NFHS Rules Changes
 

From Today's NFHS Press Release

I'd like to see the exact wording of the rule.

Thanks, Tim.

As of this moment there is no press release posted on the NFHS web site.

Coach B, looks like the fat lady is heading onstage for her last song...;)

~Sigh~
 

Because I am on the Publication Committee of the NFHS Magazine "High School Today" I receive all press releases before they are posted to the NFHS Website or sent to news outlets:

Here is the text of the entire press release:

Horse-collar Tackle To Be Penalized in High School Football

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Colgate
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 13, 2009) — The horse-collar tackle has been added to the list of illegal personal contact fouls in high school football.
This addition to Rule 9-4-3 was one of 10 rules changes approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee at its January 24-25 meeting in Indianapolis. The rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Effective with the 2009 season, it will be illegal to grab the inside back or side collar of the runner’s shoulder pads or jersey and subsequently pull the runner to the ground. The penalty will be 15 yards from the succeeding spot.
Julian Tackett, assistant commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee, said the committee felt the need to continue to address risk minimization issues for the runner.

“Risk minimization continues to be one of the most important fundamentals to the rules-writing process of the NFHS,” Tackett said. “Though this play does not happen often, we must ensure that our coaches and officials understand the importance of penalizing this act.”
Another risk-minimization change in Rule 9-4-3 will make it illegal to grasp an opponent’s chin strap, in addition to the opponent’s face mask or edge of a helmet opening.

The committee made a significant change in Rule 9-8-3 in an effort to reduce the risk of injury along the sidelines. A maximum of three coaches may be in the restricted area to communicate with players during dead-ball situations. Before the ball becomes live, however, the coaches must retreat into the team box.

Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Football Rules Committee, said this rule change results in a 2-yard belt that is clear of team personnel and helps eliminate sideline congestion while helping to minimize the risk for participating players, coaches and officials during live-ball situations.
“There no longer will be an allowance for three coaches to remain in an area adjacent to the sideline when the ball is live,” Colgate said. “The results of a three-year experiment were favorable, which led to the committee’s support for this rule change in 2009.”

A change in Rule 9-8-1g clarifies that the mandatory three-minute warm-up period begins immediately following the conclusion of the halftime intermission. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty will be assessed to the head coach if the team is not back on the field prior to the start of the warm-up period.

Changes in Rules 7-2-5 and 2-14-2 clarify the numbering-exception rule from when it was originally approved in 1982.

“The definition of a scrimmage-kick formation was clarified to differentiate formations that have been used traditionally for attempting a field goal or kick try from those used for a punt,” Colgate said. “In addition, the circumstances under which the numbering exception can be utilized have been changed to clarify what can be done on first, second, third and fourth downs.”

Two changes were made in Rule 1 – The Game, Field, Players and Equipment. The committee clarified Rule 1-3-1c regarding the stripes on the football. The change states that the stripes located on the football must be adjacent to and perpendicular to the seam upon which the laces are stitched. In Rule 1-2-3b, a note was added stating that all required field markings must be clearly visible. Further, when other markings such as logos are placed on the field, the required markings shall remain visible.

Other changes approved by the Football Rules Committee:

• Rule 3-3-4b5 – If a penalty resulting in a safety occurs on the last timed down of a period, the period is not extended. The teams will change goals to start the next period.
• Rules 8-2-2, 8-2-3, 8-2-4 (new), 10-5-1f – Three rules were revised and a new article was created regarding penalty enforcement for dead-ball, non-player or unsportsmanlike fouls that occur during or after a touchdown-scoring play. The revisions now allow the offended team, in most situations, the option of enforcing the penalty on the subsequent kickoff. Fouls committed after the initial ready-for-play signal following the touchdown are not affected by this change.
• Rule 9-7-2 Exception: A foul will now occur for illegal batting by the kicking team if it bats a scrimmage kick that has not yet been grounded unless it is batted by the kicking team toward its own goal line.

“Though many of the changes in the rules were subtle clarifications, each of this year’s changes ensures that the sound traditions of the game are protected and that student-athlete safety remains our top priority,” Tackett said.
In addition, the committee identified six points of emphasis for the 2009 season: Illegal Personal Contact, Blocking and Illegal Blocks, Helmet and Face Mask, Uniforms, Sportsmanship and NFHS Guidelines on Handling Contests During Lightning Disturbances.

In terms of the number of participants, football is the most popular high school sport for boys. According to the 2007-08 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 1,108,286 boys played 11-player football with another 27,075 involved in six-, eight- and nine-player football. In addition, 1,225 girls played high school football in 2007-08.
# # #

About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and fine arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and fine arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches nearly 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including almost 7½ million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; produces publications for high school coaches, officials and athletic directors; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, spirit coaches, speech and debate coaches and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.

I pray that with the Horse collar tackle rule, they do not make this all encompassing and have exceptions similarly to what the NFL and NCAA have.

I really think this was a bad change. A horse-collar does not happen that often at the high school level.

One more rule that is going to be misunderstood and called improperly.

Peace

Is the free kick after fair catch rule still there? I read that the NFHS was considering doing away with it.

Love the sideline change to similar to college rule.:)

Ditto...it helps with the chains as well. Now I can't have a chain crew complain because the coaches are in the way. :rolleyes:

First of all, thank you to Tim for sharing these with us.

