Throwing hat on a receiver going OOB?

[mhez141]

Have had several plays this year with A being pushed OOB by B and coming back into the field of play at the earliest convenience.  Have no question on that as legal as long as A does by rule.  I was questioned why I did not throw my hat showing I had this happen.  I have looked in several NFHS mechanics manuals and have not found this to be a mechanic we use.  Is it one that we/you use?  I thought it was just colloge NFL ueed that mechanic.  Just for grins I was told if you ever throw your hat during a game it was because you were fixin to whoop someones butt!   

[lawdog]

not a high school mechanic that I know of.

[bama_stripes]

I really dislike this mechanic on any level.  Why can’t officials just give a signal when that happens?  If something must be thrown, why not a beanbag instead of a hat?

I get that NCAA/NFL officials are making enough money to buy a new hat (or two) for every game, but us poor amateur officials are doing good to buy a new one every year.

That said, Alabama began requiring this mechanic a couple of years ago.  Funny how my wings have never had this happen. 

[bossman72]

I ranted on this in another thread.  It's the most useless mechanic we have.  It communicates nothing.

That being said, I thought the NFHS mechanic was to throw a bean bag when the receiver went out.  An old timer in my HS chapter said it was used to mark the spot where he went out so if he didn't come back in immediately, we can show that he left "here" (at the bean bag) and came back in "here" (at the flag).

But, it may not be an NFHS mechanic at all, which is good also.

[Ia-Ref]

Throwing the hat.
That spot means nothing!
I once chastised a rookie who threw the beanbag on an interception.
I told him he just prolonged the game and made the back judge retrieve his bag.
He did not take it well.... but he did learn.
Only throw either you flag or bag when it means something.

In our association we have officials that do NCAA and NFHS.  Those who do NCAA give rule review presentations that often have misleading information.
These are the same guys that are confused where to spot a missed field goal that enters the end zone or allows that miss to be returned.

[CalhounLJ]

only NFHS mechanic is to throw a flag at the spot the receiver comes back inbounds if he was not forced out. If he was forced out and comes back in asap, throw nothing...

[Ralph Damren]

IMHO, tossing one's head garment preceded the invention/use of the beanbag. A war story that might give you a chuckle.....

SCENE: I began officiating back in 1969 while in Connecticut which was then a NCAA state. Moved to Maine in 1971 which was a NFHS state. A showed up at my first game in Maine not dressed for the event. My flag was red & white, others were solid red. My hat was black with white piping,  outhers were solid black. I had a BEANBAG, others did not and used their hats.

ACT I : One official, Randy, took a strong interest in my beanbag and wanted to buy one. 

ACT II : Being well prepared, I had two beanbags and flags. .

ACT III : I gave one beanbag to Randy. 

ACT IV  : At halftime, the referee excplaned to me Randy's want and need : " He wears a wig and fears that tossing his hat may result in inadvertenty tossing his wig"

ACT V : I felt  good to help and quickly ordered the proper NFHS attire.  >  (four -man crews.)

EPILOGUE : Remember, you don't need to mark the spot were the player steppeed OOB - unless he's the ball carrier - only where he came back in. Best to leave your wig in the locker room. Randy was a good official.

[GoodScout]

Throwing your hat is not a Fed mechanic.

I gave my LJ crap about it last week when he did it. Told him to quit watching football on Saturday for a week as penance.