A scenario from Friday's IU-Illinois game (which I was able to see despite an hour's drive from my game thanks to college games lasting 4+ hours).
Final drive. IU is in hurry-up offense. Apparently it subbed, so Illinois - the defense - uses the opportunity to replace about eight players. IU snaps the ball while the ILL players are running off the field. Ball is snapped, incomplete pass results, flag thrown for illegal substitution.
After a long discussion, flag is picked up, clock is reset to the time of the previous snap and essentially, the previous play was voided. Because IU had subbed a player, I believe that's the proper application of the rule (although the announcers were baffled - I caught the first part of the play on radio and then saw the aftermath on TV).
It got me to thinking what the high school rule is in such a situation. If the offense makes a pre-snap substitution, does it have to give the defense the opportunity to change its personnel before the snap? If the ball is snapped (I know one official - the R or U - will often hold the play until the defense's chance to sub happens in the college level) before that happens, would it be adjudicated in the same way (no play, reset time and ball to previous spot)?
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crimsonace1
A scenario from Friday's IU-Illinois game (which I was able to see despite an hour's drive from my game thanks to college games lasting 4+ hours).
Final drive. IU is in hurry-up offense. Apparently it subbed, so Illinois - the defense - uses the opportunity to replace about eight players. IU snaps the ball while the ILL players are running off the field. Ball is snapped, incomplete pass results, flag thrown for illegal substitution.
After a long discussion, flag is picked up, clock is reset to the time of the previous snap and essentially, the previous play was voided. Because IU had subbed a player, I believe that's the proper application of the rule (although the announcers were baffled - I caught the first part of the play on radio and then saw the aftermath on TV).
It got me to thinking what the high school rule is in such a situation. If the offense makes a pre-snap substitution, does it have to give the defense the opportunity to change its personnel before the snap? If the ball is snapped (I know one official - the R or U - will often hold the play until the defense's chance to sub happens in the college level) before that happens, would it be adjudicated in the same way (no play, reset time and ball to previous spot)?
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