Offense Offsides
 

I am just starting to officiate football games. I am currently taking the NFHS certification course. On weekends I am helping officiate youth league football with a state certified official to get the hang of things. Ok, here is the situation. In yesterdays game the offense lined up off sides, the ball was snapped and I blew the whistle to stop play. The certified official tells me that offensive offside is a live ball foul and to jus throw the flag and not blow the whistle. I thought that any NZ infraction was a deadball foul and play was stopped? By the way, we play by High School rules. Who was correct in this case?

What is he certified in?

This is a dead ball foul in NFHS.

Although often times in youth leagues it's not a foul at all unless really blatant.

Not only is it a dead ball foul, but you should have blown your whistle as soon as he was in the NZ and the center had placed his hands on the ball. Kind of scary that the "certified" official told you it was a live ball foul.

That's the problem with a lot of upper level youth officials. Yeah the have some experience working games, but often times their rules knowledge is suspect. Heck, that happens in varsity games too.

This is a DB foul. Snap doesn't even have to occur for this to be a foul, just like defense being offside.

Good luck with everything. Stay in the rule book and keep checking here. I am willing to bet you will learn more here than any "certified" official.

I always try to give some leeway concerning how peewee teams line up. I prefer to go in and tell the kids how they're supposed to be, and then flag them if they disregard me later. Otherwise I only flag when one team is really getting an advantage or when everyone in the stands are able to see the infraction.

But yeah, your referee doesn't know what he's talking about.

There is no "offsides" in FED football. It's encroachment. There is offsides in the NFL, because if there's no contact, a defensive player can get back before the snap. If it's the offense, it's a false start, or lining up in the neutral zone.

Bob

excuse me for the wrong terminology, it is indeed encroachment, even on the offense per 7-1-6, which states "...Following the ready-for-play and after the snapper has placed his hand(s) on the ball, encroachment occurs if any other player breaks the plane of the neutral zone". Thus, its also encroachment if the offense commits the infraction. But all of your answers are right on point, thanks for your help and I'll be discussing it with the other officials before tomorrows game.

Since we're on terminology, isn't it "offside" not "offsides"?

Maybe the referee did not understand. I know I had it happen to me as a rookie years ago.

On the play the offense came set. A back starts forward and is five yards downfield when I blow the whistle and report a dead ball foul for encroachment. The referee tells me that was a live ball foul thinking I did not know the difference. He changed his mind when I described what had happened.

OK, here is the update as we went into todays game. I discussed the rule with all the officials, including the one who ruled it a live ball foul, and it was decided that they were wrong and I was correct. Once again, thanks to everyone who answered the post.

No offisides in FED ball. It is encroachment, and you blow it dead immediately.