NFHS Football Rules Changes

1. NFHS Football Rules Changes Mark Dreibelbis– Associate Commissioner/Supervisor of Officials

2. Action Items • Officials Attendance Cards • Coaches Sign-In Sheets • Ejection/Disqualification Cards • New Protocol/Procedure • HUDL • No Exchange = no complaints, no mark-offs, and no appeals. Either help the officiating program or accept it as status quo.

3. Leadership • Perceptions…How do you change? • By your actions… • By your actions… • By your actions… The perception…”Your officials are not accountable!”

4. Leadership • What you don’t know _______ hurt you… • NO!!! What you DON”T know will hurt you! • IGNORANCE is _____ … • Ignorance is NOT bliss…do you want to walk around in life being happy and stupid?

5. Leadership • Aptitude + Attitude = Altitude. • Self-control precedes game control – must manage yourself to manage the contest. • Improvement starts with the belief that you need to improve. • Don’t get too “experienced” to learn new things about officiating.

6. Leadership • Decision making separates the house painter from the artist. But, in officiating there is room for both the Rembrandts and the Joes. The artist has a smaller window of opportunity to make decisions…they get the play right and that is the difference. • Some are better than others and get to a higher altitude because of decision making. • Don’t be an officiating “Cannibal” – in officiating we eat our own from jealousy and worry about them “taking our games.” Help/mentor…don’t eat them up. Be a member of the officiating family/fraternity and be a member of the officiating journey and community.

7. Leadership • Trainers • Distribute info in a formal setting • Mentors • Make a connection with the individual(s) • Travel the journey with the official • Use personal skills and encouragement to take them farther • Difference is do you truly want other officials to succeed?

8. Leadership • Confidence comes from preparation – knowledge, decision making, management. • If you can’t cover the play, your experience and knowledge won’t cut it. • If your window of opportunity (the factor of making a decision/call) is too large, you can’t get over it with years of knowledge.

9. Leadership • People who feel they have the most to lose will be the most resistant to change. • People who don’t want to keep up with the journey of success cannot get in the way of people who do. • 10 – 80 -- 10

10. Game Officials’ AuthorityRule 1-1-7 Game officials have authority if a state association has a policy that game officials’ authority begins more than 30 minutes before the game.

11. Game Officials’ AuthorityRule 1-1-7 Game officials have authority if a state association has a policy that game officials’ authority begins more than 30 minutes before the game.

12. Game Officials’ AuthorityRule 1-1-7 Game officials have authority if a state association has a policy that game officials’ authority begins more than 30 minutes before the game.

13. TargetingRules 2-20-2 (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW)EXAMPLE: SHOULDER TO THE HEAD 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.

14. TargetingRules 2-20-2 (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW)EXAMPLE: FIST TO THE HEAD 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.

15. TargetingRules 2-20-2 (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW)EXAMPLE: ELBOW TO THE HEAD 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.

16. TargetingRules 2-20-2 (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW)EXAMPLE: FOREARM TO THE NECK 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.

17. TargetingRules 2-20-2 (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) A blow to the helmet by two linemen in the free blocking zone is not necessarily a targeting foul.

18. Targeting TargetingRule 9-4-3m (NEW) Illegal Personal Contact 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.

19. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) 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.

20. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: OUT OF THE PLAY B6 has chosen not to participate further and is obviously out of the play. He is considered to be defenseless.

21. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: KICKER After a kick (PlayPic A), a kicker who has not had a reasonable amount of time to regain his balance after the kick (PlayPic B) is a defenseless player.

22. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: PASS RECEIVER A pass receiver attempting to catch a pass, or a pass receiver who has clearly relaxed when the player has missed the pass or feels he can no longer catch the pass, is considered defenseless.

23. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: KICK RECEIVER A kick receiver attempting to catch or recover the ball is considered defenseless.

24. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: PLAYER ON THE GROUND A player who is on the ground is considered defenseless.

25. Defenseless PlayerRules 2-32-16 (NEW); 9-4-3i(3)EXAMPLE: FORWARD PROGRESS STOPPED A runner already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped is defenseless. Contact on the runner could also be considered targeting.

26. Illegal Kick StatusRule 2-24-9 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.

27. Untimed DownRules 3-3-3; 3-3-4 Team A commits a live-ball foul and time for the period expires during the down. As shown in the MechaniGram, if the penalty is accepted, the period is extended for an untimed down.

28. Untimed DownRules 3-3-3; 3-3-4 Team B commits a live-ball foul and time for the period expires during the down. If the penalty is accepted, the period is extended for an untimed down.

