Offseason Rules Study
 

With the football season six to seven months away now is a good time to start preparing for next season by studying the rules.

Interested in some ideas on what rule would be the best place to start.

Rule 2 - without it, the others don't make much sense.

Rule 2 is the natural place to start. Next would be, not so much a rule, but a facet of the game and that would be the kicking game since it has so many rules scattered around the rule book and since it's not the most commonly used aspect of the game. A book such as Redding's would be a good resource since it compiles all kicking rules into one chapter.

I think its a good idea to read the entire set of rules (and case plays) through several times during the off season. You'll likely find something you missed before. Then, I'd break the study down by position and key on important provisions -- like penalty enforcement for R, passing rules for BJ, etc.

Pay particular attention to rules and interps you felt you missed on plays last year -- either as a crew or individually. We had a game where we had some problems with our interps of blocking below the waist. I now know all those BBW rules cold.

Don't overlook the casebook. I periodically open it to a random case and I quiz myself. It prompts me to get into a particular rule.

High school softball season is fast approaching for me. That's what I'm concentrating on.

One idea that I found to be useful and somewhat interesting is to examine the odd differences in some of the rules and make up a study sheet for them. Some examples are kick catching interference between scrimmage kicks and free kicks; treatment of an illegal pass vs. an illegal kick; force out on a catch vs. force out on a recovery. I'm sure there are a few more like these.

Logically most of these should be treated the same, but there are some important difference. Now is the time to dig into some of these and figure them out.

Another idea is to become an expert on a couple of rules that affect your position - motion/false start/shifts if your a R, HL, of LJ. Holding/chop blocks, etc. for U's. Pass interfernce for BJ's and wings, etc.