Not so fast. He's sitting.

I think some are trying to make this rule much more complicated than it is. The intent of this rule was to get players to properly fit their helmets because for some reason they haven't been doing this lately. If you can slip your helmet on easily with one hand, it is not properly fitted. Look at most of the players who are losing their helmets and this is what is happening.

Your helmet should not come off period during a play. This rule did give an exception to situations where someone grabs the helmet and rips it off or in situations where a helmet is contacted directly by another helmet. Any other situation is the result of someone not wearing their helmet properly.

Tighten the helmet and strap it on properly or you may end up sitting out a play.

You guys have been around long enough to know that it's difficult to write new rules without some ambiguity. Sit him if you like but our state conducted the study last year that led to this rule and our state rep was deeply involved in getting the rule added. It is not the intent of the rule to sit players who lose their helmet because they were fouled.

Do what you're told to do in your area.

That may all be true, but the language we were giving is the foul had to be the result of the helmet coming off. If that was not how they worded the rule than shame on them. I would not consider a holding foul where no helmet contact is involved or a take down as a result of a hold applies. I will ask around but that is what we were told I am almost positive and what we were told for college for sure.

Peace

Happened friday night. Our kid (a lineman)gets his helmet pulled off by an opponent. "Didn't see the facemask coach but your kid sits!"

Correct procedure.

John, does the same asst. Coach that yells "holding" on every play the other team runs, now yell "facemask" on every play you run on offence?

Yeah, I always have him stand near the linesman who keeps saying, "3 in the box coach!"

Maybe I missed it, but are we talking fed rules? Or NCAA? If it is Fed, cn someone please give me the rules reference? Thanks

The OP is about the NF Rule. BTW, both NCAA and NF have the same rule and consequence if the helmet comes off. The only thing is the NCAA added some provisions for a penalty if they participate after their helmet comes off (ball handler's helmet comes off the play is dead at both levels).

Peace

I appreciate what you're saying, but the rule says that the helmet coming off must be "directly attributable" to a foul. It's the same rule as NCAA football and (1) my HS state office and (2) my NCAA group has said it must be a foul that directly removes the helmet -- pretty much either a face mask foul or illegal helmet contact only. An example given was roughing the passer -- if it's just a late hit where the timing was the reason for the foul (and wasn't a blow to the head), why would we let the player stay when if the hit was a second earlier, we'd make him leave?

As you said, do what you're told to do, but I think your state is in the minority.