2014 MAIS FOOTBALL NEWSLETTER

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1 MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS A. Shane Blanton Les Triplett Executive Director Director of Activities Tom Middleton, River Oaks School Academy Athletic Conference President David Drake Associate Director of Technology / Activities Friday, August 1, 2014 To: AD s and Coaches for Football; Assigning Secretaries & Officials From: Les Triplett & Amanda Brewer Re: Specific Info for Football To be Used for Rules Clinics & Tests 2014 MAIS FOOTBALL NEWSLETTER Please review the following football reminders for this season: The first day of practice is Thursday, July 31, During the first three (3) days of practice, players shall not wear any pads (with the exception of shoulder pads for sled work only) - helmets may be worn. The next 2 days, shoulder pads can be worn at all times. Full pads may be worn after 5 full days of practice. Controlled Scrimmages: May be held on or after Friday, August 8 IF you use Saturday, August 2 as a practice date. If not, the first scrimmage date must be Saturday, August 9 or later. Please contact your assigning secretary as soon as possible if you plan on using officials. Jamborees: Schools may participate in 1 pre-season jamboree. No jamboree shall be played earlier than Thursday, August 14, Schools hosting a jamboree must make a written request to MAIS. Please contact your assigning secretary as soon as possible if you plan on using officials. Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke and Concussions: Coaches should be reminded that the heat could present serious problems for players. With temperatures hovering around the 100- degree mark (along with extremely high humidity), coaches must be cognizant of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Please take every precaution during your practices by providing water or any other desired fluids for your players. Since our student-athletes are so accustomed to air conditioning, the possibility of heat exhaustion and heat stroke becomes more of a reality. Remember that it does not hurt nearly as bad to miss a practice session because of the heat and humidity as it does to miss several practices (or even games) because of severe heat problems. Attached you will find a heat-humidity index chart that should help you in determining the really dangerous times of day when the heat and humidity are so high. Important note: Please carefully read the Post Office (to be posted July 22) regarding heat and humidity, concussion guidelines and lightning info!!! 176 Country Place Parkway, Pearl, MS Telephone (601) Fax (601) Website -

2 Football Reminders Newsletter Friday, August 1, 2014 Page 2 Clock Operators Clock operators that operate for their home school must: pay a $45.00 registration fee. It is the responsibility of the school to have their clock operator registered with the Assigning Secretary of the local FB officials association. If you do not register a clock operator, one will be assigned to your home games. Also, all clock operators shall be in uniform. Even though the ECO may be located in the press box, he/she shall wear an official shirt (black & white striped) by virtue of his position as a designated official. Tooth and Mouth Protector: Is mandatory for all varsity and Jr. High players. No exceptions. Pre-Game and Post-Game Procedures for Administrators & Officials: The designated administrator should meet the officials before the game, take them to their dressing area, and give them their checks. This can prevent a delay in their being able to leave promptly after the game. Following the game, officials should be escorted to their vehicle(s) by the proper personnel so as to ensure their safety. Coaches are reminded that the officials are off-limits when the game ends. Officials Fees: Online Admission Fees: Online Comments to the News Media: Coaches are reminded that any comments (other than complimentary ones) about the officials or the other team are to be avoided. The AAC strongly opposes any such comments to the news media. There is nothing to be gained by such criticism, and it adversely reflects upon officials and coaches as well as schools. PA Announcers: The announcer on a public address system has a primary responsibility to inform fans and supporters of the host and visiting schools regarding the starting line-ups, participants involved in plays that are occurring on the field, and in general, to be as impartial as possible. It is extremely important that a PA announcer s remarks be conducive to good sportsmanship and in the best interest of the interscholastic athletic program within the MAIS. Schools are responsible for the actions of their PA announcers. More Football Info on Next Few Pages 176 COUNTRY PLACE PARKWAY, PEARL, MS TELEPHONE (601) FAX (601) WEBSITE:

