Horse collar rule
 

Is the horse collar rule different in nfhs and college football? I have seen some plays in college football this year where I would of never called a horse collar like in the ohio state-penn state game, so I was thinking the rules must be different in both.

NCAA 9-1-15

All players are prohibited from grabbing the inside back collar of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling the ball carrier down. This does not apply to a ball carrier, including a potential passer, who is inside the tackle box (Rule 2-34). Note that the tackle box disintegrates when the ball leaves it.

NFHS 9-4-3-k

No player or non(-)player shall (g)rab the inside back or side collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and subsequently pull (backward or sideward) that opponent to the ground (Horse-collar), even if possession is lost. The horse-collar foul is enforced as a live-ball foul.


Yes. The rules are different.


Bonus

NFL 12-2-15

No player shall grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey pads or jersey, and pull the runner toward the ground. This does not apply to a runner who is in the tackle box or to a quarterback who is in the pocket.

Note: It is not necessary for a player to pull the runner completely to the ground in order for the act to be illegal. If his knees are buckled by the action, it is a foul, even if the runner is not pulled completely to the ground.

Yes there are differences in all 3 rule codes.
You can download the NCAA rulebook for free from the NCAA.org.

I think the horse collar call in the Ohio State-Penn State game was just a miss by the covering official. He tackled him by the outside of the jersey between the shoulders rather than getting his hand in side the collar.

I heard at a clinic in 2012 that at least the Big 10 guys are taught that its possible to grab the collar of the shoulder pads from outside the jersey...I.e. if the action causes the same effect, the "buckling of the knees," they aren't picking nits on whether the hand is inside or outside. Play the game lower.

That would explain the call. He did go down as if horse-collared, but the tackler had him in the name plate area.

I've also heard from a training tape that this is a supported call (grabbing the back of the jersey and pulling down, creating the same effect as a HCT).

Is this the play in question?


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The slide made it look more like a horse collar than it really was but I don't have a huge problem with that call. Err on the side of safety.

Of course, it would have been nice to call the massive, blatant hold on the left tackle, but that's a different thread!

That's the play.

I wonder if this is a Big 10 region thing. I can't say I've ever heard that here but it doesn't mean it wasn't said. :)

Semi-related:

We had it happen in a HS game. Both the wing and I (the R) clearly saw that the nameplate was grabbed. Same effect as a HCT. We didn't flag it.

Naturally, the other sideline thought the hand was inside. I told the coach what happened and he was fine with the explanation.

After the game, we had a philosophical discussion on whether we should've flagged that anyway. Appears we weren't the only ones to have that kind of discussion.

Question for TX HS officials: Do you exempt players in the tackle box from a HCT foul (pure NCAA rules)?

Yes, we go by strict NCAA rules for horse collars.

That is not a horse-collar IMO.

Peace

I thought it was marginal, at best....but looking at it another time or two and seeing it at the end in freeze-frame, I think it's a good call....could've been a no call just the same I think. If you get the still frame....you'll see why the call was made against #2...he was playing superman for a second.

OSU sideline, so the bench emphatically trying to sell it to the Linesman wasn't the case.