Ask The Ref?

RETREAD said:
Never sent in a question, but I'm gonna try it...
At the Uniontown Lake game last night, on 2 occasions, a Lake defensive player was approached by the ref and sent to the sidelines for one play. One was after an awesome tackle on the sidelines.. defensive player got up and was jumping up and down in celebration. The other was when QB was scrambling around for his life and got laid out by a defensive player. That player was talked to by the ref and sent to the sidelines for one play. When this one came off the field, it appeared the coach yelled at him.... What is going on with this? If it was unsportsmanlike conduct, then why didn't they just throw the flag? Can they send you off the field for 1 play? Thoughts?
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First…. Thanks for the question. Yappi has set this forum up for exactly this purpose….. please continue to ask. There’s a solid group of officials who have joined me in responding to the group.

Regarding your question……

Ohio has been using the method of addressing a player’s actions that approach , but do not cross the line of unsporting conduct by sending a player off for one play and notifying the head coach that another by that player will in an unsportsmanlike conduct foul. (They get one shot)

The coaches have embraced it. It’s a great tool to curb the behavior.

This in no way requires us to send a player off without a flag. If the act meets the threshold of UNS behavior, we bust them with a flag.

I hope that helps. We look forward to more of your (and your friend’s) questions
 
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Thanks for sharing these interpretations.
1st down & 10 at the A25. A1 rushes for 11 yards, then is penalized for a dead ball unsportsmanlike conduct. Officials walk the 15 yards back to the A21 and rule it 1st and 10. Fans howled it should be 1st and 25.
 
What is the official language on coaches being on the field during an injury timeout?

Watching the game on Friday, player from team A goes down with a minor injury, so both coaching staffs walk out to the numbers to talk with their teams. Officials tell coaches from Team A that they cannot be in the huddle and coaching during the injury timeout but coaches from Team B were still on the field in the huddle until the head coach from Team A got on the head referee about it
 
There are two types of authorized team conferences that coaches are permitted to have with their players during timeouts.
1. One or more team members may meet with one or more coaches outside of the 9-yard marks from the sideline (the numbers) and directly in front of the team box. This is referred to as an "outside the 9-yard mark conference" in the rule book.
2. One coach may meet with no more than 11 team members between the 9-yard marks (the numbers) on the field. This is referred to as a "between the 9-yard mark conference" in the rule book.

During most time outs, teams can choose either type of conference, but they can only do one or the other (can't have a coach in the middle of the field and other coaches talking to players near the sideline). To your question: during injury timeouts and few other official's timeouts that pertain to concussion protocols, blood, and player equipment; teams are not allowed to use the "between the 9's" option.
 
Altor said:
To your question: during injury timeouts and few other official's timeouts that pertain to concussion protocols, blood, and player equipment; teams are not allowed to use the "between the 9's" option.
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This wasn’t an issue of coaches being between the 9’s, but on the field entirely. Ref told the coaches “This is our timeout, coaches aren’t allowed on the field,” but one side was allowed to have 2 coaches in their huddle during the entire stoppage.

I’m not a fan of the particular crew that I saw on Friday for several reasons, this being one of them
 
Do NFHS rules have any provision for DPI not being called because a pass is deemed uncatchable?
Also, what if any are the rules for targeting and how do they differ from NCAA?
Thanks
 
The word "uncatchable" is not in the NFHS rule book and you should not hear that word from an official.
The NFHS rulebook is worded that it is not defensive pass interference if contact "is obviously away from the direction of the pass."

Targeting in NFHS is an act where the player takes aim and initiates contact above the shoulders. Contact does not have to be just helmet-to-helmet; it could be initiated with the arm, forearm, shoulder, hand, fist, or elbow. There are other illegal helmet contact fouls in NFHS which are similar to the NCAA targeting foul. None of these fouls are penalized with an automatic disqualification like they are in NCAA, though that is an option if the officials deem the action to be flagrant.
 
Pantherontheporch said:
Last night at the Elder-X game after an Elder play late in the fourth quarter the official at the play (not the referee) waved his arms to stop the clock. There seems to be some disagreement from the posters as to whether he then changed his mind and signaled to start the clock. In any case, the clock operator did not restart the clock until the next snap, which gave X an extra 15 or so seconds when they got the ball for the last time. They kicked the tying field goal with 0:06 left.
A friend who operated a clock on the high school and college level told me that before every game he would go to the officials' dressing room to introduce himself and ask them what they wanted him to do in case he saw them make an obvious error with the clock. Over 95% of the time they told him just to do what they told him to do or, if they didn't tell him to do anything, to do nothing.
He also said that there are some instances in which only the referee can restart the clock but in a case such as this, where the clock was stopped in error after the play, any official can restart the clock. He said that if an official mistakenly stopped the clock he would look at all the other officials to see if any of them caught the error and signaled to restart the clock. If none of them gave a signal he did nothing and started the clock on the next snap.
Clearly, last night if the official who stopped the clock initially then restarted it then it should have been restarted and the clock operator missed it and was at fault. If no official signaled to restart the clock then the clock operator probably did the correct thing.
What is your take on all this? Thanks.
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Great question!! I noticed the same thing! Finally got the chance to watch the replay of the game, the side judge (on the X side) killed the clock for what I am assuming he thought could have been a first down (Elder could have gotten a fresh set of downs if they made it to the one (1) yard line. Once the ball was placed on the two (2), someone should have wound the clock but that never happened. The clock operator did exactly what you mentioned above in the event the officials don't signal. Typically a member of the crew keeps time at the end of the game. In my opinion, it was an oversight by the officiating crew.
 
