2007 AHSAA Super Six

Jref

1st Team
Oct 3, 2001
551
0
0
Tuscaloosa, AL
It is commonly accepted that one could call holding on practically every play. So, as a rule, and since we've eliminated bias, one would expect calls of those type to even out over the course of a game/season since, afterall, holding and/or PI is enforced the same for either team. However, if a team is prohibitively stronger than its competition, you would expect those numbers to be skewed in favor of the stronger team.
While it may be "commonly accepted" by those who have only a casual interest in the game (fans & media, for example), the way that we officiate line play may be of interest to you.

As long as the blocker establishes and maintains his position in front of the "blockee", we don't worry about whether or not he has some jersey in his hands. He has legally obstructed his opponent. This is what we see on the majority of plays

If the blockee moves to go around, the blocker must now either move his feet to maintain that position, or let go of the jersey. If he fails to let go, or if his hands are outside the frame of the blockee's body, you may see a flag for holding.

Naturally, this is a simplified version of the guidelines we use. There are other specific acts that will draw a flag, and sometimes an "obvious" hold away from the point of attack is passed over, with a verbal warning to the offender to "watch your hands, #78."

It's interesting to me that many times a team who blows out its opponent is penalized for more yards than the losing team. (If you don't believe me, look in the box scores in any Saturday or Sunday morning paper.) Why is this?

In a blowout game, the team who is leading often puts in second or third team players to get them some game experience. These players haven't gotten as many "reps" during practice, and (especially at the HS level) may not be as athletically gifted as the starters. As a result, they tend to draw more flags than the losing team, who may have kept their starters in for the entire game. In addition, the officials will often "pass" on throwing flags for non-safety related fouls (especially against the losing team) that only delay the inevitable conclusion of the game.

Therefore, a team's penalty stats may be misleading. LSU was the most penalized team in the SEC, yet they're playing for the National Championship. Alabama was among the least penalized, and they finished 6-6. How do you factor that?
 

tidehawk

HS Moderator
Staff member
Feb 9, 2001
1,925
94
217
59
Wetumpka, AL
So, if I remove bias as a possible explanation and if we can agree that as a rule penalties tend to even out, the only other explanation I can find is coaching. Am I to believe that PHS isn't getting good coaching???? Our coaches teach poor technique and every team we play teaches it correctly? Please. The PHS staff is supposed to be top notch, I mean they've won 30 in a row and only lost three over the last 5 seasons.

As for the 15 yard variety, I presume you refer to the personal foul type. Sure, there have been a few this year, and I'm not about to argue whether they were deserved or not, but nothing like in previous years. I know we had a player get two in the Wetumpka game but neither of those were of the late hit variety. We've actually had a small number of PF's this year.

Well, I've tried to give some of my view and could go on ad nausea. Perhaps I'm reading too much into your post, but it seems to me to indicate that PHS has a reputation amongst the brethren. Once a team is "known" for something, it seems everyone wants to pile on. Calls should never be made on reputation, that brings the bias factor back into play. We always had a saying in softball: call what you see. I'd be interested to see you expand further upon your previous post and share your view about the WHY. Oh, I apologize for the length of this post and am not trying to highjack the tread, regardless of how it may appear ;).
I guess I should have just bitten my tongue and not said anything in this post, but since I have opened my mouth I will expand - however, I do not want to make this a pi$$ and moan contest between the two of us. :) I never said that the PHS staff is bad - it is obvious that they have a tremendous amount of talent and get a lot out of it. Having said that, good HS coaching is more than Xs and Os. There is how you conduct yourself on the sideline, how you teach character to your players, and what you tolerate from your players on the sideline and between the lines. I will not argue the win/loss results - they speak for themselves. However, I would love for you to be on the field in our shoes as officials and see how some of the staff and the HC in particular conduct themselves. As an official, I have seen this for a long time - the attitude of the HC bleeds over to the players, classy or crappy. When I bring up the 15 yd fouls I am not speaking of the late hit type. There are a lot of things that go on between the lines that you in the stands do not see or hear, and frankly most fans do not know the rules with respect to personal fouls and unsportsmanlike fouls. Yes, with officials in our association, PHS does not have the best reputation in regard to the way they conduct themselves, but that does not affect the way we go into a game we officiate. CBC has gotten the reputation in the same vein as Rush Propst. That reputation does not appear out of thin air - it is earned through the actions of the coaches and players. Think I am crazy or biased? I invite you to speak with some of the old players that played under Coach Butler and see what they think of the current regime. Every single one I have spoken with are not pleased with the method in which PHS has gotten their success. Coach Butler would never say it where anyone else could hear due to his position, but I can guess he does not like it either.

The player in which you speak that got the two unsportsmanlike fouls against Wetumpka? I know a little about that - I threw the first flag. The first US call was for excessive celebration. Now, what he did was go and jump in the air and bump rear ends with a teammate. Personally, I did not want to throw the flag - however, Coach Savarese, who now runs the AHSAA, mandated that this particular move that we see on Saturday and Sunday is unsportsmanlike on Friday nights and we must flag it. By the way, he also dictated this to the coaches. Now, if CBC knew this, he should teach his players that will not be tolerated - however, he wanted to blame us for following an AHSAA nadate that he knew about. The second US foul was when that player was tackled, he got up, shoved the ball in the tacklers stomach and said something he should not have. I did not throw that flag - the back judge saw and heard it. Now, are we being picky or biased against PHS? It might seem that way, but we call the game the way we are trained and through mandates from the AHSAA office. I will not compromise my position on the field because a HC thinks we should let his players play and display themselves in a manner that should not happen on a high school football field. BTW, you probably notice that I am from Wetumpka - but our white hat is from Prattville and played under Coach Butler. You should hear what HE thinks of the current regime.
 

GrandBayTider

All-SEC
Nov 21, 2004
1,813
0
0
55
Prattville, AL
I guess I should have just bitten my tongue and not said anything in this post, but since I have opened my mouth I will expand - however, I do not want to make this a pi$$ and moan contest between the two of us. :)
I just wanted to say thank you for the intelligent explanation for your comment. Some interesting observations, and food for thought in your post.
 

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