Has this rule changed on the college and high school level? I know in the past, it was illegal for a teammate to push a ball carrier, (i.e. running back pushing the QB on a sneak)
Aiding the runner
- Thread starter bulldog1150
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Don't know about high school (FED rules) but it has not changed at the NCAA level. Officials are not looking for a "push" which is essentially blocking. Outright grabbing and pulling a team mate might be called but this is really a part of the rule book that experienced officials are going to stay away from. I am an NCAA football official and have never been involved in a game where it was called.
NFHS, Rule 9-1: an offensive player shall not push, pull or lift the runner to assist his forward progress.
NCAA, Rule 9-3-2-b: The ball carrier shall not grasp a teammate; and no other player of his team shall grasp, pull, or lift him to assist him in forward progress.
There are the rules differences. NCAA does not prohibit pushing the runner. NFHS does. I will tell you that unless it is blatantly obvious in NFHS (like on a stalemate one-on-one tackle and a blocker pushes the runner 5 yards into the end zone) a push will probably not be called. Usually you see this with a big pile of players and someone is pushing the pile forward. That's legal in both rule sets. This foul is never really called because 1.) it's a rare event and 2.) when it happens it's never blatant enough to warrant a flag. I've seen it called one time in my career in a youth game, in which I promptly convinced the official to pick it up because there wasn't enough there to penalize.
The NCAA legalized "pushing" the runner in 2013. It has been legal in the NFL for quite some time. It may have never been illegal there. I would assume the NFHS will follow suit in the near future, as there's no reason for pushing your teammate to be a foul at the NFHS level when it's not anywhere else. But as of now, those are the rules.
NCAA, Rule 9-3-2-b: The ball carrier shall not grasp a teammate; and no other player of his team shall grasp, pull, or lift him to assist him in forward progress.
There are the rules differences. NCAA does not prohibit pushing the runner. NFHS does. I will tell you that unless it is blatantly obvious in NFHS (like on a stalemate one-on-one tackle and a blocker pushes the runner 5 yards into the end zone) a push will probably not be called. Usually you see this with a big pile of players and someone is pushing the pile forward. That's legal in both rule sets. This foul is never really called because 1.) it's a rare event and 2.) when it happens it's never blatant enough to warrant a flag. I've seen it called one time in my career in a youth game, in which I promptly convinced the official to pick it up because there wasn't enough there to penalize.
The NCAA legalized "pushing" the runner in 2013. It has been legal in the NFL for quite some time. It may have never been illegal there. I would assume the NFHS will follow suit in the near future, as there's no reason for pushing your teammate to be a foul at the NFHS level when it's not anywhere else. But as of now, those are the rules.
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In recent years, I've seen more and more "srums". It's hilarious. If the defense shoves the pile backwards, the offensive team's fans are screaming "blow the damn whistle". Let the pile go forward and the defense's fans are even more vocal.
Like any other call, fans' opinions as to whether a play should be stopped depends entirely on which team they're rooting for.
