Numbers

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by parepat

Freshman game. On a try K runs a fake and throws the ball to #55 who is lined up at end. Coach screams inelligible. I told him we don't enforce numbering restrictions at the lower level (which we don't). Question is whether there is support for this in the official's manual, rule book etc or is this a matter of custom. If it is custom, what do you guys do with numbering in lower level games? This happened in Ohio.

We have a league that doesn't use the numbering rules, nor do they have the ineligibles wear bright leg bands, like other leagues do.

We simply tell the coach that "this league doesn't use those rules".

[chymechowder]

What point in the game was it? Was this the first time #55 (or other normally ineligible numbers) had gone out for passes? Or did the coach try this for the first time late in the game?

Even if you typically don't enforce numbering restrictions, I would flag this if you'd played three quarters of the game with normal numbers, and then a coach tried to get cute and take advantage of the unwritten rule of not enforcing it in frosh games.