Breaking the Huddle with Seven

[panhandleref]

Can someone help out and telling where it says a offense can not break the huddle with more then 6. No where in the 16 Variation of Sixman does it say anything about it. Nor does the NCAA-only 12 men. If you have thrown this penalty or have had it thrown on your team, what written support was given to make that call. This is something that has come up time and time again this year. If it is not in writing it needs to be! Please if I am wrong someone tell me before I get another bad evaluation from a coach screaming at me that its illegal!!! Fifteen years of calling sixman I have never called a breaking the huddle with too many players. I have called it on a hide out play tho! Help and backup info needed!!

 

[oldergoat]

2009-10 NCAA Rules, Rule 3, Section 5, Artical 2, c

You are correct there is no specific rule listed in the Sixman Variations. However I think as officials we can make the connection that if you cannot break a huddle with more than 11 (in 11-man) then it stands to reason that no more than 6 would apply to 6-man. The concept is the same. I have called this a number of times over the years. the only question I ever got from the Offense Coach was "What Number"? Had a tough time with that because I never knew who he wanted out of the game. Usually smiled at the coach and asked him to pick one and I would write it down.

 

[fencewire]

09-10 rules no longer govern NCAA and thus Texas HS football, there were a LOT of changes between the two versions of rules.

Here is the rule from the current book.

More Than Eleven Players on the Field

ARTICLE 3.
a. Team A may not break the huddle with more than 11 players nor keep more than 11 players in the huddle or in a formation for more than three seconds. Officials shall stop the action whether or not the ball has been snapped.

I would agree, the omission of this from the 6-man exceptions is simply an oversight and should be flagged as it would in 11 man.

 

[JasonTX]

From the UIL website: Each team has six players. Number of players changed to NO MORE THAN SIX players each in UIL Six
Man Games.

Surely you are not letting them play with 7 players???

Team A huddles with 7 players. They break the huddle and line up in the formation. At what point are you throwing your flag for illegal substitution?

 

[CowboyP]

I'd like to thank all of the officials that answer our questions. I've learned a lot from your answers.

 

[panhandleref]

Gentlemen I am very happy to see that so many officials care about sixman like you all do. I wanted to make sure of something also. I would never let them play with 7. I am speaking of breaking the huddle with 7. For instance Team A(offense) is in huddle with 6. Team A coach sends in a play by way of player.( 7th) man. He gives the play and when the huddle breaks and go to the line of scrimmage, the 7th man is running to the sidelines. This would breaking the Huddle with 7. I believe that this needs to be in writing under variations. I strongly agree that the intent of the rule is the basis of throwing the flag. In 15 years I guess that I have never thrown a 7 breaking the huddle. Never really had it. This year has been a year that it has happened alot in other games and I told them to throw the flag. Other officials have told them not to throw it. So their is a differing of opinion that needs to be solidified!!! I have put a call into the sixman coaches association and also with a few gentlemen that have some pull in developing sixman mechanics and rule evaluations. They have said that this has happen across the state with coaches using the omission of the rule to "get away with something". When the official does throw the flag, the coach ask to show him where in the sixman variations does it say he can't. Or if you don't throw it, the opposite happens and the coach yells and screams. I just am making an clerical observation, that has caused a little difficulty in officiating.

 

[trojanruler]

We had a situation where a player came into the huddle from the sideline. A different player broke out of the huddle first and split out to the opponents' sideline. The team broke huddle and the kid that brought the play in just jogged off the field. I was yelling at my corner because I saw it and trying to get the officials attention at the same time. Quick snap and pass down the left sideline-touchdown. The officials did not even acknowledge my complaint.

 

[JasonTX]

We had a situation where a player came into the huddle from the sideline. A different player broke out of the huddle first and split out to the opponents' sideline. The team broke huddle and the kid that brought the play in just jogged off the field. I was yelling at my corner because I saw it and trying to get the officials attention at the same time. Quick snap and pass down the left sideline-touchdown. The officials did not even acknowledge my complaint.

Once he communicates he is now a player and he must stay in for one play unless the period ends or a time out is called. He cannot just run in to call a play and then run off. This is a live ball foul at the snap.

 

[oldschool47]

Preventative officiating is the best route, but this requires complete concentration and focus on the game at all times. Probably a dozen times over the past two seasons this could have happened in one of my games, but I yell out to the huddle "Who's out, who's out" before we get to the 3 seconds. Try to let it take care of itself. If a player leaves later and runs off the field and nobody on defense pays attention, then it probably is not a foul. Coaches trying to get around the excuse of "It's not in the 6-man exceptions" are bordering on being unethical. Hideout plays are taken care of by the rules whether it is 11- or 6-man. "You can't go wrong by being right" in the spirit of fairness to all.