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40 Sec Clock: HERE TO STAY: Thank You Indiana


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many of you may already know, but Indiana led by Commish Faulkens instituted a pilot program utilizing the 40 sec play clock on 3 year pilot program.   I believe at least 7 other states eventually joined.   NFHS has officially adopted the 40 sec clock nation wide as the standard.   REJOICE!!!   

Other notable NFHS rule changes:   State associations can choose to utilize Instant Replay in state championship games 

also notable:   Horse Collar has been adjusted to include the name plate area :   I know we got called last year for it when our player grabbed the top of the number and pulled down.  ugh.   

http://www.nfhs.org/articles/40-second-play-clock-postseason-instant-replay-among-football-changes/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=NFHS_Org

 

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With the outcry from some of my fellow officials in other states having to switch to the 40-second play clock ("it's a solution looking for a problem") I'm thinking several Indiana people could become consultants on how to do this! They have all the same concerns we did here. "We have volunteer clock operators who won't figure this out" (I think it's actually easier). "Our chain crew guys are slow and won't get there in time" (It's really not that much different in pace if you were doing it right already which they all claimed they were). "We have horrible ball boys" (to be fair some states don't allow you to change balls for any reason during a drive so they are chasing down those long incomplete passes for the next play...that's an easy change to ball mechanics). "The offense will be able to go so much faster" (they will still only go as fast as the ball and the officials are ready which is still about the same time; the advantage is on the back end with the end of the play clock being consistent). "The umpire is going to get run over because he's slow" (very rarely is a team ready to go immediately after the umpire steps back).

I'm glad to see it passed too!

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In reading comments made by officials from other states, I’m amazed how many states have literally no schools that utilize visible play clocks. We take that for granted in Indiana. Can’t remember the last time I was at a game with no field play clock ... once Bill Sharpe left Jimtown. 😎

Edited by Bobref
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8 minutes ago, Bobref said:

In reading comments made by officials from other states, I’m amazed how many states have literally no schools that utilize visible play clocks. We take that for granted in Indiana. Can’t remember the last time I was at a game with no field play clock ... once Bill Sharpe left Jimtown. 😎

I agree, this has been one of the biggest discussion points on the forums I've seen. 

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I noticed this paragraph in the article and was confused to what this was trying to say or prevent.  Is this just spelling out what a legal formation is if you don't have 11 players?  Maybe one of our professional officials can weigh in:

"A change in the definition of a legal scrimmage formation was approved. A legal scrimmage formation now requires at least five offensive players on their line of scrimmage (instead of seven) with no more than four backs. The committee noted that this change will make it easier to identify legal and illegal offensive formations."

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8 minutes ago, Lemmy said:

I noticed this paragraph in the article and was confused to what this was trying to say or prevent.  Is this just spelling out what a legal formation is if you don't have 11 players?  Maybe one of our professional officials can weigh in:

"A change in the definition of a legal scrimmage formation was approved. A legal scrimmage formation now requires at least five offensive players on their line of scrimmage (instead of seven) with no more than four backs. The committee noted that this change will make it easier to identify legal and illegal offensive formations."

There is SO much here, I think we'll have to wait and see the actual verbage. 

As it stands currently you are required to have five players numbered 50-79 and seven players on the LOS. A maximum of four in the backfield. 

As I see it now, you can now legally snap the ball with nine players. There's no word on numbering requirements. I'm not sure why the opted for the number to be five on the line. Perhaps someone could elaborate. 

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18 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

There is SO much here, I think we'll have to wait and see the actual verbage. 

As it stands currently you are required to have five players numbered 50-79 and seven players on the LOS. A maximum of four in the backfield. 

As I see it now, you can now legally snap the ball with nine players. There's no word on numbering requirements. I'm not sure why the opted for the number to be five on the line. Perhaps someone could elaborate. 

I have no idea ... but I hope what they are addressing (although I doubt it) is the single most-violated rule in the book: the requirement that all players be either in the backfield or on the line of scrimmage. I would say 90% of the teams that use 1 or 2 wingbacks in their formations have players lining up who are neither on the line nor in the backfield. By rule, that’s a foul for illegal formation ... or, at least it was before this rule change. They’re ineligible by rule, so if they go downfield on a pass it’s a foul. If they touch a forward pass it’s a foul. Never seen it called.

