2015 Junior Football Rules Changes Meeting National Federation of State High School Associations

National Federation of State High School Associations

2015 Agenda

- 2014/2015 Rules Changes - Points of Emphasis - Rules Reminders - Rules Differences – Pro/Colleges vs NFHS - A few plays - NFHS Takeaway Information National Federation of State High School Associations

2015/2014 Football - Rules Changes - Referee’s Authority to Correct a Down (2015) - Spearing Definition Expanded (2015) - Unnecessary Roughness-Defenseless Player (2014/2015) - Free Kick Formation (2014/2015) - Roughing the Passer (2014/2015) - Dead-ball Penalty Enforcement (2015) - Untimed Down - Targeting (2014) - Illegal Kick Status (2014) - Untimed Down (2014) - New Force (2014) National Federation of State High School Associations

Referee’s Authority to Correct a Down (2015) - Rule 5-1-1b Added the authority of the referee to correct the number of the next down prior to the ball becoming live after a new series is awarded

Dead-ball Penalty Enforcement (2015) - Rule 10-2-5 If both teams commit unsportsmanlike, non-player or dead-ball personal fouls prior to the completion of penalty administration for those fouls, the distance penalty for any of these fouls will offset Spearing Rule 2-20-1 art 3 (NEW) Illegal Personal Contact

The definition of spearing was expanded to include, “Spearing is an act by of any player who initiates contact to an opponent at the shoulders or below with the crown (top portion) of the helmet.” Spearing is a 15-yard penalty.

Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner. Note that the passer in this play is also a defenseless player. Targeting is a 15-yard penalty for illegal personal contact.

YES

NOT NECESSARILY… If players are engaged in expected activity at the snap of the ball.

When the ball is illegally kicked, the ball retains its original status. The player in PlayPic A fumbles and the player in PlayPic B kicks the loose ball. The ball remains a fumble.

A new definition for a defenseless player has been added. A defenseless player is a player who, because of his physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury. 2015 – added the wording ‘excessive contact’ to unnecessary in defining illegal personal contact (see video) © REFEREE ENTERPISES INC. 2012 Defenseless Player (see video) Rules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)

• Live Ball Foul • During the Down • Penalty Accepted

• On Offense, or • Defense

After the ready-for-play has been signaled and until the ball is kicked for a free kick, team K must 1. Have at least four players on either side of the kicker (2014) when the ball is kicked (2015) 2. No K players, with the exception of the kicker, may be more than five yards behind the kicking team’s free kick line.

The formation in the MechaniGram above becomes The formation shown above becomes illegal when the legal when the ball has been declared ready-for-play. ball has been declared ready-for-play. K3-K6 are all © REFEREE ENTERPISES INC. 2012 more than five yards from their free kick line Force Rule 8-5-1b (NEW)

K1 blocks R2 into the ball. The accidental touching of a loose ball by a player who was blocked into the ball by an opponent is ignored and does not constitute a new force. The result of this play is a touchback.

No defensive player shall charge into, or commit any illegal personal contact foul listed in Rule 9-4-3 against the passer who is standing still or fading back, because he is considered out of the play after the pass and has not moved to participate in the play. Grasping of the face mask is considered roughing the passer. 2015 – Clarified the rule to include wording that an incidental face mask is not considered roughing © REFEREE ENTERPISES INC. 2012 National Federation of State High School Associations

2015 Football Points of Emphasis 2015 NFHS Football Points of Emphasis

1. Risk Minimization 2. Facilitating NFHS Football Rules 3. Free- Blocking Zone

Risk Minimization

. The game of football has changed • Blocking/tackling techniques used now place an emphasis on using the entire field; this has resulted in more opportunities for excessive contact • Coaches should continue to educate players about the risks of unnecessary or excessive contact and to avoid such contact . Players need to have respect for the game and their opponents • Any action where a player takes aim of an unaware opponent increases the potential for serious injury and must be avoided • Blindside blocks, peel-back blocks and launching into airborne receivers provide opportunities for dangerous contact . Spectators, players and coaches should NOT promote nor celebrate actions that endanger the health and welfare of opponents

Risk Minimization

. What is excessive (see video) • Efforts to injure or “take-out” opponents have no place in today’s game • Situations involving contact that exceeds what is usual or proper must be eliminated from the game – whether or not that contact is otherwise legal • Forget the old adage “play until you hear the whistle” • The whistle is not the only way a play becomes dead, it only confirms a player’s action that has caused the ball to become dead • Situations where momentum has slowed/stopped and another player drills into the pile should be cautioned against by coaches in teaching players

. Some guidelines 1. Does a player have a legitimate chance to make a play? – Yes/Yes/Yes 2. Does the player receive a blindside hit? – Yes/Yes/No 3. Was the contact unnecessary or excessive? Yes/No/No

Foul/ Legal/ Legal Facilitating NFHS Rules

. NFHS Rules best serve the sport on a national level 1. Minimize risk to participants 2. Preserve the sound traditions of the sport 3. Standardize competition 4. Provider for orderly administration 5. Facilitate the decision making process of officials 6. Permit common records 7. Provide for evaluating competition 8. Maintain a balance between offense and defense

. Coaches 1. Master the rules and teach players 2. Do not seek advantage by circumventing the spirit/intent of the rules

Coaching and officiating the rules are extremely important to maintain the integrity of the game and minimize the risk to participants POINT OF EMPHASIS zone. the snap. becomesThe illegal contact ball freehas left when the - the the only line of offensive scrimmageback,the the at player on must have been clipping, Forsnap. scrimmage players both line the ofon the were at blocks in the contact the and zone;in for and is snap blocking belowand the waist free- the whilelegal Blocking Free

below the waist (A), blocks in the back (B) and clipping(B) and (C) back(A),the blocks are only in waist below the Blocking Zone Enforcement Zone -Blocking blocking zone is in effect, both players were in the zone at blocking at effect, zone playersthe zone both inin wereis

blocking Free-Blocking Zone Enforcement

Blocking below the waist is legal if: 1. Both players are lined up in the free-blocking zone at the snap and on the line of scrimmage. The free-blocking zone is defined as 3 yards on either side of the line of scrimmage and 4 yards either side of the ball. POINT OF EMPHASIS 2. The contact/block occurs in the free-blocking zone. 3. The ball is in the free-blocking zone.

PlayPic®

When lead blockers who were not on the line of scrimmage at the snap are “cut” by defenders on sweeps or on roll-out passes, it is POINT OF EMPHASIS a violation of the blocking-below-the-waist rule if it occurs by a player who was not originally on the line of scrimmage and occurs outside the free-blocking zone. © REFEREE ENTERPISES INC. 2012 National Federation of State High School Associations

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