BullWhistle said:
Great question!! I noticed the same thing! Finally got the chance to watch the replay of the game, the side judge (on the X side) killed the clock for what I am assuming he thought could have been a first down (Elder could have gotten a fresh set of downs if they made it to the one (1) yard line. Once the ball was placed on the two (2), someone should have wound the clock but that never happened. The clock operator did exactly what you mentioned above in the event the officials don't signal. Typically a member of the crew keeps time at the end of the game. In my opinion, it was an oversight by the officiating crew.
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What?
 
chs1971 said:
It is a Point of Emphasis that the National Federation would like the rule already in the book enforced i.e., "Pushing the pile is legal; direct contact and pushing, pulling, lifting of the runner is not."
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Is this different than NFL/NCAA rules, or just enforced differently? The Eagles famously push Jalen Hurts over the line on many short yardage plays, and I've heard Penn State is now doing the same.
 
My understanding is that they can push but can't pull a runner in NCAA. No idea what the NFL rule is, but I suspect it is similar.
 
Fball said:
Is this different than NFL/NCAA rules, or just enforced differently? The Eagles famously push Jalen Hurts over the line on many short yardage plays, and I've heard Penn State is now doing the same.
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The NCAA prohibits from grasping, pulling, or lifting the ball carrier to assist in their forward progress. It is permissible to push the runner or the pile.....

The NFHS has the same prohibition for grasping, pulling or aiding. They also permit pushing the pile, however they prohibit pushing the runner.

The NFL only prohibits pulling a runner in any direction at any time.
 
With the references to the now popular “Tush Push” do you foresee an uptick in pushing the runner the remainder of the season?
 
Walt said:
4th and 20 - roughing passer is called.

what is the correct enforcement of this penalty?
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If the pass was incomplete - 15 yards from the previous spot.

If complete - 15 yards tacked on to the end of the run.

Automatic first down either way. The roughing fouls are the only automatic 1st downs at our level; passer, punter, kicker, holder, long snapper.

(Edited for accuracy.)
 
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AllSports12 said:
I saw it start last year.

And yes, coaches and players are some of the biggest copy cats out there ;)
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I've seen more of it this year than ever, and haven't seen it flagged yet.

I was very disappointed at our most recent association meeting when very few officials knew that it is a point of emphasis this year.

It was addressed in the state meetings I attended. I don't know how it was covered in the on-line meeting.
 
chs1971 said:
I've seen more of it this year than ever, and haven't seen it flagged yet.

I was very disappointed at our most recent association meeting when very few officials knew that it is a point of emphasis this year.

It was addressed in the state meetings I attended. I don't know how it was covered in the on-line meeting.
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It always feels like the point of emphasis topics are slow to take hold. It‘s as if no one wants to be the first guy to actually enforce it out there. (I know that isn’t the case but I’m trying to make a point). Players and coaches will continue to struggle to understand these rules if they aren’t consistently called from one game to the next.
 
Team A is snapping the ball from their own 2 yard line. After the snap QB takes his drop and throws a screen towards the RB who is in the end zone. Team B makes contact with the back before the ball gets to him. Pass is complete and RB is tackled in end zone for what appears to be a safety. Flags are thrown for PI but then picked up and ball placed at the 1 yard line.

I was told that PI can't happen on a screen. Is this true? Also, when accounting for forward progress on this play, is it the forward progress of the ball or of any part of the players body?
 
CedarBuck92 said:
I was told that PI can't happen on a screen. Is this true?
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Partially..... Pass Interference restritctions only apply beyond the neutral zone.
CedarBuck92 said:
Also, when accounting for forward progress on this play, is it the forward progress of the ball or of any part of the players body?
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When leaving the end zone, the entire ball must be beyond (towards the opponent's goal line) the goal line. The location of the player is irrelevant.

1695999838798.png

Going in ---> Touchdown
Coming out ---> Safety

Finally, was there an explanation on why the ball was spotted at the one? The result of the play was a safety.
 
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AllSports12 said:
Partially..... Pass Interference restritctions only apply beyond the neutral zone.

When leaving the end zone, the entire ball must be beyond (towards the opponent's goal line) the goal line. The location of the player is irrelevant.

View attachment 47341
Going in ---> Touchdown
Coming out ---> Safety
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To add on: defensive holding could still be called. Are you sure they called DPI and not defensive holding?
 
AllSports12 said:
Partially..... Pass Interference restritctions only apply beyond the neutral zone.

When leaving the end zone, the entire ball must be beyond (towards the opponent's goal line) the goal line. The location of the player is irrelevant.

View attachment 47341
Going in ---> Touchdown
Coming out ---> Safety

Finally, was there an explanation on why the ball was spotted at the one? The result of the play was a safety.
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No explanation was given. Coach was understandably not happy but don't believe he was given any explanation other than, "Its 4th down and they are punting". I will admit my vantage point was 50ish yards away in the box but I never saw the RB get close to leaving the endzone after the catch. Further the RB was hit from behind after catching the ball while still facing his own end line. In summary, kind of surprised Team B coach didn't blow his top.
bb9 said:
To add on: defensive holding could still be called. Are you sure they called DPI and not defensive holding?
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They picked up the flag so not completely sure what they were going to call.
 
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