10 things you need to know about high school football rules
Have you ever been watching college football on a Saturday, or maybe checking out an NFL game on Sunday when the topic of officiating came up? Well, there are some differences when it comes to college, pro and high school.
Here’s a list of some of the most misunderstood rules by fans about high school football:
1. Encroachment- In high school football, , a player has encroached when during the time interval between the ready for play and the snap or free kick, they illegally enter the neutral zone (length of ball). At higher levels of play, a defensive player has the opportunity to exit the neutral zone prior to the snap. We do not use the term offside.
2. Pass Interference- In high school football, there is no rule for an uncatchable pass. This brings confusion to a fan comparing Saturday and Sunday games.
3. Fumble and Muff- Many high school announcers and fans do not understand that in order to fumble, you must first have possession of the ball.
4. Roughing the Kicker/Holder- The average fan doesn’t realize that the holder is also protected in kicking situations. We also have the 5-yard penalty for running into the kicker/holder as well as the 15-yard roughing foul.
5. Ready for Play- Ready for play signifies the referee has signaled the ball may be put in play by a snap or free kick and the 25 second clock has begun. Failure to put the ball in play in the allotted 25 seconds results in a delay of game penalty of 5 yards. The clock will start with the next snap or touched free kick, unless first touching by K.
6. Dead Ball- Even many coaches feel the play is not over unless a whistle has blown. The official’s whistle seldom kills the ball. It is already dead by rule.
7. Backward Pass- We don’t use the term lateral. A pass is either forward or backward.
8. Penalty Enforcement- Penalties are either 5, 10, or 15 yards. The basic spot of enforcement is confusing to the fan. Some are the previous or succeeding spot of snap or kick,while some may be behind a basic spot (i.e. Offensive holding behind the basic spot can result in an actual loss of over 10 yards.)
9. Clipping/Block in the Back- A player shall not clip or block an opponent in the back except in the free blocking zone meeting certain requirements, to tackle a runner or player pretending to be a runner, contact above the waist to ward off a blocker, attempting to reach a runner, or catch or recover loose ball which he may legally touch or possess. In clipping, the initial contact is below the waist. Clipping carries a 15 yard penalty while a block in the back is 10 yards.
10. Timing- While most observers see a scoreboard and 25 second clocks, many do not understand that the operators of these timing devices receive signals from the officials to start or stop them. Sometimes time must be added or taken away from the game clock due to mechanical or human error. Auxilliary timing devices carried by the officials are used if necessary.
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