BRITISH COLUMBIA FOOTBALL OFFICIALS’ ASSOCIATION

2007 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FEDERATION

RULE/EDITORIAL CHANGES

- Compiled by Mychal Westman

Through rule changes, points of emphasis and educational materials, the National High School Federation in the past five years, has sent a very clear message, that illegal helmet contact must be purged from the game.

Coaches have been instructed to teach players how to block and tackle without using any part of the head. Officials have been ordered to call helmet-related fouls without hesitation.

To illustrate the point further, the NHSF Football Rules Committee adopted three new helmet-related rules for 2007 noteworthy, since they represent a large percentage of the 14 changes adopted for the upcoming season.

Have listed the changes in approximate order of importance. In the coming weeks, play sequences will be provided to clearly illustrate the changes and recommended interpretations.

HELMET CONTACT (2-22, 9-4-3i, 9-4-3 Note)

BUTT BLOCKING, FACE TACKLING AND SPEARING HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE BLOCKING SECTION TO THEIR PLACE UNDER A NEW GENERAL HEADING “ILLEGAL HELMET CONTACT”

Neither the definitions nor the penalties for these acts have changed. Butt blocking is a technique involving a blow driven directly into an opponent with the facemask, frontal area or top of the helmet as the primary point of contact. Face tackling is driving the facemask, frontal area or top of the helmet directly into the runner. Spearing is the use of the helmet to punish an opponent. The penalty for each foul remains 15 yards.

While the changes involve reorganization, a stronger emphasis on applicable rules is the result.

REMEMBER: a 2006 rule change: an official no longer has determine that a player who speared an opponent did so intentionally. Spearing is spearing.

FLAGRANT DEFINED (2-16-2c)

Prior to 2007, several fouls or acts, if deemed flagrant, resulted in disqualification. However, until now, there has never been a definition for flagrant.

A FLAGRANT FOUL MAY OR MAY NOT INVOLVE PHYSICAL CONTACT AND MAY INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO FIGHTING, INTENTIONALLY CONTACTING AN OFFICIAL, A FOUL SO SEVERE OR EXTREME THAT IT PLACES AN OPPONENT IN DANGER OF SERIOUS INJURY, A FOUL THAT INVOLVES VULGAR LANGUAGE OR GESTURES OR A FOUL THAT INVOLVES PERSISTENT OR EXTREME ABUSIVE CONDUCT

Any of the illegal personal contact fouls listed in Rule 9-4 (e.g. grabbling the face mask, piling on, butt blocking, face tackling, spearing, etc.) may be deemed flagrant. Also, non-contact unsportsmanlike acts described in Rule 9-5 may also apply.

Note that while two unsportsmanlike fouls result in disqualification of that offender, there is an immediate disqualification if any single action is determined to be flagrant. A 15-yard penalty accompanies the disqualification.

PENALTY ENFORCEMENT (8-2-2)

A TEAM THAT IS FOULED DURING A PLAY THAT RESULTS IN A TOUCHDOWN NOW HAS A SECOND OPTION --- ENFORCEMENT ON THE ENSUING KICKOFF

The offended team may still have the penalty enforced on the try. If there is a change of possession and the scoring team is fouled after the change, the rule also applies.

PASSER DEFINITION (2-31-11)

Under a revamped definition, A PASSER IS A PLAYER WHO THROWS A LEGAL FORWARD PASS

Prior to the change, the rule did not address the legality of the forward pass. Therefore, if a player is illegally contacted after throwing an illegal forward pass, the foul would be considered a personal foul, not roughing the passer.

TIMEOUT PRIVILEGE (3-5-2a)

IF THE HEAD COACH IS DISQUALIFIED, ANOTHER COACH MAY BE DESIGNATED AND ASSUME THE OPTION OF REQUESTING TIMEOUTS FROM THE SIDELINE

Under last year’s rule, a disqualification resulted in the loss of that privilege. Unchanged is the requirement that the coach be on the field; a coach in the press box may not request timeouts. Also unchanged, any player or entering substitute may request a timeout.

BASIC SPOT DETERMINED (10-4-6,10-4-7)

A situation that rarely occurs but has important ramifications has been clarified. It involves a play in which a related run ends in a team’s end zone, a foul by the opponent occurs and a loose ball follows.

THE BASIC SPOT IS THE 20-YARD LINE IF THE FORCE THAT PUT THE BALL IN THE OPPONENT’S END ZONE TO START THE SEQUENCE WAS PROVIDED BY THE FOULING TEAM. IF THE FOULED TEAM CREATED THE FORCE, THE BASIC SPOT IS THE GOAL LINE

FIELD MARKINGS (1-2-3d, 1-2-3k)

RESTRAINING LINES OUTSIDE THE TEAM BOXES AND SURROUNDING THE FIELD ARE MANDATORY

The four-inch wide broken restraining line must be around the outside of the field, at least two yards from the sidelines and end lines. The additional lines will aid officials in keeping non-team personnel outside the team box from getting too close to the field. The rule does not apply in stadiums where the total playing enclosure does not permit.

Also, the three-yard lines must be marked on the field to aid in placing the ball for a try. The lines must be four inches wide and at least 24 inches long.

UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT (1-5-1c-4, 1-5-2)

New requirements and limitations of legal jerseys were approved. Last year’s change intended to address what is a legal white jersey and what is a legal home jersey was modified based upon conversations the NHSF had with manufacturers. The new implementation date for the rule is 2012, two years later than originally planned.

The body of a white jersey (inside the shoulders, below the collar and to the bottom of the jersey) shall be white and shall contain only the contrasting-colored adornments and accessory spelled out in the rules. That includes jersey numbers required in 1-5-1c or as the team and/or player team within the body and/or on the shoulders; a decorative stripe placed during production that follows the curve of the raglan sleeve not to exceed one inch at any point within the body of the jersey; or as decorative stripe(s) added in the shoulder area after production, not to exceed one inch per stripe and total size of combined stripes not to exceed 3.5 inches; within the collar, a maximum of one inch in width, and/or as a side seam (insert connecting the back of the jersey to the front), a maximum of four inches in width but any non-white color may not appear within the body of the jersey (inside the shoulders, below the collar, and to the bottom of the jersey) with the exception of a decorative stripe placed during the production that follows the curve of the raglan sleeve. For a non-white jersey, the standards are the same with the color scheme reversed.

Starting in 2008,forearm pads must carry the NHSF/NCAA label. The same implementation date was approved last year for hand pads and new specifications for cleats. Gloves continue to belegal as long as they carry the proper label.