National Averages - total number plays, penalties per game

[fbljuj]

Hi all,
would like to know the national avergage for number of plays per game, total number of penalties, which type (holding, false start etc..) and average ejections per season per team if that is availalble. thanks for your help and have a great year.

[HLinNC]

I doubt there is such a stat available.  That would require collection from every crew, for every game from every state in the NFHS (Mass and Tx would be separate).  Those would have to be submitted to a state authority and compiled and then turned in by each state to the NFHS.  We are just now trying to compile a foul report in our area games for just us,  Its only turned in to the booking agent.

The officiating staff of the NCHSAA is like two people.  Other states may have more but I doubt any are that interested in that data.

We do have to report ejections to the state office.

[TampaSteve]

oh gosh, this data would be quite a task...
To my knowledge, this is not avail for FL.

[fbljuj]

OK let's get less scientific and base it on experience, I'm not putting an article together just some stats for a high school board presentation. I work (I'm simple with math and like 10's for percentages) 10 games a year and have an ejection once every other year so .5 on that one. I say there are around 100 plays per game, 10 penalties of which 5 are major, 2 holding, false starts and misc. Any thoughts?

[Atlanta Blue]

I can tell you our team over the last ten years, there are approximately 110 plays from scrimmage per game.  That does not include kicking plays or tries.

There is an average of just over 12 ACCEPTED penalties per game.  I don't have stats on declined penalties, nor do I have penalties separated by major or minor.

I can also tell you in 13 years of coaching, I have seen two ejections.  So average 12 games a year (with playoffs) times 13 years, that's 156 games with two ejections.  I've seen soccer games with more ejections than that in the first half.

[TampaSteve]

I suppose the "10 penalties per game", to me, would depend on the teams.
Goodness the unorganized ones may have 5 delays and another several false start/illegal shift/offsides.  There alone is 10 for 1 team.

It also depends on where you may be.  Although it shouldn't happen, parts of the state may call things one way, while others do not.

I would say generally, for the most part & overall that 15 flags a game may be more in line. - you average out your games with bunches of dead ball fouls with other games that don't have many at all.

[concordref]

To fbljuj,
my crew here in Ohio tracks all of our flags which is done by my linejudge with a voice actived tape machine.  We adverge about 12 flags a game, some more, some less based on the schools we do and how well they are coached. We break them down on major and minor penalty's with major ones being holding, block in the back, interference etc. and minor ones being encroachment and false starts.etc.  We discuss this each week during our pregame, when we also discuss any last weeks game situations or problems or break down of coverages by the crew.  Hope this hopes!

[James]

I like your breakdown of 1/2 the penalties for majors and the rest scattered between holding and other things, but, because discipline and coaching standards here are low we would average more like 15-18 penalties per game.
We get an eject about once every 5 games.