Officially Speaking: Earning their stripes
Editor's Note: Officially Speaking with Steve Hall is a feature that allows readers to ask questions about high school football rules, and will run weekly throughout the season. Hall has been a New Hampshire high school official since 1989 and has officiated more than 200 regular-season varsity games in all five divisions. He has also officiated 10 championship games and more than 25 playoff games. Hall, who is a member of the New Hampshire Football Officials' Association Board of Directors, has been the NHFOA rules interpreter for the last seven years. Questions for Steve can be sent to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com. Questions may be edited for clarity.
Question: If you are allowed to, can you tell me how officials are selected for playoff games? Is it seniority, or is there some type of rating system in place? Thanks.
T.B., Nashua
Answer: If I tell you, then I'll have to shoot you. ;-)
Under the NHFOA (New Hampshire Football Officials Association) bylaws, eligibility for a playoff game requires that an official must have officiated a minimum of 25 varsity games in his/her career, and must officiate at least six varsity games in the current season. Playoff games are assigned by the commissioner based on field ratings. (The Commissioner is the individual who assigns officials to each game and is the de facto head of the NHFOA.) Following each varsity game, each official provides a rating for the other four officials in the game. We work in five-man crews for varsity games, and the crews vary every game. The rating criteria include items such as proper mechanics, rules knowledge, judgment, play coverage, teamwork and professionalism. The ratings are done anonymously, and comments can be provided anonymously to assist officials in improving aspects of their games. The Commissioner compiles all of the field ratings and assigns playoff crews based on those ratings. Each crew receives one or two playoff games. An official cannot work more than one championship game in a season.
Under the NHFOA (New Hampshire Football Officials Association) bylaws, eligibility for a playoff game requires that an official must have officiated a minimum of 25 varsity games in his/her career, and must officiate at least six varsity games in the current season. Playoff games are assigned by the commissioner based on field ratings. (The Commissioner is the individual who assigns officials to each game and is the de facto head of the NHFOA.) Following each varsity game, each official provides a rating for the other four officials in the game. We work in five-man crews for varsity games, and the crews vary every game. The rating criteria include items such as proper mechanics, rules knowledge, judgment, play coverage, teamwork and professionalism. The ratings are done anonymously, and comments can be provided anonymously to assist officials in improving aspects of their games. The Commissioner compiles all of the field ratings and assigns playoff crews based on those ratings. Each crew receives one or two playoff games. An official cannot work more than one championship game in a season.
Question: Mr. Hall, I have several questions: What are a team's options following a safety? Can someone hold the football for the kick, or does it have to be punted? If it is punted do regular rules apply for an onside kick? Also, what would the correct call be if the following play happended: A team kicks off into the wind and the ball travels the required 10 yards before it is blown backwards. Can the kicking team recover the ball once it hits the ground? How about if it doesn't hit the ground?
D.M., Newmarket
D.M., Newmarket
Answer: Following a safety, a team is allowed a free kick. The free kick can be a place kick (where the ball is placed on a fixed position on a tee or is held on a tee or on the ground by a holder), a punt or a drop kick.
The rules for an onside kick apply regardless of the type of kick used. During a free kick, the ball must travel 10 yards and touch either the ground or a member of the receiving team before it is recovered by the kicking team. In the situation above regarding kicking into the wind, once the ball travels 10 yards and touches the ground, the kicking team can recover it, even if it has been blown backwards by the wind. If the ball is blown backwards and has not touched either the ground or a member of the receiving team, the kicking team cannot catch or even touch the ball. If they did so, it would be a foul for kick catching interference, and it would also be first touching if the touching occurred within 10 yards of the spot form which the ball was kicked. The receiving team would have the
option of penalizing the kicking team 15 yards and replaying the down, accepting an awarded fair catch at the spot where the kicking team caught it, or taking the ball at the spot of first touching. Accepting an awarded fair catch and taking the ball at the spot of first touching would both result in the team getting the ball at the same spot. However, if the team accepts an awarded fair catch, they have the option of free kicking the ball. We should all know by now the significance of being able to free kick the ball after a fair catch or awarded fair catch based on what happened in the Plymouth-Souhegan game.
The rules for an onside kick apply regardless of the type of kick used. During a free kick, the ball must travel 10 yards and touch either the ground or a member of the receiving team before it is recovered by the kicking team. In the situation above regarding kicking into the wind, once the ball travels 10 yards and touches the ground, the kicking team can recover it, even if it has been blown backwards by the wind. If the ball is blown backwards and has not touched either the ground or a member of the receiving team, the kicking team cannot catch or even touch the ball. If they did so, it would be a foul for kick catching interference, and it would also be first touching if the touching occurred within 10 yards of the spot form which the ball was kicked. The receiving team would have the
option of penalizing the kicking team 15 yards and replaying the down, accepting an awarded fair catch at the spot where the kicking team caught it, or taking the ball at the spot of first touching. Accepting an awarded fair catch and taking the ball at the spot of first touching would both result in the team getting the ball at the same spot. However, if the team accepts an awarded fair catch, they have the option of free kicking the ball. We should all know by now the significance of being able to free kick the ball after a fair catch or awarded fair catch based on what happened in the Plymouth-Souhegan game.
Question: How is a penalty enforced if a team commits a personal foul on the final play of regulation (or after that play) during a game that's headed to overtime?
C.H., Milford
Answer: If a team commits a live ball personal foul on the final play of a game that is tied, the offended team has the option of accepting the penalty and having an untimed down, or declining the penalty, in which case the fourth quarter is over and overtime begins. If there is a touchdown scored on the final down of the game and the defense commits a live ball personal foul, the offensive team can have the penalty enforced on the try, but they cannot have the penalty carried over to the overtime.
If a team commits a dead ball personal foul (i.e., if they foul after the down ends), those fouls are always enforced from the succeeding spot. Therefore, the penalty would be enforced to start the overtime, assuming that a touchdown wasn't scored on the last play of the game. If the offended team was on offense to start the overtime, it would be first and goal from the 5-yard line. If the offended team was on defense to start the overtime, it would be first and goal from the 25-yard line. If a touchdown was scored on the last play of the game followed by a dead ball personal foul, it would be enforced on the try.
If a team commits a dead ball personal foul (i.e., if they foul after the down ends), those fouls are always enforced from the succeeding spot. Therefore, the penalty would be enforced to start the overtime, assuming that a touchdown wasn't scored on the last play of the game. If the offended team was on offense to start the overtime, it would be first and goal from the 5-yard line. If the offended team was on defense to start the overtime, it would be first and goal from the 25-yard line. If a touchdown was scored on the last play of the game followed by a dead ball personal foul, it would be enforced on the try.
Check the archives for more Officially Speaking features with Steve Hall.