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28 minutes ago, Bobref said:

I have no idea ... but I hope what they are addressing (although I doubt it) is the single most-violated rule in the book: the requirement that all players be either in the backfield or on the line of scrimmage. I would say 90% of the teams that use 1 or 2 wingbacks in their formations have players lining up who are neither on the line nor in the backfield. By rule, that’s a foul for illegal formation ... or, at least it was before this rule change. They’re ineligible by rule, so if they go downfield on a pass it’s a foul. If they touch a forward pass it’s a foul. Never seen it called.

To be a legal formation and be a back, the WB has to line up at least 1 yard behind the LOS, correct? 

I assume you're referring to a formation like a Wing-T or a double-wing where it appears WB lines up at an angle and is almost overlapping the TE's posterior. 

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47 minutes ago, crimsonace1 said:

To be a legal formation and be a back, the WB has to line up at least 1 yard behind the LOS, correct? 

I assume you're referring to a formation like a Wing-T or a double-wing where it appears WB lines up at an angle and is almost overlapping the TE's posterior. 

The way it is now - pending modification by this new rule - is that a player in the position you describe is neither on the line nor in the backfield.

“Of the players of A who are not on their line at the snap only one may penetrate the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on his line. He must have his hands in position to receive the ball if it is snapped between the snapper’s legs but he is not required to receive the snap. Any other player(s) must be in legal position as a back.” In other words, the only player who can legally be in a position where he penetrates the waistline of the nearest lineman is the QB. A wingback is not on the LOS because he’s not penetrating the waistline of the snapper, which is the definition of being “on the line.”  Nor is he in the backfield because in order to be a back, a player must have “no part of his body breaking the plane of an imaginary line drawn ­parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line.”

 

 

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18 hours ago, Bobref said:

In reading comments made by officials from other states, I’m amazed how many states have literally no schools that utilize visible play clocks. We take that for granted in Indiana. Can’t remember the last time I was at a game with no field play clock ... once Bill Sharpe left Jimtown. 😎

Union Dugger, Dugger Union now

 

If they use the same field they did when they were still a regular public school

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The best government high school football field in the country.  Fleur De Lis Field in Greenfield, Illinois, doesn't have a play clock and it thankfully probably never will:

 

f5XAdIIJBHRs2cgb75UB_Fvzyyss9trC_vMlfSaH 

High school football shouldn't be homogenized like college football or professional football.  

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4 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

The best government high school football field in the country.  Fleur De Lis Field in Greenfield, Illinois, doesn't have a play clock and it thankfully probably never will:

 

f5XAdIIJBHRs2cgb75UB_Fvzyyss9trC_vMlfSaH 

High school football shouldn't be homogenized like college football or professional football.  

Didn’t Forrest used to cut that for free once he became a “kazillionaire”?

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17 hours ago, Impartial_Observer said:

There is SO much here, I think we'll have to wait and see the actual verbage. 

As it stands currently you are required to have five players numbered 50-79 and seven players on the LOS. A maximum of four in the backfield. 

As I see it now, you can now legally snap the ball with nine players. There's no word on numbering requirements. I'm not sure why the opted for the number to be five on the line. Perhaps someone could elaborate. 

This change was made because under the previous rule if you only had 10 players on offense with 4 backs and 6 linemen you were guilty of an illegal formation even though you were at a disadvantage of having not enough players. This change removes that as a foul and matches the NCAA rule. What both versions are trying to prevent is lining up 10 of your players at ends or backs so they are all eligible. They included the "minimum of 5 on the line" even though that's already covered by the numbering requirement. They really didn't need to mention it here but they did and it's creating a lot of confusion. You could legally snap with 6 players if you wanted (5 lineman and a back to receive the snap).

From an officiating mechanics standpoint, wings were usually counting backs anyway. As long as the R/U confirmed there were 11 players, they only had to make sure there were no more than 4 backs. If the R/U counted 10 players, then the wings would make sure there were no more than 3 backs. Now the wings don't have to worry about how many players there are on offense for this formation rule.

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16 hours ago, Bobref said:

The way it is now - pending modification by this new rule - is that a player in the position you describe is neither on the line nor in the backfield.

