Defensive Holding TX rule

[crporth2]

Ok this was a middle school game.
4th quarter and sun is going down. Score is 40-44 and my team is behind - its a shootout or nobody can play defense today - Maybe 2 minutes left. Ball is on -25. 1st and 15.

The opposing team defensive coordinator makes an adjustment and puts his best tall dude on my tall dude and tell him to HOLD him. He literally held him to the point of bear hugging him. It was a defensive hold on a passing play. QB did not have anyone open and threw an incomplete pass to someone else. I had called a shot play to my tall dude.

Referee called defensive holding and awarded 10 yard penalty now 1st and 5 yards. Correct award?

A complaint I have is that in 11 man it would be a 1st down but in 6 man we have 15 yard 1st down chains.

Thanks for reading
rp

 

[pistol]

I think it should be 10 yards and an auto first down

 

[DADinLA]

Correct call. You are actually in a better position with 1st and 5 than with 1st and 15.

 

[ModeratorMike]

Correct call. You are actually in a better position with 1st and 5 than with 1st and 15.

That is correct, because they had 1st down to start with. However, if they were 4th and 15, before the penalty, 4th and 5 is definitely not better than 1st and 15 (in my unprofessional opinion).

I actually thought it was an automatic 1st down penalty too. Always learning something!

 

[pistol]

If it was a pass play and holding occurred past the LOS then it should be 10 yards from the previous spot and auto first down-- so 1st and 15.

If defensive holding is called on a run play, you can tack it on at the end of the run or the previous spot (whichever is better) and its a replay the down, unless it results in a first down (which is where you could get a 1st and 5)

 

[Legacy Zebra]

If it was a pass play and holding occurred past the LOS then it should be 10 yards from the previous spot and auto first down-- so 1st and 15.

If defensive holding is called on a run play, you can tack it on at the end of the run or the previous spot (whichever is better) and its a replay the down, unless it results in a first down (which is where you could get a 1st and 5)

This is true as long as the pass also crosses the neutral zone. So in OP's case, if the check down pass was behind the line of scrimmage, it would not be an auto first and 1st and 5 would be correct.

Also, if the holding is against an ineligible receiver there is no auto first. In 11-man this would normally be a player who is either wearing an ineligible number or was covered up on the line of scrimmage. But it could apply in 6-man to a player who went out of bounds on his own and then came back in before being held.

 

[pistol]

All true Zebra

 

[dammitbobby]

There is a proposed rule change in NCAA that if UIL approves (and this one they almost certainly will), defensive holding will result in a automatic first down.

Here is the actual verbiage released by the rules committee:

Holding and Use of Hands or Arms: Defense (Rule 9-3-4 [c-e] Penalty) (Delete Rule 9-3-5 & Rule 10-2-2-e-2)

When the defense is guilty of holding, the current rule adds an automatic first down only if during the play a pass crosses the neutral zone and the defense commits a holding foul against an eligible receiver and the foul is beyond the neutral zone before the ball is touched. This will simplify the enforcement of holding by the defense and the penalty will include an automatic first down.

ARTICLE 4. PENALTY [c-e]—10 yards plus automatic first down if the first down is not in conflict with other rules [S42].

There is also a proposed rule change for blocking below the waist, which will definitely have an impact on 6-man.

proposed verbiage:

Blocking Below the Waist (Rule 9-1-6)
Blocks below the waist in the open field have not been allowed on kicks and change of possession plays for many years for player safety. The previous change in 2019 that limited blocking below the waist on scrimmage plays beyond 5 yards from the neutral zone has proven safer for the players. There is statistically significant injury data that knee injuries to players being blocked have been reduced since 2019. This new rule change further limits blocking below the waist in the open field:

ARTICLE 6. a. Team A prior to a change of team possession:
1. Linemen with initial position completely inside the tackle box may legally block below the waist inside the tackle box on their initial line charge. A block initiated 1-yard beyond the neutral zone is considered within the tackle box. After the initial line charge, these linemen may block below the waist within the tackle box until the ball leaves the tackle box only if the force of the initial contact is directed from the front.

2. Stationary Backs lined up within the tackle box may block below the waist within the tackle box until the ball leaves the tackle box only if the force of the initial contact is directed from the front. “Directed from the front” is defined as within the clock face region between “10 o’clock and 2 o’clock” forward of the area of concentration of the player being blocked.

3. All other Team A players are not allowed to block below the waist.

b. Team B prior to a change of team possession:

1. Players aligned in a stationary position within 1-yard of the line of scrimmage within the tackle box may legally block below the waist in the tackle box on their initial line charge.

2. All other Team B players are not allowed to block below the waist except against a ball carrier.


These aren't finalized by NCAA and still have to be approved by UIL but most likely they will be adopted as is, or with very minor tweaks.

 

[ZeroRisk]

The rules mentioned above was approved and will be part of Texas 6-man football this season.