Rules of the Game – The Ransom Report – Special Edition
Tagged under: Coaches Corner, News
Kevin Ransom | September 26, 2023
September 26th 2023
EDITION – 6.1
Week 6 of the PIAA Football season is upon us. This is the time of season that things start getting very exciting. The best teams start to separate themselves and the good teams start fighting for playoff spots.
At this point, if you have watched any football, you have certainly seen calls that you have “questioned”. In my 28 years as an official, I have learned that many of the calls that are questioned are done so because the average fan does not understand the rule differences between High School, College, and the Pros. Too many times we will see a rule applied on a Sunday and then assume that the same rule applies on a Friday. There are times when that is not the case.
With this idea in mind, lets take a brief look at some of the rules that differ between High School, College, and Professional Football.
I should be transparent. I have officiated high school football for a long time. The rules that govern the game I am quite familiar with. However, I am not equally familiar with the college and professional rules. For this reason, I will be purposely vague at times.
There are literally hundreds of rules differences that we could talk about, instead we are going to take a quick look at the 4 most misunderstood differences.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER ENTERS THE NUETRAL ZONE:
HIGH SCHOOL: The play is blown dead immediately and there is a foul for “encroachment.” The defensive player is NOT given the opportunity to get back prior to the ball being snapped.
COLLEGE: This act alone is NOT a foul. The ball must be snapped while the defensive man is in the neutral zone for a foul to occur. Most times the action of the play is allowed to continue.
PROFESSIONAL: Like the college rule, this act alone is NOT a foul. The ball must be snapped while the defensive man is in the neutral zone for a foul to occur. Most times the action of the play is allowed to continue.
NOTE: Other factors play into the college and professional rules, such as reaction of the offensive linemen and being “unimpeded” to the quarterback. Fouls at all levels carry a 5-yard penalty.
DEFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE:
HIGH SCHOOL: This is simply a 15-yard foul from the previous spot and DOES NOT result in an automatic first down for the offense.
COLLEGE: The yardage assigned to this foul varies depending on factors such as previous spot, spot of the foul, and proximity of the endzone. This foul is an automatic first down.
PROFESSIONAL: The yardage assigned to this foul is also dependent upon various factors like, spot of the foul, previous spot, and location of the endzone. This foul does carry an automatic first down.
NOTE: The act of interfering with a pass is technically the same at all levels however, the penalty for this act is different.
MISSED FIELD GOALS:
HIGH SCHOOL: A missed field goal is treated like a punt in high school. If the attempt travels into the endzone it is immediately blown dead and placed at the 20-yard line. If it does not enter the endzone, the defense can return it, or they will get the ball where is stops rolling. This is identical to a punt.
COLLEGE: The defensive team is allowed to return a missed field goal from anywhere on the field. A missed field goal that travels out of the endzone is placed back at the original line of scrimmage.
PROFESSIONAL: The defensive team is allowed to return a missed field goal from anywhere on the field. A missed field goal that travels out of the endzone is placed back at the spot of the kick.
NOTE: A field goal attempt that does not cross the Line of Scrimmage can be advanced by the offensive team.
OVERTIME:
HIGH SCHOOL: Each team will be given an opportunity to score starting from the 10-yard line. Game continues without change of the process until a winner is determined.
COLLEGE: Each team will be given the opportunity to score starting from the 25-yard line. Various changes in the process occur as overtime progresses. Game continues until a winner is determined.
PROFESSIONAL: A “5th quarter” is played. Various rules exist that dictate winners.
NOTE: The “nuances” of each overtime procedure are long; too long for this column. High School and College overtime rules are designed to never end in a tie. Professional games can end in a tie.
The above are just some of the differences in rules that I have seen confuse the average fan. The list could be much longer. In addition to those described above, we could also add:
ILLEGAL CONTACT: Professional levels allow for contact only within 5-yards of the line of scrimmage. College and High School have no such rule.
PERSONAL FOULS: This is a 15-yard penalty at all levels however it is also an automatic first down in college and professional levels, but not in High School
COMPLETED PASSES: In high school you must have one foot in bounds with passion. In college and professional levels, you must have two feet in bounds with possession.
TARGETING: Targeting exists to some degree at all three levels however they each penalize differently. High school is 15 yards with a possible ejection. College is 15 yards with an automatic ejection and Professional is 15 yards and rarely an ejection.
KICKOFFS INTO ENDZONE: In high school the ball is automatically dead when a kickoff crosses the goal line. However, a kickoff travels into the endzone at the college and professional levels it can be returned.
CLOCK RULES AND TIMING: Dozens of differences apply to timing issues however the biggest difference can be seen on first downs. The clock will stop in high school and college for first downs and then restart when the chains are set. However, the clock continues to run at the professional level.
Thinking about becoming an official? I learned a long time ago to try not to spend too much time learning the rules that govern the College and Professional level. Ultimately, they are not important. It will make your effort to become an expert in the High School rules that much more difficult.
If any questions exist please feel free to reach out to me. I can be reached at kevinransom95@hotmail.com
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