3 2014 FOOTBALL RULES CHANGES State associations can require game officials to assume authority earlier prior to a game (NEW) Definition of targeting added Status of the ball following illegal kick clarified (NEW); Definition of defenseless player added i(3) 3-3-3, 4 End-of-period procedure changed b (NEW) 6-1-3c (NEW) 8-5-1b (NEW) 9-4-3m (NEW) Free-kick formation provisions added. Free-kick run-up provisions added. Provision to clarify force added. Targeting an opponent is clarified as a separate personal foul Roughing-the-passer fouls revised EDITORIAL CHANGES Field Diagrams; 1-1-8; 1-2-3l; 1-3-5b; 1-5 NOTE; 1-5-1d(5); 1-5-3c(4) NOTE (NEW); Table 1-7 (2.); 2-1 Heading; 2-8; 2-20 Heading; , 4; 3-4-4j (NEW); b; 3-6-2b, g (NEW); 5-3-2; 6-1-8; 6-1 PENALTY; 6-5 PENALTY; 7-2-4; 8-3-6b; 8-5-1a; 9-4 PENALTY; 9-8-1m; 9-8 PENALTY; , 7; FOOTBALL FUNDAMENTALS II-5; RESOLVING TIED GAMES 3-1; 5-2-1; SITUATION B, L P; NINE-, EIGHT- and SIX-PLAYER RULES DIFFERENCES General; Rule 6; OFFICIAL FOOTBALL SIGNALS - 24; PENALTY SUMMARY. 1. High School Football State of the Game 2. Risk Minimization 2014 POINTS OF EMPHASIS

4 COMMENTS ON THE 2014 FOOTBALL RULES CHANGES GAME OFFICIALS AUTHORITY (1-1-7): Due to teams being on the field earlier than 30 minutes prior to the game, state associations can require game officials to be on the field for pre-game responsibilities more than 30 minutes prior to game time. This change extends the game officials authority in those states. TARGETING DEFINITION AND FOUL ADDED ( NEW; 9-4-3m NEW): Continuing with the focus on risk minimization, the committee determined that taking aim at an opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder, to initiate contact above the shoulders with an intent that goes beyond making a legal tackle, a legal block or playing the ball is prohibited. Furthermore, the committee feels it is important to separate and draw specific attention to this illegal act. ILLEGAL KICK CLARIFIED (2-24-9): The committee clarified the intent of an illegal kick. When an illegal kick occurs, the loose ball retains the same status that it had prior to the illegal kick. DEFINITION OF DEFENSELESS PLAYER ADDED ( NEW; 9-4-3i(3)): The committee added the definition of a defenseless player in an attempt to continue concentrating on risk minimization. A defenseless player is a player who, because of his physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury. END-OF-PERIOD PROCEDURE CHANGED (3-3-3, 4): This rule changes the procedure of determining when to extend a period with an untimed down. In order to extend a period with an untimed down, time must expire during the down. PROVISIONS TO FREE-KICK FORMATIONS ADDED (6-1-3b, c NEW): Two new provisions were added to adjust the free kick. One provision balances the kicking team s formation and the other limits the maximum distance of the run-up for the kicking team. CLARIFICATION OF CREATING A NEW FORCE (8-5-1b NEW): This rule change clarifies that a new force is not created when a player is blocked into the ball. ROUGHING-THE-PASSER FOULS REVISED (9-4-4): Roughing-the-passer fouls now include all illegal personal contact fouls listed in Rule These fouls against the passer now result in an automatic first down in addition to a 15-yard penalty.

5 NFHS Football Rules Targeting Defined in High School Football in Effort to Reduce Risk of Injury In an effort to reduce contact above the shoulders and lessen the risk of injury in high school football, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee developed a definition for targeting, which will be penalized as illegal personal contact. The definition of targeting and its related penalty were two of 10 rules changes approved by the rules committee at its January meeting in Indianapolis. The NFHS Board of Directors subsequently approved all rules changes. Effective with the 2014 high school season, new Rule 2-43 will read as follows: Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Bob Colgate, NFHS director of sports and sports medicine and liaison to the Football Rules Committee, said the committee determined in its continued effort to minimize risk of injury in high school football that it was important to separate and draw specific attention to this illegal act. Taking aim with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders to initiate contact above the shoulders, which goes beyond making a legal tackle, a legal block or playing the ball, will be prohibited, Colgate said. A new definition for a defenseless player was also added to Rule 2 for riskminimization purposes. Rule will read as follows: A defenseless player is a player who, because of his physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury. In an effort to reduce the risk of injury on kickoffs, the rules committee approved two new requirements in Rule for the kicking team.

