holding call

[stegenref]

Working as HL in a freshman game last night...sweep comes my way...I look ahead of the runner and this A player has a B player in what looks like a death grip...they're holding onto each other for dear life...standing straight up, face to face, with arms around each other. I throw the flag for holding and then continue on with the play. After the play was over I reported the foul to my WH and as he is administering the foul I look over and the players are trying to get these two guys separated....their helmets had gotten hooked up together and they couldn't get them apart. So that's why they were standing so close together. Is that still considered holding?

[cmathews]

I would say no it isn't holding. If it had been me, I would have also gone to my WH and gave him some more information and had him wave the flag off. Even in your original description I didn't think it sounded like holding. If the offense is "holding" and the defense is content to stand there and dance, then I have nothing. Defensive players can really help us out, and get more calls in their favor if they will try to get away from the hold...that makes it easier to see for one, and two it most likely elicits a "second verb" ie takes his feet, spins, twists etc. The philosophy at the next level dictates there needs to be 2 things happen to have a hold the actual holding and either turning the player, restricing the player, taking his feet etc....

[Jimmie24]

If the defense is going to stay and dance with the blocker I have nothing. Well maybe I will hummmmmm a tune for them.

In this situation, I would tell the WH that the players helmets were locked up and that there is no hold.

[Robert Goodman]

Stegenref didn't see the play develop either. From the description, it appears s/he didn't know the sequence of events -- who first grabbed whom, or whether the interlocking of the helmet parts preceded or followed either player's gripping the other. So how could either player be penalized?

[stegenref]

I guess I forgot to mention that it was obvious that B player was struggling to get way...frantically. But then again, it looked like A was as well...which made sense after I found out what was going on.