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It’s the Rule: High school now has a horse collar rule
By Mark Stephens, Southwestern Oregon Official’s Association
Friday, September 25, 2009 | No comments posted.
Now that we are a few weeks into the season, and nearly everyone has been out to cheer for their favorite high school football team, it’s time to look at some new rules you may see enforced during a game.
The National Federation of High School Sports reviews the rules of each sport every year and looks at ways of making student participation safer. This year, the NFHS has decided to phase in the “horse collar” rule, similar to the one you might see called in college and pro games. In high school, it is now illegal to grasp the inside back or side opening of the collar of the jersey or shoulder pads of the runner, and subsequently pull the runner to the ground. The penalty is considered an illegal personal contact foul and carries a 15-yard penalty.
There are a few conditions an official must consider before a flag is thrown. First, if the runner is pushed or falls forward while being horse-collared, it is not a penalty. The runner must fall backwards or to the side. Secondly, the defensive player using the horse-collar tackle must bring the runner down without help or contact by his teammate to create a foul situation. Thirdly, if the runner fumbles, goes out of bounds or into the end zone while being horse-collared there would not be a horse-collar penalty, though it would be possible for a personal foul for unnecessary roughness to be called. Expect revisions to this rule in the coming years to improve safety and make it easier for officials to call.
Another longstanding safety rule making it illegal to grasp the facemask or openings of the helmet has been updated to include grasping the chin strap on either side of the buckle that connects the strap to the helmet. Early in the season, officials have been working with coaches to cut and shorten excess chin strap material to decrease the chances of this foul occurring. When the chin strap is grabbed, it can be a 5-yard or 15-yard penalty, depending on the amount of twisting or pulling of the player’s head. The referee uses the same signal as for a face mask penalty when announcing the penalty.
Mark Stephens is a member of the Southwestern Oregon Football Officials Association. This is his 18th season officiating high school football, including state playoff games.
The National Federation of High School Sports reviews the rules of each sport every year and looks at ways of making student participation safer. This year, the NFHS has decided to phase in the “horse collar” rule, similar to the one you might see called in college and pro games. In high school, it is now illegal to grasp the inside back or side opening of the collar of the jersey or shoulder pads of the runner, and subsequently pull the runner to the ground. The penalty is considered an illegal personal contact foul and carries a 15-yard penalty.
There are a few conditions an official must consider before a flag is thrown. First, if the runner is pushed or falls forward while being horse-collared, it is not a penalty. The runner must fall backwards or to the side. Secondly, the defensive player using the horse-collar tackle must bring the runner down without help or contact by his teammate to create a foul situation. Thirdly, if the runner fumbles, goes out of bounds or into the end zone while being horse-collared there would not be a horse-collar penalty, though it would be possible for a personal foul for unnecessary roughness to be called. Expect revisions to this rule in the coming years to improve safety and make it easier for officials to call.
Another longstanding safety rule making it illegal to grasp the facemask or openings of the helmet has been updated to include grasping the chin strap on either side of the buckle that connects the strap to the helmet. Early in the season, officials have been working with coaches to cut and shorten excess chin strap material to decrease the chances of this foul occurring. When the chin strap is grabbed, it can be a 5-yard or 15-yard penalty, depending on the amount of twisting or pulling of the player’s head. The referee uses the same signal as for a face mask penalty when announcing the penalty.
Mark Stephens is a member of the Southwestern Oregon Football Officials Association. This is his 18th season officiating high school football, including state playoff games.
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