Horse Collar illegal in HS now...and other rules changes

[pigman]

I'm sorry I didn't realize the media was more important than coaching a game. I've been around football my entire life and the only sideline incidents I have seen have involved chain crews not being able to get out of the way. Again most officails as long as you're not in the way allow you to coach, but their are a few that are obsessed with where the coaches are standing. I reffed for about 20 years and didn't have a problem with allowing coaches to coach. I agree every Tom Dick and Harry doesn't belong on the sidelines.

[CoachBuckett]

I will admit I take advantage of officials. If they allow me to be on the field from the first play I stay on the edge of the field. I have never been called for a penalty. I think because I always stay behind the offense. When I am calling plays I have a tendency to get a close to the numbers, but I am back on the sideline before the start of the play.

 

I have no issue with the rule. Except when you are at places that have very little space. Plus you have to deal with the chain crew on your side. It creates problems.That is the only concern I have, being at a place that doesn't have enough room.

[Orca1]

To me it doesn't really matter where the coaches stand. The problem comes in when one official is a sideline task master and the opposite official lets the coach get to the numbers. Both sidedlines have to be handled equally.

[Hey-Ref]

The sideline rule is ridiculous. Most officials care much more about what is going on on the field. There are some that are ate up with keeping coaches in the box instead of officiating the game, this will only make it worse.

 

In the last couple seasons we've seen several college and high school coaches injured severely on the sidelines during games, including Charlie Weis and Joe Paterno. I know that a Grant Co. coach suffered a broken leg a few years ago. As a former wing official I can atest to several times being blocked from avoiding getting caught up in a play by too many people crowding the sideline. This rule is definitely needed for safety's sake.

[Hey-Ref]

I will admit I take advantage of officials. If they allow me to be on the field from the first play I stay on the edge of the field. I have never been called for a penalty. I think because I always stay behind the offense. When I am calling plays I have a tendency to get a close to the numbers, but I am back on the sideline before the start of the play.

 

I have no issue with the rule. Except when you are at places that have very little space. Plus you have to deal with the chain crew on your side. It creates problems.That is the only concern I have, being at a place that doesn't have enough room.

 

Coach, and the chain crew has to be 2 yards from the sideline also for the same reason: Safety.

[3wishes]

In the last couple seasons we've seen several college and high school coaches injured severely on the sidelines during games, including Charlie Weis and Joe Paterno. I know that a Grant Co. coach suffered a broken leg a few years ago. As a former wing official I can atest to several times being blocked from avoiding getting caught up in a play by too many people crowding the sideline. This rule is definitely needed for safety's sake.

 

Joe Paterno has trouble moving period.

Charlie Weis wasn't even looking, he would've been hit if he was standing on the bleachers.

 

Those are not valid points because a player/coach can get hit and injured standing anywhere on the field and IMO, the coach who is allowed to be in the box is much more aware than not, because he is actually participating in the game with strategy.

 

The chain crew should have to be further back because they are risk of hurting other players due to those metal rods they are holding, I know they are supposed to drop them but it rarely happens.

 

I just don't like this rule because it makes ticky tacky stops of the game and penalties that could just be settled between official and coach throughout the game.

[sidelinedoc]

I couldn't disagree more. First and foremost this is a safety issue.

 

Second, as a working member of the media many gametime sidelines are out of control with coaches, support staff, players, former players, friends of the program, etc. Most staffs not only violate the 3 in the box rule with several coaches in the box but most of them end up on the field of play too which makes it very difficult for working media.

 

I understand why most officials haven't enforced the coach in the box rules because it can come off as ticky tacky but the rules are the rules and they should enforce them all.

 

The other problem you have is the working media are normally "policed" by a representative of the school and many places are very strict in their enforcement which is fine. However, if you have the school cracking the whip on the media and the coaches setting up camp all over the place it makes it very difficult to work a game.

 

Besides, is it really too much to ask for all the coaches to move back six feet off the field of play?

 

My only objection to this sideline rule is not regarding safety. My problem is the side official being more concerned with keeping coaches and players in/out of the box and missing obvious calls on the field. I realize no one is perfect and cannot see all the penalties that occur, but concentrate on the field of play and what is going on where the game is won and lost. There has to be some way to police the sidelines without it being an official's responsibility.

[LoneRanger]

It seems to me that this issue just puts too much on the officials and creates more situations where the official can be questioned for why they make a certain determination and why they don't make another.

 

This rule makes that even more difficult because it states that there is to be no one in the box area while the ball is live. How are officials supposed to be watching all that is happening ON THE FIELD, which should be their main concern to Officiate the GAME, and still police the sideline as well.

 

I think we all can completely understand if a coach is on the field, no matter who that coach is, they should move back and be on the sideline area. However, that sideline area should be reserved for Coaches, Players and Team Personel and they should be allowed to do their jobs without intrusion.

