we can still go back to the previous spot.