Illegal Blocking in the Back
I believe blocking in the back is the foul most often incorrectly flagged. Officials see a block with open hands originating from the side“ish,” and throw a flag. Rule 2-5-2 says, “Blocking…
Rules
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Facemask Foul
Sometimes, coaches see a runner’s head jerk to the side and yell for a facemask flag. It’s important to understand the facemask foul rule, as not all contact to a player’s helmet…
Demonstrated Restriction
Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from August 11, 2012 (Edited for clarity) I like to talk a lot about holding calls because I think a lot of them that…
Consistency
I’ve seen quite a bit of discussion on social media about how states differ regarding guidelines, interpretations, policies, and uniform rules. I want to offer this for consideration: On the first page…
Batting and Kicking are Intentional Acts
Rule 2-2: Batting is intentionally slapping or striking the ball with the arm or hand. Rule 2-24-1: A kick is the intentional striking of the ball with the knee, lower leg, or…
Double Action
Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from October 31, 2008 (Edited for clarity) One of the glaring errors we as officials have consistently made over the years involved the “double…
NFHS – NCAA Rules Differences
In 2022, there were 534 rules differences between the NFL and NCAA and 263 rules differences between the NCAA and NFHS. Coaches and spectators often complain about a decision we make based…
Penalty Enforcement (Special Enforcement Rules)
We devoted the last seven days to examining Rule 10-4 articles. Let’s conclude our penalty enforcement “series” by unpacking Rule 10-5. These fouls have special enforcement provisions and options for the offended…