Encroachment Philosophy
 

This is primarily for high school and below. I know that encroachment restrictions (except for defense touching the football, touching a player on the other team and being the neutral zone to call defensive signals) do not begin until the RFP and the center touches the football. I am curious though how everyone enforces a player lining up in the neutral zone?

For example, the offensive huddle breaks, the center touches the football and then a wide receiver lines up in the neutral zone but realizes it immediately and backs up. Is this enough to call it or does it have to be very blatant such as the receiver being oblivious to the fact he is in the neutral zone?

Thanks!

I give a lot of leeway to the wide guys lining up. This would be a meaningless, ticky-tack foul. The only time I have ever called this encroachment was when a wide out was just not looking and wandered ten yards down field before he looked for the ball. I figured that incompetence deserved to be rewarded!

I am with Jim D on this. Just tell them to back up. If they don't listen or don't pay attention, a flag is warranted.

I try and get their attention if they aren't looking at me and tell them to move back. after the play I'll go up to them and tell them to watch his lineup. If their team is on my sideline, I'll tell the coach.

Communication is the key here.

Talk to the kids and try and prevent if you can.

I tell the coaches in our pregame my wings will give them the toe for the L.O.S.

Another we try to get the kids to do is have them come to the wings and tell us if they are OFF or ON. That allows us to know what their intentions are as well.

Dont go looking for a ticky tack call here.

Communicate with the players, makes for a better game

All the above answers are following the philosophy I do.

Here's the way I handle it. If a player looks (O or D) to me I'll help as much as possible. If not and he lines up in the neutral zone, I'll give him several second to correct himself. When I feel the snap is imminent, I will blow the play dead.

Sometimes you can tell that there will be a problem when the receiver is looking back at the QB and he's hustling up the line. You can predict he will will cross the line. I try to catch his attention before he violates. Preventive officiating works most of the time and makes life a little easier.

Thanks everyone. I'm certainly not out looking for nits to pick, and I agree that preventative officiating is best. Back to studying penalty enforcements. :)

I learn along time ago, it’s important to know how they got in the neutral zone. First series of the game - the D-line was already on the line and fine. I was talking to the wide-out explaining my foot was the line, looked down the line and the D-tackle on my side was breaking the neutral zone (barely). Of course I had a lot of help from the coaches on my sideline to point this out! For some reason I let it go and warned the D-tackle he was close.

The next play, the same thing, the D-tackle was in the neutral zone (more this time). I have called encroachment for much less and again an assistant coach was right in my ear screaming for encroachment. Again, I did not pull the trigger – something just didn’t feel right.

On the third play, I was more observant of the D-tackle. He lined up perfectly on the line, the center went into his stance and immediately slide the ball forward about three inches putting the tackle in the neutral zone. I went through the third play with the same coach in my ear bordering on belligerent now. After the play, I told him I was not calling encroachment - but I would call an illegal snap on his center if he didn’t stop moving the ball. We didn’t have any more problems after that! It also taught me a valuable lesson.

As they break the huddle, look at the numbers of the players coming toward your side. As they start to line up you may well already have an idea (by seeing either the Tight End or the Tackle) whether your wideout is likely to be off the line or on the line.

I try to teach my guys to stick their arm out (to signal off the line) when the offense break the huddle and put it down again and verbalise to the wideout "You're on the line" as soon as they are happy he is close enough to be deemed on the line. I find this works pretty well at the lower levels in cutting out preventable fouls.

Putting your arm out every play (and then dropping again as necessary) seems to help the newer guys remember to signal the man off the line.

Dumbref's story about the center moving the ball? Be aware, I've had the same thing happen to me too.