6 NFHS Targeting Rule Defined; Other Changes Page 2 First, at least four members of the kicking team must be on each side of the kicker, and, second, other than the kicker, no members of the kicking team may be more than five yards behind the kicking team s free-kick line. Rule also notes that if one player is more than five yards behind the restraining line and any other player kicks the ball, it is a foul. In addition to balancing the kicking team s formation, the change limits the maximum distance of the run-up for the kicking team. The Football Rules Committee s actions this year reinforce a continued emphasis on minimizing risk within all phases of the game, said Brad Garrett, assistant executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association and chair of the Football Rules Committee. In other changes, new language was added to Rule and states that the accidental touching of a loose ball by a player who was blocked into the ball is ignored and does not constitute a new force. In addition, roughing the passer fouls now include all illegal personal contact fouls listed in Rule 9-4-3, which result in automatic first down in addition to a 15-yard penalty. The remaining changes approved by the Football Rules Committee are as follows: Rule 1-1-7: Provides state associations authority to require game officials to be on the field more than 30 minutes prior to game time. Rule : The intent of an illegal kick was clarified. Now, when an illegal kick occurs, the loose ball retains the same status that it had prior to the illegal kick. Rules and 3-3-4: With this change, in order to extend or not extend a period with an untimed down, time must expire during the down.

7 NFHS Football Rules Each state high school association adopting these NFHS football rules is the sole and exclusive source of binding rules interpretations for contests involving its member schools. Any person having questions about the interpretation of NFHS football rules should contact the football rules interpreter designated by his or her state high school association. The NFHS is the sole and exclusive source of model interpretations of NFHS football rules. State rules interpreters may contact the NFHS for model football rules interpretations. No other model football rules interpretations should be considered.

8 Game Officials Authority Rule Game officials have authority if a state association has a policy that game officials authority begins more than 30 minutes before the game.

9 Targeting Rules (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) EXAMPLE: SHOULDER TO THE HEAD Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner.

10 Targeting Rules (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) EXAMPLE: FIST TO THE HEAD Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner.

11 Targeting Rules (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) EXAMPLE: ELBOW TO THE HEAD Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner.

12 Targeting Rules (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) EXAMPLE: FOREARM TO THE NECK Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner.

13 Targeting Rules (NEW); 9-4-3m (NEW) A blow to the helmet by two linemen in the free blocking zone is not necessarily a targeting foul.

14 Targeting Rule 9-4-3m (NEW) Illegal Personal Contact Targeting is an act of taking aim and initiating contact to an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulders. Targeting may be called for contact against any opponent, including the runner. Note that the passer in this play is also a defenseless player. Targeting is a 15-yard penalty for illegal personal contact.

15 Illegal Kick Status Rule When the ball is illegally kicked, the ball retains its original status. The player in PlayPic A fumbles and the player in PlayPic B kicks the loose ball. The ball remains a fumble.

16 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) A new definition for a defenseless player has been added. A defenseless player is a player who, because of his physical position and focus of concentration, is especially vulnerable to injury.

17 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: OUT OF THE PLAY B6 has chosen not to participate further and is obviously out of the play. He is considered to be defenseless.

18 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: KICKER After a kick (PlayPic A), a kicker who has not had a reasonable amount of time to regain his balance after the kick (PlayPic B) is a defenseless player.

19 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: PASS RECEIVER A pass receiver attempting to catch a pass, or a pass receiver who has clearly relaxed when the player has missed the pass or feels he can no longer catch the pass, is considered defenseless.

20 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: KICK RECEIVER A kick receiver attempting to catch or recover the ball is considered defenseless.

