Please help!!!

[grantsrc]

Originally Posted by lionsfan_94

One of my best friends and I almost came to blows over this tonight, and I would greatly appreciate some help. What I would like is for someone to verify my proceding comment.

Before each play, the offense must break the huddle with 11 players. At this time, the defense can have however many players it wants to on the field. Once the offense breaks, the defense runs off the people that they do not want on the field based on the personel of the offense. Therefor, the defense can match up say a dime defense with a spread offense, but also have the personel available on the field in the event the offense comes out in a more traditional pro-set. Basicaly, the defense can pick it's personal match-ups based on what who the offense has on the field.

I appreciate your help

Zach

Zach,
This is illegal as it would be illegal substitution. At any given time, either team cannot have more than 11 players on the field. Obviously for substitution reasons there will be times when there are more than that, but you cannot have excess players waiting on the field to see what package the offense runs out of. The time frame for a substitute entering the field and a replaced player to leave the field differs from HS to college. The general consensus for HS is 3-5 seconds that the replaced player has to leave. For college, the rules are a little more specific. They give a replaced player 3 seconds to leave.
So the situation you're describing is illegal. Make sense?
FWIW- In HS there is no foul for "breaking the huddle with 12". Rather, the requirements I mentioned above need to be met.