If Schiano only knew...
 

I wish Greg Schiano had an idea what he started when he encouraged "live" line play be his defense in the closing seconds of that game. Now every defense from Varsity to Pop Warner is playing the final snaps as if they were the first ones of the game.
I understand that their is no rule about what should happen if the offense chooses to take a knee in the waining seconds, but it just seems wrong to try to crush the q.b. in that situation. I've had 5 varsity games since that game with 4 different "white hats" this year and have had different views/ philosophies on how this should be handled. With a few R's I (as the umpire) have been instructed to tell the offensive linemen that its a live play and to protect themselves and with others we've told the D line that they couldn't do anything as the offense was taking a knee (also telling the offense that anything other then a knee would be an unsportsman flag).
What have you all witnessed and how are you all handling this situation?

I don't think that we can insert ourselves into the game by telling the defense not to play every down.....nor can we flag the offense if they don't take a knee (after telling us that's what they're doing). HOWEVER.....if the defense wants to take part in bush-league tactics like this, my leniency for flagrant personal fouls pretty much disappears.

Schiano has propped up every Vince Lombardi wanna be dad with his "never say die" shtick.

If I'm A and this foolishness starts, I go to a scrimmage kick formation. I gain protection for the snapper and possibly draw a foul. It also protects my QB by putting some distance from B while he takes the knee. He gets hit 10 yards back, we should have a DBPF.

We've been instructed by our association (and backed by the state) to flag this. If the defense has gotten themselves into a position where they cannot stop the clock, it's over.

So then you just end the game with x:yy on the clock?

"Offense, keep blocking."
"Defense, don't do anything stupid."

After the snap, a quick whistle from the R, and wings pinch in quickly.

No, but we may as well.

It's only one step beyond everyone standing around while the last twenty seconds tick off the clock.

Slightly different words, but substantially what my crew does.

Last Friday, after the game was "over" went into the shotgun formation and waited for the defense to get to him before he took a knee. That is inviting an injury.

Nobody ever said HS football players were geniuses.