offside

We'll work it out. Coaches and Officials are reasonable people.:puke:

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...

Based on Mr. Tackett's choice of words in the press release, it appears that the NFHS definition of a horsecollar tackle will differ from the more narrowly defined NCAA rule. To summarize, an illegal horsecollar tackle in the NCAA requires that the runner be "immediately pulled down" by the inside (back or side) collar of the shoulderpads or jersey. The interpretation of "immediately" from my conference was "within one and a half steps." However, Julian used the term "subsequently" pull the runner to the ground by the inside back or side collar of the shoulderpads or jersey. That could be a very big difference. FWIW: I have seen exactly one play on the field that fit the narrow NCAA definition of a horsecollar. Unfortunately, it happened in a highschool game and it was legal.

I disagree. Here's a couple reasons why the rule was changed to move the coaches into the team box: 1. Nowadays, many (if not most) highschool offenses "spread the field" from sideline-to-sideline, and modern players are faster and more athletic than ever before. Because of this, officiating mechanics have changed. Officials are now positioned on the sidelines at the snap, and on plays near the boundaries, they must have room to move to an out-of-bounds position. 2. Because of the aforementioned developments, safety and liability issues have become a concern. Sideline collisions between coaches and officials have occurred, resulting in serious injuries and high-profile lawsuits. Although the language of the new rule is not finalized, I am confident that coaches will be able to move forward and communicate with their team between downs as they have always done. Once the snap is imminent, they'll just have to move back a couple steps to keep everybody safe. That's all that will change.

I don't think there's been an improvement in competition between the "underdog" teams and the traditional powers. However, I think the regular-season district games between the "also-rans" has improved recently. Initially, I thought the six-class expansion would water-down the competition and simply allow a couple more mediocre teams to buy championship rings. Surprisingly, however, I've noticed that there is an improvement in regular-season district play between some of the 2-3, 2-4, and 3-4 district match-ups. (Maybe that doesn't translate into a win versus a one-seed in the playoffs, but it's a start.) Now, more teams have something to play for, and those "bowels of the district" games are much more meaningful and intense. Competition has improved at the bottom of the standings; it will take time for that to "trickle up".

Thank you Guru and moderators for not deleting this thread. I have asked everybody who insists on buying me a Christmas present to please make a contribution to an orphanage instead of spending their money on me. I have more than I could have ever hoped for, and I hope that each of you feel the same as me. Please also remember that highschool football has meaning beyond wins and losses.

A great story about sportsmanship: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373 Note from the BGP staff: This thread is in violation of rule #9, however, we have decided to make an exception just this one time.

(n) arrogance, The act or habit of making undue claims in an overbearing manner; that species of pride which consists in exorbitant claims of rank, dignity, estimation, or power, or which exalts the worth or importance of the person to an undue degree; proud contempt of others; lordliness; haughtiness; self-assumption; presumption.

I think you're right. From the Cincinnati Enquirer: “When Robbie hollers, ‘Hike,’ the center is supposed to snap it right away, but I think he couldn’t hear that well because of the noise and our linemen were already firing out,” said Schneider. “(The linemen) are supposed to look in (toward the center) in that situation, but we didn’t handle that very well.” http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20081213/SPT030201/312130038/

Took the words right out of my mouth.

Me too, froze my knickers off. Before today, looks like the largest point differential in the "large school" game is 40 points: 2004 St. X 49 - Scott County 9.

That was actually the 2002 2A final, Breathitt 52 - Corbin 0.

Here are the past finals winners and scores from the KHSAA site: http://www.khsaa.org/records/football/pastwinners.pdf

Yes.

Running clock starts at a 45 point differential in the second half.

From the Manual-Male "Old Rivalry" football game, first played in 1893. The winner of the game was awarded the "Victory Barrel", painted purple with a gold H for Male, and red with a white M for Manual. Legend has it that one of those games was played for the ownership of the letter "M", the loser had to find a different letter. http://books.google.com/books?id=pXbYITw4ZesC&pg=PA585&lpg=PA585&dq=louisville+male+story+of+the+H&source=web&ots=bxxerLLd_9&sig=xKE9UnCKz30AmxUTm9G_QGCeBXw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result

Interesting. Would have been a 5 yard foul from the spot of the illegal pass and loss of down.

What was the foul they declined? Illegal forward pass?

Male

http://vintagemomcreations.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/woody-and-the-ref.jpg

ttt

Really: http://www.lite987whop.com

The WHOP broadcast crew is pretty good.

Thank you.

Hmm...my connection must be slow. I just heard Bob Sheppard, the legendary PA announcer for the NY Yankees, introduce "Take me out to the Ball Game"...5 minutes out...