Need a referee's help: Stopping the Clock

[MOJO]

In high school football, under the rules is the spike to stop the clock legal?

[SomersetFootball]

Why would it not be?

[MOJO]

I don't know, for some reason in the back of my mind somewhere not sure on what level, I was thinking this occurred at a game I attended and the refs ruled it as a fumble.

[jimmyref]

I don't know, for some reason in the back of my mind somewhere not sure on what level, I was thinking this occurred at a game I attended and the refs ruled it as a fumble.

 

You can only spike from the under center position not from shotgun. I am not going to state the referee blew it because i didn't see the play. The quarterback might of turned backwards and spiked it from the shotgun and they thought it was a backward pass that is free to pick up.

[Darkwing]

It happened in the 1994 Apple Bowl, when Paintsville was driving and close to the endzone and the QB spiked the ball. Was ruled a penalty - I think they called it grounding, actually - and Paintsville ended up missing what would've been the game-winning field goal. That may be the game you're thinking of.

[MOJO]

It happened in the 1994 Apple Bowl, when Paintsville was driving and close to the endzone and the QB spiked the ball. Was ruled a penalty - I think they called it grounding, actually - and Paintsville ended up missing what would've been the game-winning field goal. That may be the game you're thinking of.

 

You're probably right, I knew I'd seen that call somewhere in a game but wasn't sure where. Thanks for the refresher BE. I'm going to gamble a bit and say final score 8-6 JC?

[MTNSportsGuy]

I think in 1994 it was still illegal in HS football

[jimmyref]

I think in 1994 it was still illegal in HS football

i'm guessing it was about 1998 or 1999 when it became legal to spike. Before the teams would sail the ball into the sidelines.

[MTNSportsGuy]

i'm guessing it was about 1998 or 1999 when it became legal to spike. Before the teams would sail the ball into the sidelines.

Thanks for the info...that's what I thought

[Hey-Ref]

It is legal to spike the ball to stop the clock in HS if the snap is taken directly hand-to-hand from the snapper. This is an exception to the illegal forward pass rule.

[Darkwing]

You're probably right, I knew I'd seen that call somewhere in a game but wasn't sure where. Thanks for the refresher BE. I'm going to gamble a bit and say final score 8-6 JC?

 

That's absolutely the correct score. One of the better games I ever saw.