Be Careful When Streamlining Rule Books

[Reginald Rutledge]

When the Shootout rulebook was created, it had more than 90 pages. Some things were obvious to a person who had football intellect but for others, it was not so obvious. Some years later, I got a paralegal degree where I had to train under some pretty good law professors. They told me never leave anything to interpretation because it became the judgment moreso of the individual, not the law.

Having written many engineering documents and tech journals over the years, it was always common practice as an engineer to make things "idiot-proof". That way, anyone could take your test plan and run the test cases because you would have simplified it.

I know some of us look at rules as useless readings but it does have meaning. When I wrote the rulebook, I felt that every page was important because it gave explanation to most interpretations. I saw a game this weekend where there was a question on linemen being checked in as a receiver. In the original rulebook, it clearly is stated that "On every play, the offensive coach must make aware to the official and opposing coach that said lineman is an eligible receiver".

The question was argued that this was not stated in the rulebook. In our quest to streamline things, we may do ourselves a bit of unjust in that a relevant argument can be taken for such a case. If the rule would have been made clear in the rulebook, then that coach has no case. However, because it is not found in the rulebook, he can and should argue the validity of the rule.

So essentially, instead of streamlining a rulebook that leaves out much for interpretation, add to a rulebook even if it has 100 pages. This represents the laws that you are playing by and abide by as a league. I am all for taking out "fat" but I did not write the rules just to be writing but I tried to foresee scenarios and cases like the one mentioned above to stay "ahead of the game".

If it were my call, we still would be playing with a rulebook of right at 100 pages and would probably add more pages as it is warranted. If I ever decide to have a tournament or league, I definitely will go back to the original rulebook and try to sync it with the streamlined version. I don't like to leave anything to chance or better yet, interpretation.

Reginald Rutledge

[The Rookie]

I think you are correct in not leaving anything out so there will no problems but in the game in question that was not what happened.

The problem was that I checked him in as a lineman and the offical who was doing stats and running 5 clocks and reffing did not here me.

To me if he did not here me to a 100% degree there should not have been a foul called.

Also I coached High school football for over 18 years and no the rules very well. The high schools in Texas are very much in line with the college rules.

The rule set Reggie is talking about was made for the NFL and in college and High school you do not have to declare a lineman as eligiable most people do but you dont have to .
If you dont and you throw a pass and that lineman goes down field or touches the ball or catches a pass then there will be a pen.

I talked to Greg this weekend and he said you have to declare a lineman as a Reciever but after reading the colleges rule from first to last page there is no rule I thing it should be change or added.

[Reginald Rutledge]

it is still your job (and any of us) to make sure the ref hears you!!!

You even said that the ref was doing stats, handling 5 clocks, and trying to work the camera as well. That's a lot of pressure for one person to do all those things!

Now, if that is the case, I probably would have tapped the ref on the arm and told him just to make sure he knows. Or I would have screamed out loud that "I have a lineman eligible." Chances are, I would have told the other team too just so they would be alerted to the situation.

This was a good experience for you and it will ring true for others. I do think that rule need to be put back into the CBSMF rulebook immediately (as well as a few others) so that up the road, no heart-feelings are hurt. I also think there needs to be a distinct designation of what a lineman is from the standpoint of how a figure should look to the eligible number.

I've got linemen from the 50's and 40's who wear #'s in the 30's. I could be sneaky and just let him run free and throw to him and then say, "He's a receiver because he played TE". It's so many underhanded ways to bend rules in your favor. That's why I had 100 pages of information. It stopped some of those bendable rules!

So yes, things like what you speak of Doug, need to be addressed. But I would also caution to you and everyone else, don't just know the rules when they work in your favor. Know them when they are right or wrong for everyone.

Reg

[mozeek]

In the game of football at ANY LEVEL....AN ELGIBLE LINEMAN (# FROM 50 - 79) HAS TO BE DECLARED...EVEN IN LITTLE LEAGUE OR POP WARNER EVERY PLAY HE IS ON THE FIELD FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN BEING A LINEMAN.......COME ON COACH.....

IF A BLOCKER FIGURE HAS AN ELGIBLE # ON HIM THEN IN MY HUMBLE OPINION I DO NOT SEE WHY THE OPPONENT HAS TO BE INFORMED?

[The Rookie]

I agree with you also to a degree

I had told him 2 times in the same series right before that play that he heard .

In the end it is my problem because it effected me very much.

I had just hit a 3rd and 20 my back was behind the secondary and runs stright and true. the score was 10-6 Barry .

You just hate after many hours of work to have the game change on an officals call that I THINK WAS A VERBAL MISCOMMUNICATION ON MIKES PART>
I told Mike later on my headstone you will read "I SAID IT YOU DID NOT HERE IT"

Very frustrating.

It is not even a rule that you have to declare a lineman eligible.
But I am the only one that s knows it.

[The Rookie]

You are wrong Mozeek

He is not ELGIBLE if he goes down field or touches a ball on a pass play.

But I am not sayiong that has anything to do with the play but it needs to be changed.
I declared him as a receiver

[mozeek]

FUNNY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ THE RULES......



5.4 Passing
5.4.1 Eligible Receivers
5.4.1.1 A forward pass is the forward movement of the ball to an eligible receiver. Eligible receivers are tight ends, wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks who are either lateral with or downfield from the quarterback at the time the pass is to be executed.
5.4.1.2 Eligible receivers are those who are numbered 1 - 49 and 80 - 89. Those who are numbered 50 - 79 and 90 - 99 are considered ineligible receivers, but may become eligible by notifying the referee and opposing coach and then lining the player up in an eligible position.

