Football Officiating > National Federation Discussion
Legal or illegal formation question
Ralph Damren:
Welcome, Keehner, to our forum. We enjoy a coach's perspective and hope you find us informative. While the uncovered #70 isn't a foul, his team has just lost one potential reciever. Also #70 can't stroll beyond the line of scrimmage on a forward pass that crosses the line without becoming an illegible receiver.
Hope this helps.
keehner87:
Appreciate the responses and the help. That does clear thing up more.
We did also play a team that used all unbalanced formations and one of their 6 "Lineman" was a 90s number so he could be eligible.
I guess the next thing that I wonder is was this ever a rule? The reason that I ask is that I played semi-pro for 10 years and we used a majority of the Iowa HS rules, which are the NFHS rules. And I specifically remember getting flagged for running Quads to one side, being the outside receiver, I was covering the TE so we had the 7 on the line. Maybe this was just a league-specific rule that was adapted from somewhere else because, like I said, we used a majority but not all of the rules. Maybe that's where my confusion is coming from.
bossman72:
--- Quote from: keehner87 on January 07, 2025, 07:56:28 AM ---Appreciate the responses and the help. That does clear thing up more.
We did also play a team that used all unbalanced formations and one of their 6 "Lineman" was a 90s number so he could be eligible.
I guess the next thing that I wonder is was this ever a rule? The reason that I ask is that I played semi-pro for 10 years and we used a majority of the Iowa HS rules, which are the NFHS rules. And I specifically remember getting flagged for running Quads to one side, being the outside receiver, I was covering the TE so we had the 7 on the line. Maybe this was just a league-specific rule that was adapted from somewhere else because, like I said, we used a majority but not all of the rules. Maybe that's where my confusion is coming from.
--- End quote ---
Lots of semi pro leagues use NFL rules, and this formation is a foul in the NFL for 1- covering an eligible and 2- leaving the tackle uncovered. The formation is legal under NFHS and NCAA rules, except that the covered TE is ineligible. The tackle can never be eligible due to his number.
Ralph Damren:
Where the eligible reciever numbers must be between 0-49 and 80-99, a big ole' Bubba wearing a 90's can be confusing. But remember the NFHS requirement of having five players 50-79 on the line of scrimmage. If you have a large squard, you can have more than one same number, you can't have same numbers in the game at the same time.
ElvisLives:
--- Quote from: keehner87 on January 07, 2025, 07:56:28 AM ---Appreciate the responses and the help. That does clear thing up more.
We did also play a team that used all unbalanced formations and one of their 6 "Lineman" was a 90s number so he could be eligible.
I guess the next thing that I wonder is was this ever a rule? The reason that I ask is that I played semi-pro for 10 years and we used a majority of the Iowa HS rules, which are the NFHS rules. And I specifically remember getting flagged for running Quads to one side, being the outside receiver, I was covering the TE so we had the 7 on the line. Maybe this was just a league-specific rule that was adapted from somewhere else because, like I said, we used a majority but not all of the rules. Maybe that's where my confusion is coming from.
--- End quote ---
Coach, NFHS and NCAA align in these issues, so to summarize and simplify, a bit, the numbers 50-79 can never - NEVER - be eligible to touch a legal forward pass (anywhere on the field) before it is touched by an opponent or an official (God forbid). If it is first touched by an eligible teammate, ineligible players are still ineligible, and can't touch the ball until it is touched by an opponent. Ineligible players may not be downfield more than 3-yards (whether blocking or not) before a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone is released.
The only Team A players that are eligible are those on the ends of the line or in the backfield at the snap, wearing numbers OTHER than 50-79. Period. There is no such thing as 'reporting' as eligible, etc.
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