Football rules changes for 2012.

[White hat]

Well, it's out. The rules changes have been released from on-high. I won't copy the entire press release but there are a couple interesting things.

1. Players whose helmets come off during a play must sit out a play.

2. Receivers must land inbounds to complete a catch.

3. Members of the kicking team cannot block receivers during onside kicks until the ball is touched or goes 10 yards.

Those are the biggies. There are a few other things that polish up the wording here and there but I'll get into those later if need be.

My take:

1. Great change. The reason is more and more players are wearing loose chin straps wanting their head gear to fly off in big hits for dramatic effect. Now they have to sit a play. When I started seeing this trend I talked to coaches about it and reminded them the chin straps have to be tight. If I saw a helmet come off with all straps buckled, I made the player leave until he had the straps tight and that took a lot longer than one play. I did the same thing if I saw a player raise and lower his halmet like a ballcap with all straps buckled. Glad to say I got 100 percent support form coaches in this.

2. No more force-out rule. A defender who pushes a player out before he touches inbounds has made a great defensive play. This is how it's been in NCAA for many years and NFL changed two years ago, leaving high school ball with the only remaining force out rule.

3. This also comes in line with the NCAA rule but I don't like it because it's hard to officiate. WHen the NCAA changed about 10 years ago, the NFHS used Virginia as an experimental state and put the rule in here to see how it worked. It didn't. Now they're saying after successful experimentation in Iowa and Minnesota the committee decided to change the rule. Oh well.

Thoughts on the changes?

 

[Hawks8614]

1. Good rule considering the emphasis on concussion safety.
2. I agree that it should be considered a good defensive play to force the receiver out before he lands. Reward the defense for this play.
3. This will be the tough one to enforce as what defines the receving team member as a "receiver" or "blocker". If a front line receiving team member makes no effort to catch the ball and proceeds to block a member of the kicking team then he is not a receiver. But what if the front line guy is looking at the ball and makes a poor play on the ball as it goes by him. He then goes forward, but only for an instant towards kicking team where he is met by a member of the kicking team. I agree that this will be the toughest one to enforce.

 

[gymrat10]

1. Agree
2. Agree
3. Agree with you that it's hard to officiate, but how many onside kicks does see in a season?
4. You mean HR6 was not able to have the rule changed whereby all running and wing-T offense were outlawed? Guess we'll have to wait another year.

 

[Hampton Roads 6]

" Receivers must land in bounds to complete a catch"

Does this mean the receiver's feet must be in bounds or entire body. This one may change soem team's pass patterns.

I wish they had outlawed every formation but the spread

 

[Hawks8614]

I thought he said 50/50 run/pass, but you are right that the wing-t would be on the chopping block. HAHA!

 

[White hat]

Regarding 3, There are two teams, K and R. What the players do makes no difference.

What the rule actually says is a member of K, the kicking team (obviously), cannot legally block until they can legally touch or recover the ball. Thie means it has gone 10 yards or has been touched by R.

It might be a little easier to officiate these days because a lot of associations in Virginia use 6 or 7 officials, as opposed to 5 back when it was first experimented with. If the officials on the 50 only have to watch the ball to see who touches it and where, there's a good chance to get it right. But if you have to see the ball and know where it is when someone blocks a few yards away, then it's a tougher thing to see.

 

[H00PSREF]

Is the R team allowed to block before the ball travels 10 yards or is touched?

 

[GoMBKMonarchs]

Foot in bounds

I still believe the high school requirement is one foot in. This rule now allows a defender to hit a receiver and force him out after the catch but before he comes down, like the NCAA. Previously, if a defender forced the receiver out but the official felt he otherwise would have landed in bounds, it was a catch.

 

[White hat]

Yes, because R is allowed to touch or recover an onside kick at any point.

What this rule is intended to prevent is the tactic of kicking teams of sending players down to knock receiving players away from the ball with no effort to recover the ball. It's a dangerous play because R players have to be watching the ball. no way they can be defending against the blocks.

as for the catch -- all requirements are the same. One foot down is still a catch. The only change is, previously if an official thought the receiver WOULD have got a foot down but he was contacted in the air and that contact changed his direction and prevented the player from coming down inbounds, the official could rule the pass complete. The change turns that into good defense.

 

[H00PSREF]

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[m-squared]

James Monroe tried two onside kicks in the AA Region I Division 3 quarter finals and recovered one; they tried two in the AA Division 3 State Championship game and recovered both of them. So I guess it depends on whose games you attend/officiate!

 

[Jimsthman]

Re: Foot in bounds

Read it as "any ground contact while possessing the ball inbounds." Ground contact is usually going to be with the foot.
I don't really believe this is going to change much. I've worked a full varsity schedule for years as a deep official (SJ/FJ) and have maybe judged this force out situation once. Essentially this just gives officials working under FED rules one less thing to worry about.
This post was edited on 2/17 10:07 AM by Jimsthman
This post was edited on 2/17 10:08 AM by Jimsthman

 

[Hawks8614]

But a member of R can be a blocker and not a receiver. Suppose there is a member of R on the front line who knows his hands are poor and that another member of R behind him has better hands. He lets the ball go past him and goes forward to block a member of K. Is this a penalty? Just trying to play out a scenario that is likely especially if it is a suprise onside kick and not at an expected time.

 

[White hat]

Anyone on the receiving team can block whenever they want. They can also touch or recover the ball anywhere.