NEWS RELEASE
High School Football Rules Changes
Continue Focus on Risk Minimization
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Colgate
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 13, 2015)
- In its ongoing effort to minimize the risk of injury
in high school football, the National Federation of State High School
Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee expanded the provisions of
unnecessary roughness to include contact with a defenseless player.
This
revision in Rule 9-4-3g was one of six rules changes recommended by the
Football Rules Committee at its January 23-25 meeting in Indianapolis.
These changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of
Directors.
The revised rule now reads, "No player or non-player shall make any contact with an opponent,
including a defenseless player, which is deemed unnecessary or excessive and which incites roughness."
Bob
Colgate, director of sports and sports medicine at the NFHS and editor
of the NFHS football rules, noted that an example would be when a
defensive
player who is not in the vicinity of the ball is "blindsided" by a
blocker on the offensive team.
Another
change with a focus on risk minimization is a revision of the spearing
rule - one of several examples of illegal helmet contact listed in
Rule 2-20. Spearing is now defined as "an act by any player who initiates contact against
an opponent at the shoulders or below with the crown (top portion) of his helmet."
With
"targeting" now defined as contact to an opponent above the shoulders,
the committee more clearly defined "spearing" as contact to an opponent
at the shoulders or below. Colgate said the implementation of the first
spearing rule in 1971 has played a significant role in reducing injury
in high school football.
"The
committee spent considerable time discussing and clarifying
expectations related to contact involving any player that is deemed
excessive or
unnecessary - including spearing - that may occur during play," said
Brad Garrett, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant
executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association.
"Minimizing risks to players involved in these situations
must remain at the forefront of the game."
In
other changes, the rules committee revised the 2014 rule change
regarding free-kick formations. A new Rule 6-1-4 was added to state that
the timing
of the foul for not having at least four players on each side of the
kicker now occurs when the ball is kicked.
A
change also was made in the listing of penalties in Rule 9-4, Illegal
Personal Contact. Beginning next season, an automatic first down will
not
be awarded for a 5-yard incidental face mask penalty against the
passer. Previously, this violation was included in the penalty for
roughing the passer, which calls for a 15-yard penalty and an automatic
first down.
The
rules committee also approved new language in Rule 10-2-5 regarding the
enforcement of dead-ball fouls. The distance penalty for
unsportsmanlike,
non-player or dead-ball personal fouls committed by teams can offset.
Equal numbers of 15-yard penalties by both teams will cancel and
remaining penalties may be enforced.
The
final change approved by the Football Rules Committee related to a
series of downs. A new Rule 5-1-1b will read as follows: "The referee
shall
have authority to correct the number of the next down prior to a new
series of downs being awarded."
A complete listing of all rules changes is available on the NFHS website at
www.nfhs.org. Click on "Activities & Sports" at the top of the home page, and select "Football."
According
to the 2013-14 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey,
football is the most popular sport for boys at the high school level
with
1,093,234 participants in 11-player football. Another 28,790 boys
participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football. In addition, 1,828 girls
participated in football during the 2013-14 season.
###
This post was edited on 2/13 9:59 AM by edgytim
High School Football Rules Changes
Continue Focus on Risk Minimization
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Colgate
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (February 13, 2015)
- In its ongoing effort to minimize the risk of injury
in high school football, the National Federation of State High School
Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee expanded the provisions of
unnecessary roughness to include contact with a defenseless player.
This
revision in Rule 9-4-3g was one of six rules changes recommended by the
Football Rules Committee at its January 23-25 meeting in Indianapolis.
These changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of
Directors.
The revised rule now reads, "No player or non-player shall make any contact with an opponent,
including a defenseless player, which is deemed unnecessary or excessive and which incites roughness."
Bob
Colgate, director of sports and sports medicine at the NFHS and editor
of the NFHS football rules, noted that an example would be when a
defensive
player who is not in the vicinity of the ball is "blindsided" by a
blocker on the offensive team.
Another
change with a focus on risk minimization is a revision of the spearing
rule - one of several examples of illegal helmet contact listed in
Rule 2-20. Spearing is now defined as "an act by any player who initiates contact against
an opponent at the shoulders or below with the crown (top portion) of his helmet."
With
"targeting" now defined as contact to an opponent above the shoulders,
the committee more clearly defined "spearing" as contact to an opponent
at the shoulders or below. Colgate said the implementation of the first
spearing rule in 1971 has played a significant role in reducing injury
in high school football.
"The
committee spent considerable time discussing and clarifying
expectations related to contact involving any player that is deemed
excessive or
unnecessary - including spearing - that may occur during play," said
Brad Garrett, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant
executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association.
"Minimizing risks to players involved in these situations
must remain at the forefront of the game."
In
other changes, the rules committee revised the 2014 rule change
regarding free-kick formations. A new Rule 6-1-4 was added to state that
the timing
of the foul for not having at least four players on each side of the
kicker now occurs when the ball is kicked.
A
change also was made in the listing of penalties in Rule 9-4, Illegal
Personal Contact. Beginning next season, an automatic first down will
not
be awarded for a 5-yard incidental face mask penalty against the
passer. Previously, this violation was included in the penalty for
roughing the passer, which calls for a 15-yard penalty and an automatic
first down.
The
rules committee also approved new language in Rule 10-2-5 regarding the
enforcement of dead-ball fouls. The distance penalty for
unsportsmanlike,
non-player or dead-ball personal fouls committed by teams can offset.
Equal numbers of 15-yard penalties by both teams will cancel and
remaining penalties may be enforced.
The
final change approved by the Football Rules Committee related to a
series of downs. A new Rule 5-1-1b will read as follows: "The referee
shall
have authority to correct the number of the next down prior to a new
series of downs being awarded."
A complete listing of all rules changes is available on the NFHS website at
www.nfhs.org. Click on "Activities & Sports" at the top of the home page, and select "Football."
According
to the 2013-14 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey,
football is the most popular sport for boys at the high school level
with
1,093,234 participants in 11-player football. Another 28,790 boys
participated in 6-, 8- and 9-player football. In addition, 1,828 girls
participated in football during the 2013-14 season.
###
This post was edited on 2/13 9:59 AM by edgytim
