NFHS Ball Mechanics

[Kirby]

I only wish we had teams with trained ball boys and would bring more than 1 game ball. If we only have one ball boy then we will bring the balls in from one side similar to what this crew mandated. But, if both teams supply ball boys we would use both sidelines. Ideally, we would like to have balls from both teams on both sides, but in a high school game I've never been able to do that due to lack of ball boys and game balls. Similar to college, it would be nice if at the FED level both teams were mandated to use the same brand of ball. This would eliminate the possibility of relaying in the wrong team's ball which seems to happen once or twice every season.

[refbuz]

I can only assume that they were talking about possession changes, as I find it hard to believe that if there's an incomplete pass on the L's sideline that the crew would go to the OPPOSITE SIDE of the field to get a ball. If that is what they did, then the crew is doing it wrong. Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is with ball rotation but some guys seem to struggle with it.

I don't know that theres an "official" NFHS ball mechanic, but this is what I was taught. Each team provides 3 balls prior to the game and ball boys for their sidelines. 4 are kept on the LJs side (2H/2V), 2 are kept on the L's side (1H/1V). On a change of possession, the LJ brings in a ball, tosses it to the U who changes the offense's ball. The changed ball goes off to the LJ's side. Anytime the ball goes outside the numbers, you switch the ball, UNLESS THEY ARE IN A HURRY UP. If they are in a hurry up, then the same ball stays in. It's been that way since I started working HS and was the same this year working my 1st year of college.

Ball rotation is not really rocket science, but it will make a crew look bad if you screw it up.

[kdf5]

We aren't going to force our mechanics on anyone. We can work with ball boys from both sides or one side. We've had games where one side says we don't have a ball boy and the other side has handled both with no problems. That crew is pretty arrogant and/or completely inept if you ask me.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by kdf5

We aren't going to force our mechanics on anyone. We can work with ball boys from both sides or one side. We've had games where one side says we don't have a ball boy and the other side has handled both with no problems. That crew is pretty arrogant and/or completely inept if you ask me.

My thoughts exactly. I will adjust to whatever the conference/school practice is.

That said, I could've kissed the coach late in the season who told me he'd just use the home team footballs, if that was OK with the home coach. It was and we rarely had to change footballs and we had a ball boy ready with 2 balls anyway.

Regarding the OP's situation -- I'm not going to start a new series unless the chains are set and the new defense has had an ample opportunity to substitute after a punt or free kick, anyway, so I'm not sure if it matters much in those situations. On long incompletes, we're getting a new ball immediately anyway, so I'm not sure how that would change things, either. Now, since they are only asking for one football, I guess the crew would be waiting on that same football to come back, which is, IMO, poor officiating anyway.

[Welpe]

In our area, we will use a ball person from each team if they wish but there have been times the visiting coach is fine with one person handling balls for both teams. It really depends upon the team. As an aside, the only time we rotate balls is during inclement weather or when a ball malfunctions otherwise they use the same ball for their entire offensive series.

[OverAndBack]

It wasn't until I moved to Arizona that I saw the practice of both teams' footballs coming in from one side of the field. Wings were always responsible for the ball on their side in Illinois, at least in the games I worked. That's what I was used to. If you had the chains, obviously, that's one more thing you had to do, but that was just the way it was.

Out here, it seems like many referees want it done the other way, which is fine. I don't have a strong preference one way or the other, but have learned as a wing that if your white hat ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. If he can't or is unwilling to adjust to a coach's wishes - even on a (usually) little thing like this - that's his deal.

[ajmc]

This issue connects back to a previous discussion; who actually determines when a ball change is necessary? It's no less an unearned disadvantage to rush a new ball into play, to satisfy an offensive plan, than it is to slow down ball retrieval to satisfy the defense.

The Referee (officials) should decide when a new ball is to be exchanged NOT THE OFFENSE and it's our obligation to be fair and equitable about it. If a field is wet and the ball hits the deck, we likely look for another ball. When an incomplete pass, or OOB kick bounces far away from the field, we look for another ball. When it's raining, snowing or otherwise sloppy we usually choose to exchange balls more frequently. However we choose to do it, the important thing is the we decide how, and when, it will be done

The reason we try to set a consistent tone for declaring the ball RFP is so one team doesn't steal an unfair advantage over the other. It's not fair to slow an offense down because the defense wants a slower pace, but it's no less unfair to let the offense decide what the pace should be to satisfy their plans, at the expense of the defense.

When the officials are in complete control of the pace of the RFP as well as the exchange of game balls, nobody gets an unfair advantage.