Aiding the Runner?
 

When was the last time anyone called aiding the runner? Under what circumstances would any of you call it in modern games?

If they were pulling him I would call it. Otherwise it would have to be a sustained two hands in the middle of the back.

I called it once this year in a varsity game. A little guy was driving the QB forward in a short yardage situation. Upon coming off the field the kid was asked, "Who are you, Reggie Bush?"

Canadian Ruling/Philosophy
 

CANADIAN RULING:

The tandem buck is a 5-yard illegal procedure foul applied from PLS if before YG and PBH if after YG.

CANADIAN PHILOSOPHY:

It is called only if the aiding of the runner is directly on the ball carrier, and not the group of players, and only if it earns the team a 1D or TD.

My back judge called it a couple of weeks ago. The runner was in the middle of the field around the 40 yard line and a teamate grabbed his jersey and tried to sling shot him forward.

We have a rule on the crew, do not call anything the wh doesn't know how to signal:) :) :) I had to think about for about a second but I got it right:)

I noticed some puzzled faces up in the press box as I did it.

I called one this year in a JV game. Team was going for 2. It was a QB sneak and the back was pushing the QB into the endzone. It was very obvious.

I would guess the most likely scenario for aiding the running is on those goal line sneaks.

I had one last year in a JV game. The WR caught the ball out in the flat and the DB came up to tackle him. The WR was driving his legs and slowly maintaining forward progress when another A player came up and blasted his own man in the back, knocking him forward several feet before going to the ground. I flagged it and the A coach went nuts. He kept saying, "I can't believe you called that." I finally said, "Coach, it was really obvious." He said, "I know he did it, but this is just a JV GAME."


Oh, well in that case....

A player blasted his own guy in the back? I'm surprised the coach wasn't yelling at the kid for trying to kill his teammate!

I think the most memorable one I've ever seen, as a fan, was when the Refrigerator Perry tried to shot put Walter Payton into the end zone back in 1985 when the Bears were the Super Bowl champs.

I think I had one game this year where the announcer actually knew what the signals meant. We've had "holding" for block in the back and, of course, the old reliables, "illegal procedure" and "offsides." Last week in a playoff game we had "automatic first down" announced for a personal foul penalty.

I think the game where I had the helping the runner call, the announcer actually got it right.