What to call

[kentref]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Think the point of the original question was whether a "stupid" illegal block should negate a sure score.

If all things were equal and done entirely by the book, the foul would be penalized from the basic spot, that is, where the foul occurred.

This has been discussed in our Association meeting and consensus was penalize this as a USC, which, is totally wrong because there was contact and it is a personal foul. The reason for the USC it is a method to penalize "correctly" albeit it wrong without taking away the score.

Another method was to simply lie about when the foul occurred and say the score had already occurred when the contact occurred. Dead ball foul, penalize from succeeding spot. But what if the runner was tackled on the one yard line? Only a 1/2 yard penalty?

The real answer is that coaches should teach players not to block illegally.

But, what if, the block was in form legal but thirty yards behind the definite touchdown what is known as "chipping." Same situation as mentioned before applies but now you would be penalizing contact that is legal but unnecessary.

I would love to hear other opinions on whether to penalize both the legal and illegal contact on the long touchdown play.

This is a live ball personal foul. The player made a stupid, unnecessary, but illegal block. It's a safety issue and, perhaps more importantly, by penalizing it correctly as a live ball personal foul it sends the message that that kind of garbage foul won't be tolerated. I've seen situations like this where a player thinks he can get in a cheap, retaliatory shot at an opponent. Penalizing it as a PF helps prevent similar fouls later in the game. Also, if it's flagrant, you toss him.

[mikesears]

If a player is "head hunting" and the ball is live, my philosophy is to bring the ball back and mark off the penalty. If the ball is dead and the foul occurs, treat it as a dead ball foul. The only change I wish the NF would make is to allow a choice of spots for dead ball fouls on a scoring play (try or succeeding kickoff). I don't feel I can go wrong by applying the rules as written and as kentref has offered, it prevents similar things from happening later.

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by mikesears

If a player is "head hunting" and the ball is live, my philosophy is to bring the ball back and mark off the penalty. If the ball is dead and the foul occurs, treat it as a dead ball foul. The only change I wish the NF would make is to allow a choice of spots for dead ball fouls on a scoring play (try or succeeding kickoff). I don't feel I can go wrong by applying the rules as written and as kentref has offered, it prevents similar things from happening later.

One of the reasons officials are reluctant to enforce as written is coaches don't like stupid penalties that take scores off the board and for many high school officials enforcement could lead to serious consequences by the coaches.

I agree the rules committee should look at this problem. If the rule is not enforced then it opens the door for further unnecessary action. Enforcement as a USC or a dead ball personal brings ethics into question.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

One of the reasons officials are reluctant to enforce as written is coaches don't like stupid penalties that take scores off the board and for many high school officials enforcement could lead to serious consequences by the coaches.

Sorry if those who have to deal with that sort environment take offense, but if you are adjusting your calls to satisify the mood of a coach, you don't belong on the field.

[BuckeyeRef]

One of the reasons officials are reluctant to enforce as written is coaches don't like stupid penalties that take scores off the board and for many high school officials enforcement could lead to serious consequences by the coaches.

I agree the rules committee should look at this problem. If the rule is not enforced then it opens the door for further unnecessary action. Enforcement as a USC or a dead ball personal brings ethics into question.

I have called this live ball personal foul at least three times a year on lower level games. Every time I have called it and taken the score off the board the coach has asked for an explanation and I have given it to him. Not one of the coaches has disputed the call. On the good side, I haven't had to make this call in a varsity game, so the coaches must be teaching the players something.