2012 GHSA
FOOTBALL RULES CLINIC
2012-2013
BY-LAW CHANGES
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
E.A.P. PROCESS
ƒ Mandated for athletic practices and games
ƒ Include responses to:
• weather-related emergencies
• serious illness/injury situations
• violence/terroristic incidents
ƒ Solicit assistance from
• local law enforcement agencies
• first responder/rescue agencies
• medical personnel
ƒ Formulate the plan carefully
ƒ Practice the plan regularly
ƒ Implement the plan precisely
BY-LAW 2.67
INSTITUTIONAL HEAT POLICY
ƒ Applies to practices and voluntary workouts in all
sports
• ratio of work to rest and hydration
• length of workout session
• cancellation of outdoor workouts
ƒ Policy must be signed by coach & distributed to
parents each season.
ƒ All heat/humidity readings must be taken with a Wet
Bulb Globe Temperature instrument.
ƒ NOTE: WBGT “degrees” not same as thermometer
COACHING ISSUES
ƒ Community Coach may not coach same sport
at two schools – even in same system
ƒ Retired coaches (49%) do not have to do
more than just coach to be head coach
ƒ GHSA official and/or officiating assignor may
not coach at GHSA school in same sport
WBGT
GUIDELINES
Under 82
Normal activities – 3 rest/hydration breaks per hour in a “cool zone”
(minimum: 3 minutes each)
82.0 – 86.9
Watch at-risk players – 3 rest breaks per hour in a “cool zone”
(minimum: 4 minutes each)
87.0 – 89.9
Maximum practice time: 2 hours
Football: helmets, shoulder pads, shorts only for practice; no
protective equipment during conditioning drills
All Sports: At least 4 rest breaks per hour in a “cool zone”(minimum:
4 minutes each)
90.0 – 92.0
Maximum practice time: 1 hour
Football: No protective equipment; No conditioning drills
All Sports: 20 minutes of breaks in a “cool zone” distributed
throughout the hour
Above 92.1
No outdoor workouts
MISCELLANEOUS
ƒ No student may practice during the school
day.
• School sets beginning/ending time
• Early release students may not practice
during this time in the GHSA season for that
sport
ƒ Undue influence rule applies to student
transferring to school whose coach coached
player in an all-star game.
Field Markings
Rule 1-2-3h
2012 NFHS
FOOTBALL RULES
CHANGES
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Decorative markings in the end zones shall be no closer
than 2 feet from the boundary and the goal lines.
Gloves
Rule 1-5-2b
Field Markings
Rule 1-2-3l (New)
MechaniGram®
A
ILLEGAL
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MechaniGram®
B
LEGAL
Advertising and/or commercial markings, may not obstruct
the yard lines, hash marks or nine-yard marks.
Beginning in 2013, gloves must meet the NOCSAE test standard at the
time of manufacture with visible stamp as above, unless made of
unaltered plain cloth. For 2012, gloves may carry the above stamp or
the NFHS/NCAA stamp.
Illegal Equipment
1-5-3c(8) (New)
Blocking Below the Waist
Rule 2-3-7
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A
B
A
B
LEGAL
ILLEGAL
Contact with an opponent’s hand(s) below the waist (PlayPic
A) that continues into the body below the waist (PlayPic B) is
considered blocking below the waist.
Play cards must be worn on the wrist or arm.
Blocking Below the Waist
Rule 2-3-7
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A
Catch
Rule 2-4-1
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A
B
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B
FOOT TOUCHES INBOUNDS
Contact with an opponent’s hand(s) above the waist (PlayPic
A) that continues into the body below the waist (PlayPic B) is
legal.
MAINTAINS
POSSESSION:
COMPLETED PASS
A catch is the act of establishing player possession of a live
ball which is in flight, and first contacting the ground
inbounds while maintaining possession of the ball.
Catch
Rule 2-4-1
Helmet Comes Off
Rule 3-5-10d (New)
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A
B
C
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AIRBORNE
RECEIVER
CONTACTED
RECEIVER LANDS
OUT OF BOUNDS:
INCOMPLETE PASS
Because the receiver did not touch the ground inbounds, the pass is
incomplete. The fact the receiver would have come down inbounds if
not for the contact is not a factor.
A
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If any player’s helmet comes completely off during the down, and
it is not due to a foul by the opponent, that player must leave the
game for at least one down (unless halftime or an overtime
intermission occurs). In such circumstances, an officials’ time-out
occurs.
Helmet Comes Off
Rule 3-5-10d (New)
Illegal Blocking
Rule 9-3-8 (New)
MechaniGram®
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A
B
If a player’s helmet comes completely off during the down and
it is directly attributable to a foul by an opponent, the penalty
is enforced but the player need not leave the game.
B
No member of the kicking team shall initiate
contact (block) an opponent until the legal kick has
traveled 10 yards; or the kicking team is eligible to
recover a free kicked ball.
Illegal Blocking
Rule 9-3-8 (New)
Illegal Personal Contact
Rule 9-4-3h
MechaniGram®
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Because R1 has initiated contact with a K player, all
K players may block.
Grasping an opponent’s tooth and mouth protector
attached to the face mask is a foul.
Illegal Horse-Collar Tackle
Rule 9-4-3k
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A
B
C
No player or nonplayer shall grab the inside back or side
collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and
subsequently pull (backward or sideward) that opponent to
the ground (Horse-collar). The horse collar foul is enforced as
a live ball foul.
2012
FOOTBALL
POINTS of EMPHASIS
GHSA CONCUSSION
MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL
Concussion in Sports
FREE
COURSE!
