Doesnt matter where the body is. Its where the ball is. If the ball crosses the goal line then its dead. He can have both feet fully in the endzone, but as long as he extends his arms out and catches the ball and it never crosses then go for it.

 

While we are on it, can somebody tell me if the rule has changed in HS about breaking a huddle with 12? Just curious, it happened once for sure the other nite in the HHS/Ryle game on an extra point attempt and pretty sure it happenend one other time during a regular play. Anybody?

 

There is NO HS RULE about 'Breaking the huddle with 12." Your thinking "Sunday or Saturday". In HS teams can sub as many players as they want (all 11) for that matter.......the rule simply says that the replaced player has to leave within 3 seconds of being replaced.

I hate this rule!

Historically it was not permitted to return kicks from the end zone at any level of football. The NFL and NCAA have of course changed that rule, btu the NFHS has not done so yet. Like many other rules that eventually get changed, I imagine this rule will change for high school eventually also. It has been brought up in rules meetings lately but has not had enough votes to be changed yet. I have heard the safety argument, but I don't buy into it. I think it just one of the old rules that has been unchanged up to now.

One of the hardest hits I have ever seen happened on a punt return when the punt returner got bulldozed while waiting for the ball. He never saw the hit coming.

 

IMO, punt returns are far more dangerous than kickoff returns. The punt coverage is almost always pretty close when the PR fields the ball and he often takes a hard shot, and often a blind hard shot.

IMO, punt returns are far more dangerous than kickoff returns. The punt coverage is almost always pretty close when the PR fields the ball and he often takes a hard shot, and often a blind hard shot.

 

CM

 

Very good point.

IMO, punt returns are far more dangerous than kickoff returns. The punt coverage is almost always pretty close when the PR fields the ball and he often takes a hard shot, and often a blind hard shot.

 

That is precisely why there are so many fair catches of punts, and not so many of free kicks.