12 men on the field

[X-Spy]

How does the rule read for this penalty (give me the layman's answer not word for word from the book).

 

[FBRef]

There is no penalty for having 12 men on the field. There are two different situations that exist when a replaced player doesn't leave as required:

ILLEGAL SUBSTITUION

When a substitue enters the field and notifies the replaced player, he has 3 seconds to start leaving the field. It has nothing to do with a huddle or how long it actually takes him to leave the field after he starts off. Obviously, if he doesn't get off before the ball is snapped, it's a penalty. If the snap is imminent and the team does not realize there are more than 11 players involved, then we are to flag it before the snap.

ILLEGAL PARTICIPATION

If a 12th player participates in the play, it's illegal participation. We try to count before the snap but during hurry-up or when players run onto the field at the last second (Tennessee @ KSU), so that a team gets a 5 yard penalty and avoids the 15 yarder but it's not always possible to flag them and kill the play.
This post was edited on 11/22 9:03 AM by FBRef

 

[Fadamor]

In short, there is no "12 men in the huddle" or "Breaking the huddle with 12" penalty (I've had it described both ways by different coaches) at the high school level. If the player being replaced takes too long to actually start to leave the field, however, then you have an illegal substitution.


We always try to catch it as an illegal substitution because you're talking about a five-yard penalty vs. a fifteen-yard penalty. there's no reason to let it get to participation (and fifteen yards) if we can catch it prior to the snap.
This post was edited on 11/22 2:06 AM by Fadamor

 

[X-Spy]

So if it is caught before the snap it is 5 yards after words it is 15? I could tell immediately there were 12 on the field as the formation looked wrong, so I counted. About a second after I finished I saw the official behind the returner called it. Definitely a good call.

 

[X-Spy]

In this case it was on a punt return, and so many went in and so many -1 went out. The actual count of those who went in and those who left I do not know, but before the officials flagged it I could tell that there was a guy out there who seemed clueless to where he should be, so I counted and got 12 (my guess is that they had practiced some play during the week, where the extra fellow was to be in for someone else, and when he got out there, where he was to line up was taken so he just kind of headed toward the line instead of off the field.

Did learn the difference from the two answers the diefference between the 5 and 15 yard penalties. Thanks.

 

[FBRef]

If he's running off but still on the field when the ball is snapped, we'll flag it and let the play continue. But because he didn't participate, it's the 5 yard I.S. foul.
This post was edited on 11/22 12:47 PM by FBRef

 

[X-Spy]

What would happen had the the receiving team had called a time out once the coaches were aware a player had not left the field would it be too late, and they would still be assessed a penalty?

 

[Fadamor]

If the team calls a timeout prior to the flag being dropped, then they've dodged a bullet. Their "penalty" is having to use one of their three timeouts to correct the issue.

Your question on the other board regarding illegal shifts can also be alleviated in this manner, though usually it only gets noticed by the coaching staff when more than one goes in motion.
This post was edited on 11/23 9:22 AM by Fadamor