LIKE I STATED IF THE FIGURE IS THE QUESTION THEN ADDRESS THE FIGURE ISSUE BUT IT CLEARLY STATES IN THE RULES WHAT NUMBERS ARE ELGIBLE WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE REF AND OPPOSING COACH......

[Reginald Rutledge]

but these are from official rulebooks. The premise of this discussion is really moot because we are dealing with the CBSMF, not the NFL, NCAA, High School, or Pee Wee.

But these are the explanations I got from pretty good sources:

In football, the tackle-eligible play is a forward-pass play in which coaches will attempt to create mismatches against a defense by inserting an offensive tackle (who is not normally allowed more than five yards down field on a forward-pass play), into an offensive formation as an eligible receiver, usually as a tight end or as a fullback. This is done by changing the formation of the offensive line, via positioning two linemen (including the "catching tackle") on one side of the center and four linemen on the other. This is normally only run inside the five-yard line.

Under almost all versions of gridiron football, offensive linemen cannot receive or touch forward passes, nor can they advance downfield in passing situations. To identify which receivers are eligible and which are not, football rules stipulate that ineligible receivers must wear a number between 50 and 79. This, however, can be circumvented in most leagues, most commonly by informing the referee of any player with that number who lines up as an eligible receiver on every play.

NFL Football
For example, by official National Football League rules, players with the numbers 50-79 and 90-99 are ineligible receivers. The quarterback or offensive captain informs the referee that a usually ineligible receiver will be eligible for that play. The referee then announces that the ineligible number "x" is reporting as an eligible receiver. This announcement is made using the referee's microphone so both spectators and opposing team can hear. The eligibility is good for only one play and must be done before every play in which the offense plans on making the player eligible.

The Cincinnati Bengals' Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle, Anthony Muñoz, for instance, caught 7 passes for 18 yards and 4 touchdowns in his prolific 13-year career. Another example is the Chiefs' Mike Vrabel, a linebacker who has recorded 11 receptions for 11 touchdowns in his career.

Buffalo Bills' offensive tackle, Mitch Frerotte made a name for himself in 1992 scoring 3 times in one season, the best single season ever for an offensive lineman.

One of the most famous uses of a tackle eligible play came in The Monday Night Miracle when New York Jets lineman Jumbo Elliott caught a 3 yard touchdown pass to cap a 23 point comeback against the Miami Dolphins.

COLOR="Red"]College Football[/color]

NCAA rules are less permissive than NFL rules and require that the five interior linemen, numbered 50-79, never line up as eligible receivers. See rule 1, section 4. Thus, an offensive tackle can never become a tackle eligible. However, a defensive lineman can play as a tight end if his number is not between 50 and 79 (defensive players have no positional numbering restrictions in the NCAA).

A similar play is allowed from a kicking formation, where the requirement that all five linemen wear 50-79 is waived. During a fake field goal or punt, a team may line up with extra tight ends and receivers making it not immediately obvious to the defense which players are eligible and which are not. (However, this exemption can only be taken when it is obvious that a kick may be attempted, for instance on fourth down, in the closing seconds of a half, or similar situations. It cannot be used on every down at the college level.)

High school football

Tackle-eligibles are effectively illegal at the high school level; the rules of that level do not even allow declaration. The scrimmage kick formation was once exempt from all numbering requirements, but after the A-11 offense employed the formation as a base offense, the rules were modified in February 2009. No player wearing between 50 or 79 is eligible to receive a pass, and all ineligible receivers (except a long snapper) must wear between 50 and 79 in all cases.

[The Rookie]

What I said was that in High school and College you dont have to declare a linemen as eligible .His number declares him as not eligible if you throw to him or he goes down field. Every one does declare them if there is a possiblity that you are throwing a pass but it is not in the rules that way.

It is in our rule book this way because the rules were taken from the shootout rules ( NFL rules where you have to declare all linemen as eligible)

BUt once again not in the real College rule set.

[The Rookie]

Here is the rule you stated Reggie

SECTION 4. Players and Playing Equipment
Recommended Numbering
ARTICLE 1. It is strongly recommended that offensive players be numbered
according to the following diagram that shows one of many offensive
formations (Rule 1-4-2-b):
80-99
O
End
80-99
O
End
70-79
O
Tackle
70-79
O
Tackle
60-69
O
Guard
60-69
O
Guard
50-59
O
Snapper
O
Quarterback
Backs 1-49
O
Fullback
O
Halfback
O
Halfback
Players’ Numbering
ARTICLE 2. a. All players shall be numbered 1 through 99. Any number
preceded by zero (“0’’) is illegal [S23].
b. On a scrimmage down, at least five offensive players on the scrimmage
line shall be numbered 50 through 79 (Exception: During a scrimmage
kick formation, a player, who by his initial position on the line of
scrimmage, is an exception to the 50-79 mandatory numbering, remains
an ineligible receiver during the down until a legal forward pass is
FR-30 RULE 1-4 / THE GAME, FIELD, PLAYERS AND EQUIPMENT
touched by a Team B player or an official. He must be positioned
on the line of scrimmage and between the end players on the line of
scrimmage. The ineligible receivers (interior linemen) are identified
when the snapper assumes his position and touches or simulates (hand[s]
at or below his knees) touching the ball. A player remains an ineligible
receiver and is an exception to the 50-79 mandatory numbering until the
down is over, a timeout is charged to a team or the referee, or a period
ends.) (A.R. 1-4-2-I, IV and V) [S19].
c. No two players of the same team shall