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Football Officiating => NCAA Discussion => Topic started by: Aussie-Zebra on January 07, 2017, 10:27:57 AM

Title: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: Aussie-Zebra on January 07, 2017, 10:27:57 AM
We have encountered dissenting opinion on this and we are interested to see what the views are of the educated ones.

Quote
Has anyone seen/called a HCT where the runner was not actually tackled to the ground, but the attempt of a tackle produced the HCT flag ?"

edit: sorry guys this should be in the NCAA rules forum. I had requested the topic be moved.
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: AlUpstateNY on January 07, 2017, 10:52:34 AM
We have encountered dissenting opinion on this and we are interested to see what the views are of the educated ones.

As relates to the NFHS "Horse Collar" Rule (9.4-3-k) "Grab the inside back or side collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and subsequently pull (backwards of sideward) that opponent to the ground (Horse Collar), even if possession is lost.  The Horse-Collar foul is enforced as a live-ball foul."

To answer your specific question, if the runner breaks free of the grasp, or the play ends otherwise without  the runner being "pulled (backwards or sidewards) to the ground", HC foul does NOT apply.
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: ncwingman on January 07, 2017, 11:47:16 AM
Agree with Al here -- it's a horse collar tackle foul. Without the tackle, you've got nothing.

Also, this "nuance" has surpassed NFL intentional grounding exceptions as the most common cause of coaches screaming at me on the sidelines because they don't know the rules. Also fun is when the defender grabs the collar, but then tackles forward.
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: zoom on January 07, 2017, 12:03:10 PM
I have unfortunately seen this flag come out far too often when the ball carrier was not pulled down to the ground.  This is incorrect.  For it to be a foul, as Al pointed out by citing the rule, the runner MUST be pulled all the way to the ground.  In addition, the primary cause of the ball carrier going to the ground must be the grab itself.  If a player has a grip of the inside back or side collar of the jersey, but the primary act taking the runner to the ground is a tackle about the waist, then it is also no foul.  A key indicator is the buckling of the runner's knees.  If you don't see that, it likely isn't a horsecollar foul.  Even if you do see the knees buckle, however, if the runner stays upright or breaks free and then falls, it is still NO FOUL.


*Edit*  this post was made when the thread was still in the NFHS topic. 
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: FLAHL on January 07, 2017, 12:23:47 PM
 In those instances where the HC is clearly grabbed but the runner does not go down, a quick comment like "Coach, we can't have a foul for horse collar tackle if there is no tackle," tends to reduce the grumbling somewhat.
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: #92 on January 07, 2017, 06:49:03 PM
Or maybe "to" is meant as "in the direction of"?

Isn't HCT a foul for safety reasons? And if so, why make the result of the play a factor?
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: dvasques on January 07, 2017, 09:46:24 PM
NCAA, as I seem to recall from having this same doubt a while back, doesn't agree with NFHS here. No need for an actual tackle to be HCT. All you need is an immediate pull down of the ball carrier. And as I recall, if you see the knees buckle, that's a flag.

But I'll let the veterans and experts have a say and keep watching and learning
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: bossman72 on January 09, 2017, 09:57:23 AM
NCAA, as I seem to recall from having this same doubt a while back, doesn't agree with NFHS here. No need for an actual tackle to be HCT. All you need is an immediate pull down of the ball carrier. And as I recall, if you see the knees buckle, that's a flag.

But I'll let the veterans and experts have a say and keep watching and learning

I agree.  I've heard the same interpretation for NCAA
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: Andrew McCarthy on January 09, 2017, 10:46:20 AM
I think this may have been one of those CFO interpretations via preseason test answer key.
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: TXMike on January 09, 2017, 06:38:36 PM
http://www.refstripes.com/forum/index.php?topic=10907.0

This may help
Title: Re: Difference of opinion on rule
Post by: Kalle on January 10, 2017, 02:14:47 AM
Why this hasn't warranted a bulletin play situation or - better yet - an A.R. still puzzles me. The rule language is extremely ambiguous.