Guido: High school football players to be greeted by new rules

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 | 10:27 PM

A blindside block is pretty much a thing of the past in high school football.

The prohibition and definition of the blindside block are among 11 rules changes that will be implemented this year in high school football.

The definition of a blindside block established by the National Federation of State High School Associations is “a block against an opponent other than the ball carrier, who does not see the blocker approaching.”

Violation results in a 15-yard penalty.

The rulemakers further stressed the blindside block “involves contact by a blocker against an opponent who, because of physical positioning and focus of concentration is vulnerable to injury.”

A block, however, initiated by open hands is still allowed.

The change is another in a series of moves in recent years to cut down on the number of injuries.

“The NFHS rules committee's actions this year once again addressed risk minimization, officiating, competitive balance and game administration,” said Bob Colgate, director of sports and medicine at the NFHS.

Another change designed for “risk minimization” is the elimination of the “pop-up kick” on onside kickoff attempts.

Now, a kicker cannot drive the ball immediately into the ground, so that it goes into the air in a manner of a ball kicked directly off the tee.

Onside kicks are always interesting because of the challenge, even though statistics show it doesn't work often.

The NFHS also defined examples of a “defenseless player.”

• A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass.

• A receiver attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner.

• The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential interception.

• A runner already in the grasp of a tackler whose forward progress has been stopped.

• A kickoff or punt returner attempting to catch or recover a kick, or one who has completed a catch or recovery and has not had time to clearly become a ball carrier.

• A player on the ground who has obviously given himself up and is sliding feet-first.

• A player obviously out of play or not in the immediate vicinity of a runner.

• A player who received a blindside block with forceful contact not initiated with open hands.

Also, an encroachment penalty now will be called if a defender slaps the ball or the snapper's hands once the ball is placed in the ready-for-play position and before the snap occurs.

Perhaps the most interesting rule change is if a player who loses a prosthetic limb during play, the official will blow the play dead.

First of all, I wasn't aware those with prosthetic limbs were allowed to play and, secondly, such an incident would really draw one's attention.

The other rule changes are minor in nature, such as a prohibition of commercial advertising on the football, the requirement that home jerseys have a contrast in color from white away jerseys (some schools were using gray or off-white jerseys) and that the team receiving a penalty in the last two minutes of a half can opt to have the clock start on the snap.

In an NFHS survey, there were 1.83 million-plus high school football participants in 11-man football nationwide in 2015, the last time such figures are available.

It is also interesting to note 2,140 girls across the country played high school football in '15.

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.