“Of the players of A who are not on their line at the snap only one may penetrate the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on his line. He must have his hands in position to receive the ball if it is snapped between the snapper’s legs but he is not required to receive the snap. Any other player(s) must be in legal position as a back.” In other words, the only player who can legally be in a position where he penetrates the waistline of the nearest lineman is the QB. A wingback is not on the LOS because he’s not penetrating the waistline of the snapper, which is the definition of being “on the line.”  Nor is he in the backfield because in order to be a back, a player must have “no part of his body breaking the plane of an imaginary line drawn ­parallel to the line of scrimmage through the waist of the nearest teammate who is legally on the line.”

 

 

This rule change has nothing to do with this part of the rule. It's only changing the requirement from a minimum of 7 linemen to no more than 4 backs. It's ultimately the same thing assuming there are 11 players on offense, but it removes the foul if there are 10 or fewer players and the missing players are linemen.

The example Bob gives above is often referred to as No-Man's Land. Receivers and wing backs are very often in this position and it's technically a foul for illegal formation. But the philosophy is as long as there is noticeable separation between the player on the line and the player who is a back, nobody is gaining an advantage and we consider him legal. This is a great example of where you officiate WITH the rule book and not BY the rule book. If you watch the NFL and to a lesser extent NCAA, they refer to a "blade of grass separation". If there is even the tiniest separation by the back then he's legal.

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58 minutes ago, DannEllenwood said:

Very nice of your uncle.

He should've invested in the fruit company.  🙂

Wish I did.

He made a good living in the plumbing & HVAC trade, so I'm sure he very content.

Agree with you on the fruit company investment.  I was about 13-14 when they went public.

 

 

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4 hours ago, JustRules said:

This change was made because under the previous rule if you only had 10 players on offense with 4 backs and 6 linemen you were guilty of an illegal formation even though you were at a disadvantage of having not enough players. This change removes that as a foul and matches the NCAA rule. What both versions are trying to prevent is lining up 10 of your players at ends or backs so they are all eligible. They included the "minimum of 5 on the line" even though that's already covered by the numbering requirement. They really didn't need to mention it here but they did and it's creating a lot of confusion. You could legally snap with 6 players if you wanted (5 lineman and a back to receive the snap).

From an officiating mechanics standpoint, wings were usually counting backs anyway. As long as the R/U confirmed there were 11 players, they only had to make sure there were no more than 4 backs. If the R/U counted 10 players, then the wings would make sure there were no more than 3 backs. Now the wings don't have to worry about how many players there are on offense for this formation rule.

Thanks for the info

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9 hours ago, Muda69 said:

The best government high school football field in the country.  Fleur De Lis Field in Greenfield, Illinois, doesn't have a play clock and it thankfully probably never will:

 

f5XAdIIJBHRs2cgb75UB_Fvzyyss9trC_vMlfSaH 

High school football shouldn't be homogenized like college football or professional football.  

Silly.

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9 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Please elaborate.

 

I think there’s a big difference between “homogenized” facilities, and the universal use of aids and devices that make the game better. I love the uniqueness of high school facilities, from a “university style” campus like Carmel or Merrillville, to a game site in the middle of a cornfield like some of the 1A schools, to a lakeside venue like Culver Academy. But every school having a visible play clock has nothing to do with that.

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4 minutes ago, Bobref said:

I think there’s a big difference between “homogenized” facilities, and the universal use of aids and devices that make the game better. I love the uniqueness of high school facilities, from a “university style” campus like Carmel or Merrillville, to a game site in the middle of a cornfield like some of the 1A schools, to a lakeside venue like Culver Academy. But every school having a visible play clock has nothing to do with that.

I disagree.  I visible play clock is an expense that some programs may not be able to afford.  And how does the play clock not being visible detract from the game, other than the "drama" of of watching it count down to zero?

 

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52 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

I disagree.  I visible play clock is an expense that some programs may not be able to afford.  And how does the play clock not being visible detract from the game, other than the "drama" of of watching it count down to zero?

 

You can count on one hand the number of fields in Indiana that don’t have a visible play clock, so I can’t see that the expense argument holds any water. And a visible play clock is of great bebfit to the coaches and players ... and the officials, too.

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26 minutes ago, Bobref said:

You can count on one hand the number of fields in Indiana that don’t have a visible play clock, so I can’t see that the expense argument holds any water. And a visible play clock is of great bebfit to the coaches and players ... and the officials, too.

Can still cost $ to install and maintain.

So it is a convenience item, not a competitive or safety issue.  Got it.

Should those fields that choose not to have a visible play clock be penalized by the IHSAA in some matter?  Maybe they cannot host tournament games?

 

 

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