Officials,
Overall, it was a good week #1. Sam advised me there were 27 ejections which is down from last year. The two main reasons for disqualifications were Hate Speech and fighting. Our game management obviously improved as we were addressing what needed to be taken care of communicating better with the players and coaches, and just doing a better job of officiating the fouls that needed to be addressed.
The biggest issue I observed was our wing officials not taking care of their sidelines, and too many flags. I am not saying the infraction was not there. What I am saying is did the action affect the play, or was it a player safety foul. This must improve. When I see one sideline keeping their players and coaches behind the Restricted Area during a live and the other sideline with coaches in the restricted area, it tells me someone is not taking this rule seriously! A warning flag without follow-up consequences is not going to fix your sideline. If they want someone to blame for the rule enforcement, give them my name, and I will be happy to point them to the Federation who made it a Point of Emphasis this year.
Plays/Rule Questions:
Play #1:
The fun began with this question before the kickoff for week #1! Here is the question that was asked: There are 5 seconds to go in the 2nd or 4th quarter and time expires during the play. During the play Team A is penalized for a foul that includes a loss of down and Team B is also penalized. How is this situation handled?
Question: does the loss of the down aspect of this play affect how you handle the situation?
Answer: No. We know this is a double foul situation as defined in Rule 2-16-2b (a live-ball foul on each team other than a nonplayer or unsportsmanlike) committed by each team at such a time that the penalties offset. Rule 3-3-3b states, “A period shall be extended by an untimed down if one of the following occurred during a down in which time expires, there was a double foul.”
The easiest way to answer this is to state the loss of down has no bearing on this play. Look at it this way, the penalties on each team are erased due to the offsetting rule, simply meaning Team A’s and B’s fouls never happened and we will have an untimed down. I will own this by saying my first answer was incorrect to the individual who asked the question shown above. The answer will always be to get the play/answer right. Once again, the penalties offset, and we have an untimed down.
Play #2:
A good suggestion before you dive into this play is to open your rule book and review/study Rule 7-2-5 Exceptions!
This must have been the week for unusual or trick formations as I received several different questions regarding player positioning as to who is legal, and who is not regarding a formation. After our answer to the coach is his standard response, “we have been doing this play for years and it has always been legal.”
Here is an offensive line formation on fourth down from left to right 18, 65, 52, 75 40 27 and 6. Backfield numbers 35, 30 and 9 with QB #6. The center is number 52. Using Rule 7-5-2 Exception #2 is this a legal formation and what numbers are legal receivers? Keep in mind, you must make this determination quickly on the field of play …. and it must be correct, or a coach raises this question while you are conducting your pregame meeting. The coach describes the above formation as a tackle eligible play.
ANSWER: This play is legal formation, as long as #27 does not go downfield (keep in mind, he (#27) cannot go beyond the expanded neutral zone) as he is covered by #6 making him ineligible. The coach was told #18 was ineligible because he was a tackle (second player to the left of the center – no one is on the line outside of #18)! I think the coach confused the officials when he used the phrase “tackle eligible” when describing his play. Number 18 is on the end of the line; thus, he is eligible by number and position. Do not be confused because of an unbalanced line and #18 appears to be occupying a traditional tackle position. He is on the end of the line and therefore, an eligible receiver.
While we are reviewing Rule 7-2-5, let’s review what is legal under Exception #1 which states, “On first, second, or third down, when A sets or shifts into scrimmage-kick formation as in Rule 2-14-2a, the snapper may be a player numbered 0-49 or 80-99. If a team has a snapper in the game under this exception, Team A shall have four players wearing numbers 50-79 on the line of scrimmage. The snapper in the game under this exemption must be between the ends and is an ineligible forward-pass receiver during that down unless the pass is touched by B (7-5-6).”
Not using the Exceptions, remember at the snap, at least five A players on their line of scrimmage must be numbered 50-79 (7-2-5b).
Play #3:
Rule 10-4-2 Exception: The kicking team commits a formation violation during their scrimmage kick and first half-time expires during this play. The receiving team returns the kickoff to Team A/K 17-yardline. What is B/R’s best option: decline the penalty and the half is over, have the penalty assessed from the end of the kick, accept the penalty for an untimed down from the succeeding spot.
Rule 10-4-2 Exception states, “The basic spot may, at the option of the offended team (R in this case), be the succeeding spot (the end of the run) for fouls by K during a legal free kick or scrimmage down (other than kick catching interference) prior to the end of the kick when K will not be the next to put the ball in play.
ANSWER:
R’s best option would be to accept the 5-yard penalty and snap the ball (untimed down) from the K’s 12-yardline after accepting the penalty.
Closing:
Strive to improve each week individually and as a crew. Discuss your crew’s previous games (underclass and varsity) to determine what you need to do to improve your overall game management. Did the flags you threw affect the play? Was this a player safety foul? Are you in the correct/best position to rule on the play? Be open to suggestions or questions regarding the calls you are making. Know your crew’s penalty philosophy and threshold. Are you officiating your area and only your area. Let your crew members officiate their area. These suggestions will make you and your crew look better. These topics will improve your crew’s image. As I always say, “sell yourself and your crew.”
Have a good game this week, have fun and keep your rules and game situations coming in.
Rick Karhliker
IHSA Head Football Clinician