7th grade football

[Rich]

Had two interesting things in our 82-minute game today (9 minute quarters):

(1) We actually called helping the runner. A lineman picked a very small runner up as he was being tackled and carried him for about 5 yards. Then he picked him up again. 3 flags down.

The coach wanted an explanation on why this was different than "pushing the pile." I managed to stop laughing in time to give him an explanation.

(2) We had IG with 11 seconds left in the half with A having no timeouts left. I wound the clock on the ready. Just talked about that one here and elsewhere - thought it was interesting the situation would come up today.

Too many "modified" rules for me...

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Rich

Too many "modified" rules for me...

I'm interested...what were they?

[bigjohn]

What if he picked up the whole pile and moved it??

[HLin NC]

What if he picked up the whole pile and moved it??

I imagine the varsity coach would be paying a visit.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

I'm interested...what were they?

Some I can think of off the top of my head in Jr. High leagues around here:
1) on a try, a successful kick is worth 2 points, and a "2-point conversion" is worth 1. (meant to encourage kicks, although on some fields they don't even have goalposts).

2) "no blitz" rule... only defensive linemen in a 3-point stance can rush until the ball is handed off to a running back. (as if, with 2 officials, we're going to be looking for this).

3) no rushing the punter

4) "overweight" rule... only players under ___ pounds can be backs and advance the ball; anyone over that weight must be a lineman. (Of course, they don't give us any way know who is overweight and who isn't).

5) flat-out ignoring the numbering rules for Team A.

[Rich]

We had "no linebackers or defensive backs within 4 yards at the snap."

I loved the wing's comment to the one coach -- we're going to officiate football -- you guys make sure you're following that rule.

My favorite was that the clock was supposed to stop as soon as a punt was declared. Nobody cared about that one until team A, up 8, punted with 13 seconds left. Of course nobody told us that one.

It would be different if these rules were distributed to officials, but they aren't.

Oh, well. $45 for 82 minutes. I've had worse.

[scrounge]

We've got an interesting overlap in our area in that there is organized, school-based 7th grade football that follows standard NFHS rules (no kickoffs but otherwise the same as HS). There's also club/youth football as well with modified rules, but nothing that's terribly weird.

1. They've got a similar "no player over x lbs can advance the ball" in this case 125 lbs, but they put an X with electrical tape on the back of said players' helmets. Had to kill a play when an X linebacker intercepted the ball and had a clear TD, but everyone knows the rule so it was uncontroversial.

2. No blitzing by players not on the line of scrimmage. LBs can rush, they just can't 'crash' the line of scrimmage. As long as they don't get closer than 1 yd before the snap, they're fine.

3. 1 pt for a run-scoring try, 2 pts for pass-scoring try or a successful kick.

4. No rush punts...for 9/10 yr olds, no punts at all, just a 35 yard mark off. 11/12 yr olds have live punts after the kick but no rush (and no gunners, can't go downfield till the kick).

5. No restrictions on numbers, eligible receivers by position only. There's generally only 15-16 kids per team so it makes sense.

6. Mercy rules are have to replace entire backfield (QB and all backs) once up by 18 (they can come back if lead goes under 18). Also running clock if up by 30 (and scoreboard blanked out if up by 40 or more).

7. No rush and no fakes allowed if declaring taking a knee.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

4) "overweight" rule... only players under ___ pounds can be backs and advance the ball; anyone over that weight must be a lineman. (Of course, they don't give us any way know who is overweight and who isn't).

That's usually done by a sagittal stripe on the helmet or an X on its front.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

That's usually done by a sagittal stripe on the helmet or an X on its front.

Yes, I suppose it would be. But I've never seen a helmet marking on any players in Jr High games I've officiated. I just get coaches yelling at me "Hey, he can't run the ball, he's too heavy!", to which I respond "Sorry coach, I don't have a scale with me."

[Suudy]

We have similar rules (2pt for kick, 1 for TD on tries, nobody over 150# can advance, etc).

But what gets our goat is the 150# rule. The teams are supposed to put a black strip on the helmet of all over 150#. It seems like every single 7th/8th grade game we get a coach yelling at us because the other teams running back is over 150#. Of course there is no black stripe on the helmet, so we don't blow it dead.

What are we supposed to do? Bring a scale with us to the game? We tell the coaches that they need to take it up with the league administrator. By the end of the season (what, 4, maybe 5 games?) they get it.

Unfortunately, it seems that every single season it is a new head coach. And the complaining starts again. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with these games...

The one nice thing about 7th/8th grade football is that the players aren't nearly as sophisticated. If you see a hand reach out and grab a facemask, but can't quite see the number, you can just ask "Ok, who grabbed the facemask?" Inevitably, a hand comes up and somebody says "Me."

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

1) on a try, a successful kick is worth 2 points, and a "2-point conversion" is worth 1. (meant to encourage kicks, although on some fields they don't even have goalposts).

This is a common rule at that age, and I like it.

2) "no blitz" rule... only defensive linemen in a 3-point stance can rush until the ball is handed off to a running back. (as if, with 2 officials, we're going to be looking for this).

Good (yet difficult to enforce) rule for little kids ... 7th grade? These kids are too old for such a rule.

3) no rushing the punter

Also common at this age, and if coupled with a no K team players downfield before the kick rule, and a no fake punt rule - a decent rule for this age. If not coupled with both of those, you're asking for a mess.

4) "overweight" rule... only players under ___ pounds can be backs and advance the ball; anyone over that weight must be a lineman. (Of course, they don't give us any way know who is overweight and who isn't).

Another good rule for youth (they usually designate their allowed runners with a circle sticker on the helmet around here). STUPID rule for 7th graders. Now you're not teaching what could be your best runners or fullbacks in high school how to run the ball.

5) flat-out ignoring the numbering rules for Team A.

Extremely common at this age ... and 8th ... and 9th ... and occasionally even JV.

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Extremely common at this age ... and 8th ... and 9th ... and occasionally even JV.

Try 8-man football.

[bisonlj]

Originally Posted by Suudy

The one nice thing about 7th/8th grade football is that the players aren't nearly as sophisticated. If you see a hand reach out and grab a facemask, but can't quite see the number, you can just ask "Ok, who grabbed the facemask?" Inevitably, a hand comes up and somebody says "Me."

HS and college guys will answer this if you ask as well. I had one last Saturday in a college game.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Good (yet difficult to enforce) rule for little kids ... 7th grade? These kids are too old for such a rule.

Usually these restrictions on offense and/or defense are not to make up for inexperience of the players, but lack of prepar'n time for the coaches & team. Many of these teams are forced to play with otherwise ridiculously short practice schedules, so the league takes away some of the contingencies they might have to prepare against. The same thing is done in college & pro all star games, for the same reason.

The division I'm coaching in has players slightly younger. No such restrictions on regular offense & defense (but considerable during mercy rules -- 18+ point dif.), but scrimmage kicks aren't live plays. If you declare a punt, nobody can cross the neutral zone, and no runback is allowed. Defense has to have at least 4 on the line, I suppose offense has a time limit to get off the kick, kick is dead as usual or at the least favorable spot where R touches it, so knocking it forward is as good as catching it. You can declare a field goal attempt too (nobody ever has), and the defense can rush 4, all between team A's ends, and the ball is dead similarly. Nobody said we couldn't quick kick as a live play, however.