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Behind the Stripes: 2014 Football Rules Changes explained and demonstrated, including Targeting & Defenseless Players

08/19/2014, 3:45pm CDT
By B.J. Ligocki, Special Contribution to WSN

"Behind the Stripes" is written by veteran WIAA official B.J. Ligocki, an active message board poster who has helped many people on the forum with rules questions and clarifications over the years. The purpose of this feature is to help educate readers on any rules changes, clarify procedures and rules, provide case studies and examples, and answer any questions people may have on officiating or rules.

Feel free to email any rules or officiating questions you have at wissports.ask.a.ref@gmail.com for inclusion in future articles.

B.J. Ligocki:  Football (Master Level – 8 yrs – State Championship); Basketball (Level 5 – 16 years – Regional); Baseball/Softball (Level 5 – 16 years - Regional)

To get football season started, I thought it would be helpful to go over the rule changes implemented by the NFHS and the WIAA.  In case anyone isn’t aware the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the national body that regulates the rules for all major sports in Wisconsin and the WIAA can have adaptations to those rules.  Here are the significant changes:

1.  Rule 2-20-2, 2-32-16, 9-4-3m: Targeting and Defenseless players.

These rules added targeting fouls and defined defenseless players in the rulebook.  However, there is no difference in the penalties between a normal personal foul and targeting, there is no ejection like in college football.  Officials are allowed to and should eject players for flagrant hits to the head/neck, but that has always been in the rules.  The only change here is clarifying the terms, possibly for more severe penalties in the future and to bring awareness to the importance of eliminating these kinds of plays.

WSN Note: Please see video below from the Oregon School Activities Association and the NFHS Football Rules Committee Chairman on definitions & examples of Targeting and Defenseless Player.

2. Rule 6-1-3b & 6-1-3c:  Kickoff formation changes

In addition to targeting coming down from the NCAA, now there must be at least 4 team members on either side of the kicker, and once the ready whistle is blown, all team members (besides kicker) must be within 5 yds. of the kickoff line.  This has been interpreted as players can’t be touching the 5 yd. line behind them.  No more huddles and breaking out after the whistle, no more huddles on the sideline and running out, and no more quick onside kicks out of the huddle unless the new requirements are met.  Hopefully there will be a lot of preventative officiating with these new rules, making sure teams are lined up properly before blowing the ready for play.

These rules probably won’t be noticed or have an impact on many games,

3. Rule 2-24-9: A ball that is illegally kicked retains the status that it had before it was kicked

This simply wasn’t clearly defined before.  Now if a ball is fumbled, maybe during a snap to the punter, and he kicks the ball illegally, the ball is still a fumble, not a kick.  The options for status of the ball are pass, fumble or kick.

4. Rule 3-3-3 & 3-3-4:  End of period procedure changes

Changed rule to say “during down in which time expired,” from “during last timed down.” The instances in which the down is replayed have not changed.

5. Rule 8-5-1:  Clarified what provides force to a loose ball

Providing force to a ball is most important when deciding who is responsible for a loose ball going into the endzone to determine if there is a safety or a touchback.  A player who carries, snaps, passes, fumbles, or kicks the ball has provided a force.  Muffing or batting a loose ball does not provide a new force.  For example if there is a fumbled snap the Team A’s own 5 yd. line and several players attempt to recover it but fail and the ball goes out the back of the end zone.  That would be a safety because the fumbled snap provided the force, not the muffing of the fumble.  Also if a player is blocked into a loose ball (during a punt for example) that touching is ignored (and is not a new force).

6. Rule 9-4-4:   Roughing the passer fouls revised

Before this year, only roughing the passer fouls were penalized with an automatic 1st down in addition to the yardage.  Now any personal foul against a passer will also get a 1st down as part of the penalty.  For example if you have 2nd & 20 at the B 40 yd. line and a defender grabs and twists the passer’s facemask after an incomplete pass, this year it will be 1st & 10 at the B 25.  Last year this would have been 2 & 5 at the B25 because it was a facemask foul and not roughing.  These were most likely being called roughing anyway so not a big change.

The WIAA did not make any changes this year to state-specific rules.

The other item that the NFHS addresses each year is “Points of Emphasis”.  These are rules that they feel need attention either because they aren’t being called properly or not enough attention is being paid to them.  All the points of emphases this year focus on minimizing the risk of serious injuries.  It is easy to see what problems the NFHS considers most potentially harmful to the game.

1. Targeting
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.”  The targeting rule was added to draw attention to these unnecessary and harmful fouls.

2. Defenseless players
Defenseless players are especially vulnerable to targeting fouls and at a higher risk to sustain serious injury.  They are defined as “players, who because of his/her physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury.”  Although the new rule doesn’t list any specific players, looking to the college rule, it includes passers, kickers, receivers and returners, to list a few.

3. Concussions
Although reports of concussions have risen recently the NFHS believes it is due to an increase in recognizing and reporting them because of an increased awareness.  This point focuses on a continued vigilance for prevention, recognition and caution afterwards.

4. “Changing the Mindset”
This point talks about changing the attitude toward big hits, “taking a player out,” and teaching proper techniques.  It also brings up the necessity of making these changes for the future of the game.

 

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