Horsecollar

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Rich, for two years, our state supervisor of officials who is on the NFHS Rules Committee, has told us that contact during the tackle by a second opponent negates the horse collar. It removes the official having to make a decision as to whether the first defender brought the runner down or the second defender. I don't see anything in the case play that changes that.

Obviously from the responses here, other rules committee members are communicating the same thing to their officials.

I've got nothing.

At our rules meeting this year, we were told too many officials were looking for excuses to not call a HC foul. They explicitly said that there is no requirement in NFHS rules that a player be pulled down in any specific direction, just that the hand be inside at the side or back and that be the primary reason the player was brought down. So at least one member of the rules committee (or his representative, at least) is saying something different.

As I always say, all officiating is local.