Classroom Discussion: The Box 101

[mozeek]

Has the Board made the necessary adjustments to "The Andre Rule"

[The Rookie]

It has been adjusted

[NATIONAL]

First of all, I love the box......I tried to get it in the Philly league, they wasn't buying it, so I joined the BAM to get my fix.
But here's my question or my idea.
The way the BOX is used, it's more of a crutch. On a long play, you hope the coach forgets, or you know a shake is coming. How bout we made it mandatory that the box be used every play? The stuff on the box happens in every play....not just the big plays or when something bad is going against you.
Make any sense?


Nat'l

[Reginald Rutledge]

Point 1
I totally agree with you. I have felt since the last 10 years that the officials should shake the Box on every play - Period. It is exactly from what you said. On every play, there is the possibility that a fumble, injury or penalty could happen.

So to allow that possibility to occur, it should be shaken on every play. The probability of something happening on every play is highly unlikely, almost impossible. So as long as the official shakes it every play with the same intensity for each coach, I have no problem with that.

Point 2
In the pro league, this was one of the defining "intangibles" that separated the "rookies" from veteran coaches. The rookies often forgot to shake "The Box" on crucial plays (which is what happens with rookies), whereas the wiley veteran coach always know to shake the box when it works against them.

What that did was made the "Rookies" more aware of their surroundings in this style of play and it made them a better prepared coach. They had to appreciate and take into account a part of the game that they necessarily would not have thought about. The shaking of the box could have been the difference between an 11-5 coach and a 5-11 rookie. That's what we liked. To us, it was not a crutch but just another way to give a little added separation of the upper echelon coaches and the all so rans.

But I like either way because even in the college game, sometimes a coach can forget something and it could be devastating to his team's chances to win.

Reg

[speedy]

Is there more information posted or something you can email me to better understand the box? I like the idea of it being shaken after every play.

Thanks,
Steve