21 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: PLAYER ON THE GROUND A player who is on the ground is considered defenseless.

22 Defenseless Player Rules (NEW); 9-4-3i(3) EXAMPLE: FORWARD PROGRESS STOPPED A runner already in the grasp of an opponent and whose forward progress has been stopped is defenseless. Contact on the runner could also be considered targeting.

23 Untimed Down Rules 3-3-3; Team A commits a live-ball foul and time for the period expires during the down. As shown in the MechaniGram, if the penalty is accepted, the period is extended for an untimed down.

24 Untimed Down Rules 3-3-3; Team B commits a live-ball foul and time for the period expires during the down. If the penalty is accepted, the period is extended for an untimed down.

25 Free-Kick Formation Rules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) After the ready-for-play has been signaled and until the ball is kicked for a free kick, team K must have at least four players on either side of the kicker. As shown in the MechaniGram, K is guilty of a dead-ball foul.

26 Free-Kick Formation Rules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) On a free kick, from the time the ready-for-play is signaled until the ball is kicked, no K player other than the kicker may be more than five yards from his free-kick line. The formation in the MechaniGram becomes legal when the ball has been declared ready-for-play.

27 Free-Kick Formation Rules 6-1-3b (NEW); 6-1-3c (NEW) The formation in the MechaniGram becomes illegal when the ball has been declared ready-for-play. K3, K4, K5 and K6 are all more than five yards from their free kick line. No K players, with the exception of the kicker may be more than five yards behind the kicking team s free kick line. A player satisfies this rule when no foot is on or beyond the line five yards behind K s free kick. If one player is more than five yards behind the restraining line and any other player kicks the ball, it is a foul.

28 Force Rule 8-5-1b (NEW) K1 blocks R2 into the ball. The accidental touching of a loose ball by a player who was blocked into the ball by an opponent is ignored and does not constitute a new force. The result of this play is a touchback.

29 Roughing the Passer Rule No defensive player shall charge into, or commit any illegal personal contact foul listed in Rule against the passer who is standing still or fading back, because he is considered out of the play after the pass and has not moved to participate in the play. Grasping of the face mask is considered roughing the passer.

30 2014 NFHS Football Points of Emphasis 1. High School Football State of the Game 2. Risk Minimization

31 Coaches Field Equipment Rule 1-6 RULE CHANGE LEGAL ILLEGAL Communication devices may be used by coaches and nonplayers as in PlayPic A. It is illegal to use those devices to communicate with players inside the 9-yard marks, as in PlayPic B.

32 Coaches Field Equipment Rule 1-6 RULE CHANGE LEGAL LEGAL ILLEGAL Outside 9-yard mark conference Inside 9-yard mark conference (coach use only) Inside 9-yard mark conference (coach and athlete use)

33 Helmet Comes Off Rule d RULE CHANGE Runner s forward progress stopped Runner s helmet comes off as part of subsequent deadball action; official s time-out Player must leave for one down if the helmet came completely off without being directly attributable to a foul by the opponent

34 Illegal Participation Rule 9-6-4g RULE CHANGE If a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down continues to participate beyond the immediate action in which the player is engaged, it is a foul for illegal participation.

35 Illegal Personal Contact Rule 9-4-3l RULE CHANGE It is a personal foul if a player or nonplayer initiates contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely off.

36 Illegal Blocking Rule 9-3-8c RULE CHANGE No member of the kicking team shall initiate contact to (block) an opponent until the legal kick has traveled 10 yards; or the kicking team is eligible to recover a free-kicked ball. The signal for illegal blocks is seen in the inset.

37 Illegal Blocking Rule 9-3-8c RULE CHANGE Because R1 has initiated contact with a K player, all K players may block.

38 NFHS Online Courses NFHS Provides Free Online Courses These courses will provide additional information that will enhance the learning curve we all need to make our environment safe for the children we serve.

39 Concussion in Sports What You Need to Know

40 NFHS Suggested Guidelines for Management of Concussion in Sports In the Appendix in all of the NFHS Rules Book

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