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The North Atlanta Football League plays under the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) rules. These rules are the rules used by all Georgia High Schools.
Here are the 2010 NAFL Rules. These rules specify where our rules are different then NFHS rules.
NHFS Rules - New for 2010
Here is the link for new updates for 2010: http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=3998
Purchase your own copy
If you like to purchase a copy of the rule book to have a better understanding of the NFHS Rules, you can do so at this website http://www.nfhs.com/c-204-football.aspx.
Common Confusion
1. The Clock.
Go to any game at any level and times come when people are yelling "run the clock", or "why isn't the clock running", etc. Here is the straight info:
When the ball is kicked off, and the receiving team touches it, you will see the Referee (The man in the white hat) do a circle with his arm. That tells the man in the booth to "start the clock".
From that point on in the game the white hat tells the clock operator by either "wind the clock" motion or "timeout - stop the clock motion" when they wave their arms crossing over their heads.
The Clock will stop for the following:
* | End of the play on change of possession. For example it's 4th down and your team does not get the first down. The clock stops at the end of that play, and then starts on the 1st down snap for the other team. |
* | End of the play on an incomplete pass. It starts on the snap of the next play. |
* | End of a play where there is a penalty flag while the officials determine and flag. |
* | End of a play where a first down was reached to move "the chains". This means when a team gets a first down, the Official will signal stop the clock, wave the "line to gain chain" and Line of Scrimmage Marker ("The Box that says 1,2,3,4") to move up to the new line of scrimmage (where the ball is now). Once the line to gain markers are set in place, he'll motion "start the clock". This is not a stop until the snap, it's usually just a few seconds. |
* | Timeouts. Either Team Timeouts or Officials timeouts. Officials Timeouts occur for injury, equipment issues, measurement to check for first down. When a player or head coach asks for a timeout, it is not required that the official grants it. The clock stops when the official acknowledges the timeout and waves his hands, not when the timeout is asked for. |
* | Extra Points. Extra Point tries are "untimed downs" , the clock doesn't run. This is the play after a touchdown. |
* | If the play ends out of bounds. The trick here is the player is running the ball, he gets credit for "forward progress". This is when you see a play were the running back is pushed backwards and they spot the ball and the farthest place the ball reached in the play. So if a player is running down the sideline, and pushed out of bounds backwards, he gets credit for the forward progress, and if the place where it was the most forward is "in-bounds" the clock doesn't stop. If his forward progress spot is where he went out of bounds then is does stop, like if he's running toward the sideline and goes out on his own. |
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2. Pass Interference - High School Rules for Pass Interference are different then NFL and College (NCAA). Here is a summary of how High School Pass Interference is different:
* | There is no requirement for the ball to be "catchable". It has to be in the general direction of the receiver, as in on the same side of the field, but can sail into the stands or 20 feet over his head and still be interference. |
* | No faceguarding - If you intentionally block the view of the receiver, that's interference, even without contact. |
3. Automatic First Down - In High School rules - the are few "automatic first downs". Nothing else is an automatic first down. If the penalty results in a first down, then it's a first down. But the penalty isn't one of the four, and doesn't result in a first down, then it isn't a first down.
* | Defensive Pass Interference |
* | Roughing the Passer |
* | Roughing the Snapper |
* | Roughing the Kicker / Holder |
4. Holding - Not all cases where an offensive linemen has a hold of a shirt or the players pads is holding. It is legal to hold when the player has is arms and hands inside the frame of his and the opponents body, and his arms are bent. So if I have a hold of your front jersey, inside the shoulders and have you pulled to me, then that is a legal block. If my arms become almost straight or straight, or I have you outside the shoulders, then it's a hold.
5. Non Calls away from the play. If the play is a sweep left, and a non-personal foul occurs on the other side, away from the play, the official has the option not to call it. Fouls that give a team an advantage on the play, or is a personal or unsportsmanlike call, then that generally should be called. Others can be no-called in the interest of keeping the game moving. Often you will see an official tell a coach or player that he was doing something wrong, but since it didn't impact the play he didn't call it, in an effort to help the young men learn to play within the rules.
6. Block in the back. There are times it appears that a block in the back happened, but isn't called. Here is some cases where a hit in the back is not a penalty:
* | If a player sees the block coming and turns his body so the blocker will hit him in the back - no penalty. |
* | A block from the side, where the blocked player doesn't see it coming but the blocker's helmet is in front of the player is a legal block. Same case but the blockers helmet is behind the player he's blocking it's a block in the back. |
* | If the blocker comes up behind a player and stops, and then the blocked player moves into the blocker initiating the contact, that is a legal block. Live this can look like a really bad call, but on film you'll see these where a player is setup ready to block and the defender will back into the blocker - that's perfectly legal. |
7. If a coach has a question - Call time-out. Ask the official if you may discuss your question. Say Please, Thank you, Yes Sir No Sir and be calm. Treat the official with respect as we ask them to be respectful of you. If you have a valid point and the official reverses his call, you will not be charged a time-out. Remember that if your sideline has been screaming and harassing the officials all game, the ability for you to make a rational appeal with the official will be less, then if you and your coaches have treated that official with respect to that point in the game.
8. We are all human. Any coach can tell you he's had times he's known 100% live it was a bad call, only to look at the tape and realize it was a good call. Or that is was really too fast for a reasonable person to expect the official to have been 100% accurate. Please be respectful at all times.
If you are a coach - Remember coaches and officials are a team, working together to teach players and parents to love and respect this game we love. Be the coach that helps players understand the rules and how to play within them, not the coach that just blames the officials and leaves a player feeling like football is a game where officials rob them of success.
A good head coach I know will tell his players when they complain about calls - "You worry about playing the game, let the officials worry about calling the game". Often he will get a quiet thank you from the officials if they hear him say that. That is the best way I've seen to inspire the officials to call a fair game.
If you have questions about calls in games you see - email to webmaster@northmetrofootball.com and we'll answer it and if it's a FAQ post it here!
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