 

Sideline management should be left up to the Coaching Staff and the School Administration, not further burdening the Officiating Crew with sideline supervision duties.:irked:

[coldweatherfan]

I'm sorry I didn't realize the media was more important than coaching a game. I've been around football my entire life and the only sideline incidents I have seen have involved chain crews not being able to get out of the way. Again most officails as long as you're not in the way allow you to coach, but their are a few that are obsessed with where the coaches are standing. I reffed for about 20 years and didn't have a problem with allowing coaches to coach. I agree every Tom Dick and Harry doesn't belong on the sidelines.

 

Mrs CWF does a lot of media work and agrees with you Pigman. The coaches are part of the game, the media is not. She has always felt it was her responsibility to stay out of the games way, not the opposite.

 

IMO, keep the player out of the box and let the coaches coach.

[bear]

I couldn't disagree more. First and foremost this is a safety issue.

 

Second, as a working member of the media many gametime sidelines are out of control with coaches, support staff, players, former players, friends of the program, etc. Most staffs not only violate the 3 in the box rule with several coaches in the box but most of them end up on the field of play too which makes it very difficult for working media.

 

I understand why most officials haven't enforced the coach in the box rules because it can come off as ticky tacky but the rules are the rules and they should enforce them all.

 

The other problem you have is the working media are normally "policed" by a representative of the school and many places are very strict in their enforcement which is fine. However, if you have the school cracking the whip on the media and the coaches setting up camp all over the place it makes it very difficult to work a game.

 

Besides, is it really too much to ask for all the coaches to move back six feet off the field of play?

 

Yes, it is too much to ask! Let them coach their kids. Officials should worry about what is going on in front of them, not behind them! The working media has from the 25 to the goalline of unobstructed view.

[CoachBuckett]

Coach, and the chain crew has to be 2 yards from the sideline also for the same reason: Safety.

 

I understand, but I have been to some places that is all they have is 2 yards fom the fence. So this makes it tough to follow the rule. So the safe thing is to force these schools to spend money to make the sideline bigger.

[theguru]

The working media has from the 25 to the goalline of unobstructed view.

 

This is where we disagree. When several coaches (and sometimes others) get right up to, or on the field, it cuts the media's view (line of sight) off and then the only unobstructed view you have is in the end zone. However, end zones create other issues including the media blocking the view of several fans there.

 

I really don't want to dwell on the media aspect of it because the rule is an attempt to make the overall game safer. I just wanted to point out there are other people that have a job to do.

[Covercorner]

I agree with the sideline rule, but I would hope that now, as the officials walk the hashes prior to the game, they have instructions to judge the sidelines of the home stadium. I've been at some fields where its nearly impossible, with 80-90 players along with water coolers, benches, and extra equipment, to fit everyone consistently behind the line of the box.

[offside]

I understand, but I have been to some places that is all they have is 2 yards fom the fence. So this makes it tough to follow the rule. So the safe thing is to force these schools to spend money to make the sideline bigger.

 

I think most posters here are missing the point about eliminating the "coaches area". And, really, I'm only addressing those of you who are coaches because I can't understand why fans in the bleachers should care one iota about this.

 

1. This is an improvement in safety for BOTH officials and coaches. As a side effect, it will improve officiating by allowing sideline officials to focus on the game action without having to keep an eye out for a coach with his toes (formerly legally) on the boundary line.

 

2. It is obvious that officials will have to communicate and work with the coaches on their sideline. Actually, the better officials do this anyway. It's never a good idea for officials to be "ticky-tacky" with flags or warnings or unproductive bluster in any situation. And the rule will NOT prevent coaches from communicating with their players between downs. Simply, they'll just take a couple steps back a second or two before the snap. And try to stay there :taz:.

 

3. I'm sure the new rule will be unevenly applied in JV, Frosh and Middle School games, just like all other rules are unevenly applied there. You can't become a varsity coach or official without getting the mistakes out of your system at the lower levels.

 

4. Nobody is suggesting that Highlands, or Eminence, or Dayton, or any other school with space issues will need to spend taxpayer money to change their stadium configurations. Obviously, the better officials will strike a workable compromise with their coaches when space is an issue.

 

5. This will allow the Guru to take better pictures. He seems to always catch me yawning or scratching my backside...

[3wishes]

I agree with the sideline rule, but I would hope that now, as the officials walk the hashes prior to the game, they have instructions to judge the sidelines of the home stadium. I've been at some fields where its nearly impossible, with 80-90 players along with water coolers, benches, and extra equipment, to fit everyone consistently behind the line of the box.

 

What good would that do though, if they find out that the visiting team only has 2 feet to work with about 45 minutes prior to the game?