Evolving Option Rules

[SunCoastSooner]

This is an in depth article on it. I am in favor of the rule change as well. The old one isn't even enforced though so maybe by making the new one more stringent we'll actually get the old on enforced.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... s-diagrams


Lefty, thoughts?

[Carson]

I would hate to think Saban ever works the edge of a rule.

[Left Seater]

A side note:

In that first video, check the release point of Marshall's pass. Was he beyond the LOS or not? I'm not saying he definitely was, but it sure merited a review. I've always wondered why no one seems to have questioned that.

That clip might not be a good angle, but, at the time of the play, I wondered if he was past the LOS.

If any part of the passer's body is on or behind the LOS it is a legal forward pass per the NCAA rule book. In this clip the QB's right foot is well behind the LOS when he releases the ball. Legal.

There were two allbarn offensive linemen well past the line of scrimmage, that play should have come back for illegal man downfield.

The rule says that no originally ineligible receiver shall be or have been more than three yards beyond the neutral zone until a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone has been thrown.

In the Auburn clip the LOS is the 39. That means the ineligible receivers can go no further than the 36. None reach that depth. Notice 50 comes to a stop instead of going further down field.

In the K-State video against Michigan, this is a foul. Notice the left guard wearing 60 something gets a free release and is looking to block the outside backer. When the pass is released he is approaching the line to gain which is 5 yards downfield. This is a clear cut foul.

In the Ole Miss clip this one is difficult. The LOS is just outside the 22. The two guards get clean releases looking for the LBs. The LG is inside the 19, but not by much. This one should have been called by the letter of the rule, and a supervisor of officials would not grade someone down for making that call. This would be flagged as one to watch by the supervisor and the crew would have to discuss. Very close, but one I would hope I would call.

The rule should be that if any of the 5 offensive linemen step a single foot beyond the LOS, any pass that is caught beyond the LOS should be called back for illegal man downfield. Allow linemen to go downfield if it is a screen pass but the ball must be caught behind the LOS. And enforced 100% of the time

That isn't the rule though. Get on the coaches if you want to see it changed. Also, there is no such thing as an illegal man downfield. That doesn't exist in the NCAA rulebook. Ineligible receiver is the correct term. Further it isn't just limited to Line men. If a TE or WR is on the LOS and is covered by another player on the LOS outside of them, they are also an ineligible receiver and they are subject to the same requirements.

Lefty, thoughts?

Good article and nice use of video clips. I don't know what rule change you are talking about though. The ineligible receiver down field rule has been in place for some time. Looking back at my foul summaries from last season I called that 8 times in 9 regular season HS games and 2 times in 5 playoff games. I called it 5 times in 10 college games and missed one the supervisor thought I should have called and there was one I passed on that he flagged but didn't down grade me for.

The biggest problem I see here is how quickly these plays happen. In a 4 or 5 man HS crew it is damn near impossible to see everything. Take that Auburn play for example. As the umpire I have responsibility for the legality of the snap. I have to have my eyes on the ball before and during the snap. Then I widen my field of vision to try to read what the guards are doing before taking a peek at my tackle (the one on the side with the Referee). Then I read the direction the play is going and work down the LOS from the backside to the point of attack. (Meaning on a run to my right I will look at the back side guard, then the center, then the play side guard, and finally the play side tackle.) If a pass is thrown I have to pivot and try to help on catch no catch if it is between the hashes. In a 4 or 5 man crew something is going to get missed on a play that happens that quickly. It isn't nearly as hard in an 8 man crew and we should be getting these ineligible receivers down field on a more regular basis.