Interesting set of changes. I am disappointed to see the horse collar rule be adopted. I think it is an unecessary rule.

I like that they've adopted the Florida sideline experiment. A good change, IMO.

The A-11 is toast, buh bye.

It is a shame I won't be doing football under Fed rules any more.

That is a good set of changes. The SKF change is great as well as the no more 3 coaches in the box while the ball is live.

didn't it read...zero coaches in the box on a live ball?

Question from a former futbol official.
 

Does this mean that the A-11 offense has been made illegal?

MTD, Sr.

Yes, at least on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd downs.

The "devil is likely in the details", but it sounds like the numbering exception will be limited to it's more traditional interpretation. Whatever the details are, they will be what they are.

Yes. There is now (as in NCAA) a 2 yard buffer zone.
Sideline. You. 2 yards. Chain crew. Coaches.

I'd think sideline warnings will decline.

I'm with Rut on the horse collar thing. I don't see it that much, if at all and much like facemasking, holding, and BIB, what we see is way different than what you hear yelled from the sidelines.

I think you might see more, at first.

The "sideline control" revisions seem like a great, sensible and very appropriate adjustment. This has never been an issue about practical differences, there simply are no practical arguments against any of these revisions that make any sense.

This issue has always been a question about practical, sound, safety related measures opposed to some obscure notion of territorial control that has been little more than a figment of the imagination.

For the same basic reasons there are rules that govern the interaction between pedestrians and trucks, there needs to be sensible guidelines governing the interaction between persons operating immediately on, or outside, a football sideline.

I wonder how long it will be before we see the following rule changes press release "We have dispensed with all NFHS rules and will now be adopting the rules of the NCAA." ;)

Fed started with NCAA's rules for football. So did the NFL. NCAA inherited them too; the football rules committee spawned NCAA, not vice versa.

My point was that it seems the Fed seems to be trending towards the current NCAA rules a bit more each year.

We can only hope! It sure would be easier on guys that call HS and college.

For a number of years there was a liaison committee between them. But that was a long time ago as far as most of you would be concerned.

You have to consider that NFHS rules apply to children playing football at both the sandlot and Seconday School levels between the ages of 8 and 18, which represents a completely different participation group than NCAA rule which are designed to manage a participation group between the ages of 19-30.

Considering the physical nature of the game of football, the contact involved at each different level plus the accumulative effect of proficiency gained by repetitive experience it makes little sense to think the same rules would be equally effective for participants between ages 8 to 30, or even more, years old.

Difficulty in calling games, is not a major concern, although thousands of competent officials have dealt with and mastered those difficulties when choosing to work through, or to, different levels.

Jay, I don't give a hoot about making it easier for guys who call both. That's their choice.

It does make it easier in the sense that there is less crap from the idiots in the stands. They "KNOW" the NCAA rules and apply them to high school. It's worse at the youth level because the coaches are in that category as well. I can just see it know when I make the first horse collar call and they tell me it's about time since I didn't call it all of last year!

Whatever particular rules code you happen to be working under makes little difference to "the idiot in the stands". Being correct is not one of his objectives, and it really doesn't matter to him whether you're correct, or not.

He just wants to sound smart and impress other idiots in the stands. The more attention you pay to anything he shouts, the happier he will be. The sooner you learn to totally ignore him, the better officiating will become.

This does not apply as much in the football arena. But in the basketball arena, there are times when a stupid fan is noticed by the officials; they tend to back off, because they have just embarrassed the people around them or who they are with. You would be surprised how many crawl into a hole when they act stupid in front of others and it brings the attention of their peers.

Peace

OK, it is in the rule book but how vigilantly will it be enforced. I can almost bet every other crew in my association will not enforce it out of fear they will be marked down.

The rule will be enforced here in my opinion. Considering the positions on this issue before the rules change, this just makes it easier to enforce or not worry about splitting hairs when a coach is stepping on the field by a foot or two.

Peace

Ed- our state supervisor told us and the coaches two years ago that the existent rule would be strictly enforced. If it wasn't and he saw film of it, that crew was sitting out the playoffs. The coaches griped a little but many soon discovered that by doing a better job of keeping their players back, we all had plenty of room to work.

Not many of us wings that I saw got too worked up about "3 in the box" as long as the players were pushed back. The players crowding up to watch is what really causes the problems. The coaches move up to get out of their way and so forth.

I've seen how NCAA sidelines work and there aren't too many problems. I don't know what our wording will be but being a longtime wing, as long as they aren't in the way ahead of me downfield, I'm not going to sweat it too much.

They can rate me down all they like. I guarantee my crew will enforce this.

And in my case, it does not matter. They can rate us all they want to (BTW the more ratings help in our system) and I will still have that little patch on my left shoulder. ;)

Peace

Like HLin NC, we've been repeatedly warned that, if we want playoff games, we have to enforce the sideline rules. We have emphasized it and the coaches have been OK with it because they hear it every week.

A few times last year though, if I started just off the sideline, I'd be standing side by side with a coach which wasn't a good idea. This way I'll at least have a chance to move.

Unfortunately, coaches ratings are the gospel for us. I introduced a proposal last year where we wrote a letter to our assigning agency and the coaches telling them we would be enforcing the rules. Our chicken-s#&t interpreter was afraid the coaches would be offended.