29. Free-Kick FormationRules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) After the ready-for-play has been signaled and until the ball is kicked for a free kick, team K must have at least four players on either side of the kicker. As shown in the MechaniGram, K is guilty of a dead-ball foul.

30. Free-Kick FormationRules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) On a free kick, from the time the ready-for-play is signaled until the ball is kicked, no K player other than the kicker may be more than five yards from his free-kick line. The formation in the MechaniGram becomes legal when the ball has been declared ready-for-play.

31. Free-Kick FormationRules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) The formation in the MechaniGram becomes illegal when the ball has been declared ready-for-play. K3, K4, K5 and K6 are all more than five yards from their free kick line. No K players, with the exception of the kicker may be more than five yards behind the kicking team’s free kick line. A player satisfies this rule when no foot is on or beyond the line five yards behind K’s free kick. If one player is more than five yards behind the restraining line and any other player kicks the ball, it is a foul.

32. ForceRule 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.

33. Roughing the PasserRule 9-4-4 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.

34. 2014 NFHS Football Points of Emphasis • High School Football – State of the Game • Risk Minimization

35. Risk Minimization

36. Helmet Comes OffRule 3-5-10d Runner’s forward progress stopped Player must leave for one down if the helmet came completely off without being directly attributable to a foul by the opponent Runner’s helmet comes off as part of subsequent dead-ball action; official’s time-out

37. Rules Reminders

38. Illegal ParticipationRule 9-6-4g If a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down continues to participate beyond the immediate action in which the player is engaged, it is a foul for illegal participation.

39. Illegal Personal ContactRule 9-4-3l It is a personal foul if a player or nonplayer initiates contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely off.

40. NCHSAA Football Information Tra Waters – Director of Sports & Championship

41. Football Information 1st Day of Practice August 1 Earliest Day of 1st Contact (6th) August 7 Earliest Day of 1st Scrimmage (9th) August 11 1st Play Date August 22 12th Play Date November 7 1st Round of Playoffs November 14

42. State Championships December 12-13, 2014 1A, 1AA, 3A, 3AA – Carter-Finley Stadium, NCSU 2A, 2AA, 4A, 4AA – BB&T Field, Wake Forest Univ. 1 Game – Friday, December 12 • 7:30 PM 3 Games – Saturday, December 13 • 12:00 Noon, 4:00 PM, 8:00 PM

43. Conditioning Requirements • First (5) days of practice are required to be used for physical conditioning • Days 1 & 2: Headgear, non-padded shorts and football shoes constitute acceptable dress. • Days 3, 4, & 5: Shoulder pads may be added, but ABSOLUTELY no body-to-body contact is permitted (see Penalty Code for Violations). • Practice during the first five-day period shall be limited to three (3) hours, INCLUDING flex time (stretching) and breaks.

44. Conditioning Requirements • Day 6: Full uniforms may be worn, and body-to-body contact is allowed. • Late starting tryouts--5 days of physical conditioning still required

45. Practice Options • Please refer to the calendar we passed out to you. • This is posted on the website; football page • Combines 3-hour practices with walk-throughs • Note: cannot wear protective gear in walkthroughs • Contains specific information about Double Practices

46. Heat & Humidity • Have a plan for stopping, suspending, and or cancelling practice • Consult and work with your athletic trainer or 1st Responder

47. Inclement/Hot Weather Guidelines • The following should be considered when scheduling practice: - Time of day - Intensity level of practice - Equipment worn - Environmental conditions • High Temperature and high humidity create a dangerous situation for athletes. High humidity and low temperature can also cause serious heat-related problems. • Water/fluid replacement breaks recommended each 20 or 30 minutes. (depending on practice conditions) • Check with your AD on your LEA’s and school’s policy pertaining to practice on days of extreme heat.

48. Board Approved Changes • Mercy Rule • Once the score reaches a 42 point differential, or more, at halftime or any point thereafter, the game will resort to a running clock or will be terminated by mutual agreement. • 8-Quarter Rule • Clarified the rule to state that the rule is intended for 9th and 10th grade students only.

49. Board Approved Changes • All-Star Contests • Eliminated rule limited student-athletes to two all-star football contests during the school year • Rule was based on NCAA rule which is no longer in force

50. Board Approved Changes • Approved 2015-16 Football Calendar • Posted on NCHSAA website – Information – Calendars • Approved clarification that: • “Once seeding process is completed and the brackets have been finalized, no other team or individual will be substituted in or added to the brackets as a result of a change in the reported record (incorrect or adjusted).”