Rules
Changes, Editorial Changes or Points of Emphasis for 2008:
1.
White is the recommended color for
lines.
2.
If
a MRSA infection has occurred in a team member, the coach or certified
athletic trainer should check other athletes daily before
practice.
3.
Hiding the ball under the jersey will now be
enforced as a basic spot foul using the all-but-one
principle.
4.
An inadvertent whistle does not end the
down.
5.
A
hand pad is now defined as a covering for the hand that may have
separate openings for each finger and thumb, is absent of any web-like
material between the fingers and/or thumb, and not covering each finger
and thumb.
6.
Shinguards, if worn, do not need to meet NOCSAE
specifications.
7.
Offensive
football allignments have become so diversified that more emphasis has
to be placed upon legally starting a free-kick down and a scrimmage
down.
8.
Hip pads, tailbone protector, knee pads and thigh
guards must not be altered from the manufacturer's original
design/production.
Dead Ball:
9.
A foul automatically causes the ball to become
dead.
10.
When a backward pass strikes the ground, the ball
becomes dead.
11.
If the try is a kick, the ball becomes dead when
it is obvious the drop kick or place kick has failed.
Definitions:
12.
A passer is a player who throws either a forward
pass or a backward pass.
13.
A down ends when the live ball becomes
dead.
14.
The previous spot is where the ball was last
snapped or free kicked.
15.
An interception is securing posession of a live
ball after it strikes the ground.
16.
The snap is considered to be a backward pass and
part of a loose-ball play.
17.
If
a forward pass touches an official who is in the field of play, the
pass is ruled incomplete even if it is subsequently caught by a player
of either team.
18.
Handing the ball is not a pass.
Encroachment:
19.
If A1 commits a false start that caused B1 to
enter the neutral zone, B1 has not encroached.
20.
Encroachment may not occur until the snapper has
placed his hand(s) on the ball.
Equipment:
Field:
21.
The goal-line pylons may be any color as lone as
they are the same color.
22.
The ball must have the NFHS Authenticating
Mark.
Equipment:
Player:
23.
It is mandatory that knee pads be worn over the
knees and the pants cover the knee pads.
24.
If the helmet of the tackler comes off in making
contact with the runner, the ball becomes dead immediately.
25.
Players are not required to wear thigh
guards.
26.
A mouth protector must be worn and must be
completely white or clear.
27.
The umpire has the authority to declare equipment
illegal if he determines it is inappropriate equipment.
28.
The numbers 0 and 00 are legal numbers on a
players jersey.
Extending a
Period:
29.
A period must be extended by an untimed down if,
during the last timed down of the period, there was a double
foul.
30.
If
during the last timed down of the first period the Team A coach commits
an unsportsmanlike foul, the period must be extended.
31.
If
during the last timed down of a period a non-player foul occurs and the
penalty is accepted, the period is entended with an untimed
down.
32.
If
any dead-ball foul by either team occurs after the last timed down of
either half, it is enforced from the succeeding spot on the kickoff or
overtime.
Fair Catch:
33.
If
a low scrimmage kick is touched by R1 in the neutral zone,
kick-catching interference restrictions have ended and no fair catch
can be made.
34.
Only one receiver may give a signal for a fair
catch while any legal kick is in flight.
35.
Two arms raised full lenght above the head and
waved is an invalid catch signal.
36.
If R1 signals for a fair catch, he may not block
until the kick ends.
37.
Any receiver may signal for a fair catch while
any legal kick is in flight.
Field Goal:
38.
If K1 kicks the ball between the uprights and
above the crossbar on a kickoff, it is a field goal.
39.
A field goal may not be scored if the kick
touches the ground before passing through the goal.
40.
After a field goal, the opponent of the scoring
team shall designate which team will kick off.
Passing:
41.
A backward pass out of bounds is an illegal
pass.
42.
A passer is a player who throws a legal forward
pass.
43.
A backward pass ends when it is caught, recovered
or is out of bounds.
44.
Prior
to releasing the ball on a pass, the potential passer is contacted, and
the ball is released, it is not a forward pass if his arm was moving
forward on contact.
Fouls:
45.
A
player in the free-blocking zone at the snap may block from behind,
within the free-blocking zone, at any time during the down.
46.
Illegal motion, illegal shifts and false starts
are all fouls simultaneous with the snap.
47.
Contacting the opponent's face mask with the hand
is not a face mask foul unless the mask is grasped.
48.
If B1 tackles A1, who is obviously not the
runner, it is defensive holding.
49.
An illegal snap or other snap infraction causes
the ball to remain dead.
50.
It is not illegal for runner A1 to spear
B1.
Free Kick:
51.
During a free kick down the ball may be handed
forward to a teammate.