What You Need to Know
CONCUSSIONS IN ATHLETICS
ƒ Occurs when brain rocked back-and-forth in
violent manner
ƒ Could result from blow to head, neck, or
upper body
ƒ No two concussions are exactly alike
ƒ Loss of consciousness not always present
SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSION
ACTION PLAN FOR CONCUSSION
ƒ Headache and/or nausea after head trauma
ƒ Balance and/or vision problems
ƒ dizziness; double vision
ƒ severe sensitivity to light and sound
ƒ Cognitive processing problems
ƒ Lessened concentration or memory
ƒ Physical sluggishness with confusion about
present situation
MEDICAL EVALUATION
ƒ Neither officials, nor coaches, are expected to
“diagnose” a concussion, as that is the job of
an appropriate health-care professional
ƒ The official is not responsible for the sideline
evaluation or management of the athlete after
he or she is removed from play
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Remove athlete from practice or game
Arrange for athlete to get medical attention
Inform athlete’s parent/guardian
Allow athlete to return only on the permission
of a doctor who has examined player
IMMEDIATE
RETURN-TO-PLAY
ƒ If an appropriate health-care professional on
the sideline determines that the athlete HAS
NOT suffered a concussion, the athlete may
return to play (according to substitution rules)
ƒ If there is no appropriate health-care
professional available to evaluate the athlete,
the athlete SHOULD NOT be allowed to
return to play
SUBSEQUENT
RETURN-TO-PLAY PROTOCOL
ƒ Return approved by a physician
ƒ No exertional activity until symptoms gone for
a week
ƒ Begin with low-impact activities like walking
ƒ Proceed to non-contact skill practices
ƒ Move to full practice schedule
ƒ If no recurrence of symptoms, play in game
PROTECT PLAYERS!
ƒ Teach proper techniques for blocking and
tackling
ƒ Monitor equipment fit and usage regularly
ƒ Call fouls consistently
HEAT POLICY CHANGES
INSTITUTIONAL
HEAT POLICY
ƒ Statewide policy modified from guidelines of the
American College of Sports Medicine
ƒ Based on Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reading
and not on Heat Index
ƒ Applies to all sports in all seasons
ƒ Applies to practices – not to games
ƒ Must be put in writing over coach’s signature and
given to players’ parents or guardian each season.
ƒ PENALTY: Fine ranging from $500.00-$1,000.00
ACCLIMATIZATION
FOOTBALL WORKOUTS
ƒ Five days of “acclimatization” practices must
precede practices in full pads for each player
• Each day shall have one practice lasting no longer
than 2 hours
• Players shall wear short and not other protective
equipment than helmets and mouthpieces
ƒ The earliest date for acclimatization practices shall
be five consecutive week days before August 1st
DEFINITIONS
ƒ PRACTICE: period of time that a participant
engages in coach-supervised, school-approved
sport or conditioning-related activity.
ƒ TIME FRAME: from the time the players report to
the practice area until they leave that area.
ƒ CONDITIONING: Part of practice including longdistance runs, “gassers”, weight training, etc.
ƒ WALK THROUGH: one-hour period not
considered a part of practice that does not have
contact drills, conditioning activities, or weight
training
FULL PRACTICE
GUIDELINES
ƒ Earliest date to practice in full pads: August 1st (if 5
days of acclimatization practices held)
ƒ Obviously – school may begin later than August 1st,
but 5 days of acclimatization practice must occur.
ƒ August 1st is also first date for two-a-day practices
• No single workout may last longer than 3 hours
• Total duration of the 2 practices may not exceed 5
hours
• Must have at least a 3-hour rest break between
sessions
• All double-session days must be followed by singlesession day or a day off.
HYDRATION/REST BREAK
GUIDELINES
ƒ Rest times should involve unlimited hydration
and no physical activity.
ƒ For Football or Lacrosse, helmets should be
removed
ƒ The location for rest time should be a “cool
zone” out of direct sunlight
ƒ With WBGT readings over 86:
• ice sponges or spray bottles filled with ice
water should be at cooling zone
• cold immersion tubs must be available at
practice site
Illegal Shifts Involving
the Quarterback
Rule 7-2-6
Blocking Below the Waist
Rules 2-3-7, 2-17
MechaniGram®
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A
B
Moving the hands from one position to a position under the center
(PlayPic A) is a shift. In all cases, when a shift has occurred (or
multiple shifts), all A players must come to an absolute stop for a full
second prior to the snap. The quarterback receiving the snap
immediately upon placing the hands under center would be a foul as
there was not an absolute stop (PlayPic B).
Illegal Blocking Below the Waist
Rule 2-3-7
Blocking below the waist is legal if:
1.Both players must be lined up in the free-blocking zone at the
snap and on the line of scrimmage. The free-blocking zone is
defined as 3 yards on either side of the line of scrimmage and 4
yards either side of the ball.
2.The contact/block occurs in the free-blocking zone.
3.The ball is in the free-blocking zone.
Hurdling
Rule 2-22; 9-4-3d
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When lead blockers who were not on the line of scrimmage at the
snap are “cut” by defenders on sweeps or on roll-out passes, it is a
violation of the blocking-below-the-waist rule if it occurs by a player
who was not originally on the line of scrimmage and occurs outside
the free-blocking zone.
ILLEGAL
Hurdling (an attempt by a player to jump (hurdle) with one or both feet or
knees foremost over an opponent who is contacting the ground with no
part of his body except one or both feet) is illegal. Coaches must teach
their players of the inherent dangers associated with this illegal act, and
game officials must call it when observed.
Football Jerseys
Rules 1-5-1b(1-3), 1-5-1c
2012
FOOTBALL
RULES REMINDERS
Thank You!