Covering Field Goal with 5-man mechanics (NFHS)

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Reading through five man mechanics for a field goal, you place two officials under the goal posts, one official on the line, umpire in the defensive backfield and referee in offensive backfield positioned to view the kicker and holder and watch the ball placed on the ground.

Is that generally the way it is done?

My concern is you can leave a sideline exposed as the manual has you position your umpire toward the uncovered sideline.

What if you get a block and the ball goes toward that sideline?

CANADIAN MECHANICS:

This is also the formation for 5-man FGA in Canada.

The R is supposed to go to wide side, but I prefer the short (empty) side to cover the sideline if needed.

[MNBlue]

I don't know when we missed the memo, but for FG coverage inside the 15, we have the BJ and the U on the posts. LJ and L on the line. R facing the holder.

Outside the 15, we have the BJ alone. U, LJ, and L in their normal positions, and R facing the holder.

[dldsooner]

Originally Posted by MNBlue

I don't know when we missed the memo, but for FG coverage inside the 15, we have the BJ and the U on the posts. LJ and L on the line. R facing the holder.

Outside the 15, we have the BJ alone. U, LJ, and L in their normal positions, and R facing the holder.

How in the world can the BJ alone cover the goal posts by himself? You should never have just one person under the goal on a FG or PAT.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by dldsooner

How in the world can the BJ alone cover the goal posts by himself? You should never have just one person under the goal on a FG or PAT.

CANADIAN MECHANIC:

In our 4-man games, we have one guy under the posts. If close to the goal line (our uprights are on the goal line), the U can also go under.

In 12 years, I've only ever seen an issue come up twice.

[With_Two_Flakes]

Here in the UK, we have one man under the posts for the long FG attempts (we define "long" as 20yd line and beyond) and don't think it is a problem. You set up no more than 5yds behind the posts. Be ready to move quickly to the threatened post if the kick is to one side or the other.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by With_Two_Flakes

Here in the UK, we have one man under the posts for the long FG attempts (we define "long" as 20yd line and beyond) and don't think it is a problem. You set up no more than 5yds behind the posts. Be ready to move quickly to the threatened post if the kick is to one side or the other.

Very well said 2Flakes! As soon as the kick goes, you can tell if an upright is threatened. If the posts are 6-7 yards wide, then at most you have to move is ~ 4 yards!

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by dldsooner

How in the world can the BJ alone cover the goal posts by himself? You should never have just one person under the goal on a FG or PAT.

I always thought in 5 man there are _always_ 2 under the uprights, even for long FG/PAT attempts.

However, for 4 man games, the U may be alone. On a short FG/PAT, LJ busts to the endline at the snap for over/under, R has left/right, HL has kicker/holder. For long FG/PAT, U has over/under, R has left/right, HL has kicker/holder, and LJ has the snapper. In neither of these cases does anybody have the goal on their own.

[PSU213]

Originally Posted by MNBlue

I don't know when we missed the memo, but for FG coverage inside the 15, we have the BJ and the U on the posts. LJ and L on the line. R facing the holder.

Outside the 15, we have the BJ alone. U, LJ, and L in their normal positions, and R facing the holder.

A situation happened in these parts at least 20 years ago. Team from the area (K) was playing a team from out of town (R). K is attemping a game winning FG. I don't know the specifics, but it was a fairly long attempt (by HS standards). It was well wide, but only the BJ was back there and he ruled it good. In his defense I don't know if he get confused about which post he was under or (not in his defense) he just didn't move to the post being threatened), but the R coach started saying 'homer' as you would expect and that he would "never come back up here for a game. Anyway, I'm not blaming the BJ for what happened, just saying that, in theory, it sounds good to only have one official back there for long kicks, just that it may not always work out for various reasons.

As a side note, the coach did bring his team back about 10 years ago and lost late in the game by an even worse call by the officials (which I can't defend in any way). Now I am pretty sure he will never be back in the area for another game.