52.
For any free kick, a free-kick line,
corresponfing to a scrimmage line, is established for each
team.
53.
If
a free kick goes out of bounds between the goal lines touched inbounds
by R, the ball is put into play by R at the inbounds spot.
54.
If any K player recovers or catches a free kick,
the ball becomes dead.
Fundamental
Statements:
55.
The penalty for offensive pass interference does
not include loss of down.
56.
Penalties are either 5, 10, or 15
yards.
57.
A player is an eligible receiver at the snap
becomes ineligable is he goes out of bounds intentionally and
returns.
58.
A kick ends as soon as R1 touches the
kick.
Illegal
Participation:
59.
It is illegal participation if a replaced player
attempts but fails to leave the field prior to the snap.
60.
It
is illegal participation if a player is lying on the ground to deceive
the opponents immediately before the snap of free kick.
61.
It is illegal substitution to have 12 or more
players participating at the snap of free kick.
62.
It is illegal participation for a disqualified
player to re-enter the game.
Inadvertent
Whistle:
63.
Following a change of posession, if an
inadvertent whistle is sounded, the down must be replayed.
64.
If
an inadvertent whistle sounds during the last timed down of a period,
the period must be extended by an untimed down.
Miscellaneous:
65.
Protests of NFHS rules are not
recognized.
66.
The
head coach will decide if an unconscious player may return to the game
and participate after regaining consciousness.
Penalty
Enforcement:
67.
In
a scrimmage kick formation, should B1 charge directly into snapper A1
the foul carried a penalty of 15 yards and an automatic first
down.
68.
If a foul occurs during a loose-ball play, the
basic spot is the spot of the foul.
69.
A
coach who has been ejected may not have further direct or indirect
contact with his team during the remainder of the game.
70.
If two teammates participate while wearing
identical numbers, the foul occurs simultaniously with the
snap.
71.
The field captain may delay his decision to
accept or decline a penalty until after a charged time-out.
72.
Illegal participation is enforced as a live-ball
foul.
73.
All dead-ball fouls are enforced in the order in
which they occurred and always from the spot of the foul.
74.
Kick-catching interference carries a 15-yard
penalty plus a loss of down.
75.
After a double foul, the down is replayed and no
yardage penalty is enforced.
76.
A foul during a try is not paired with a
dead-ball foul to create a double or multiple foul.
Periods:
77.
A period may be shortened in any emergency by
agreement of the opposing coaches and the referee.
78.
Between the first and second and between the
third and fourth periods, the teams may or may not change
goals.
79.
The clock running time for a game shall be 60
minutes for high schools with periods and intermission.
80.
If
time for any period expires during a down (clock indicated 0:00), a
signal shall be sounded even though the ball is live.
Safety:
81.
During a try, Team A will score two points for a
safety by B.
82.
If
B1 intercepts a forward pass in B's end zone and begins to return, but
is tackled in the end zone, it is a touchback.
83.
If B1 intercepts A's forward pass in B's end
zone, it is a safety if he is tackled there.
84.
A
safety will be scored when an offensive player commits any foul for
which the penalty is accepted and enforcement is from a spot in his end
zone.
Time-outs:
85.
Regular time-out privilages are permitted during
a television/radio time-out.
86.
The clock shall be stopped when an illegal
forward pass is incomplete.
87.
Any team time-out not used during the first half
can be saved and used during the second half.
88.
Only four time-outs may be charged to a team
during each half of a regulation of a game.
Timing:
89.
When the ball becomes dead following a fourth
down, the clock must be stopped.
90.
The clock will start with the snap on a scrimmage
down following a fair catch.
91.
There is a two-minute intermission following a
try, successful field goal or safety and prior to a free
kick.
92.
On a free kick to start a period, the clock will
start when the ball is touched other than first touching by
K.
Touchback:
93.
It is a touchback if A1's fumble on B's 5-yard
line is recovered by B1 in B's end zone.
94.
If
K's blocked punt strikes the ground and is then forced into K's end
zone by R2 and recovered there by R3, it is a touchback.
95.
It
is a touchback if A1 fumbles on B's 5-yard line and B1's muff forcec
the loose ball into B's end zone and out of bounds beyond the end
line.
96.
It
is a touchback when a grounded three-point field-goal attempt breaks
the plane of R's goal line unless R chooses spot of first touching by
K.
Touchdowns:
97.
It is impossible for A1 to fumble in B's end zone
as the ball is already dead because of the touchdown.
98.
It is a touchdown for A when a ball in A1's
posession breaks the plane of B's goal line.
99.
It
is a touchdown for A if A1 fumbles into B's end zone and A2 is the last
to touch the ball prior to its going out of bounds beyond the end
line.
