OT- Player flagged for hurdling player
Find this a bit ridiculous. What if McGuffie was was penalized for hurdling in high school?
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Another-amazing…
September 28th, 2010 at 7:52 PM ^
Looks like there is a rule in Ohio against "hurdling a defender who has either one or two feet on the ground." Why? maybe some misguided safety concerns? I bet somebody mysteriously got hurt and ruined it for the rest of us.
September 28th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
September 29th, 2010 at 9:41 AM ^
that's what she... oh, never mind... that's just creepy...
September 28th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^
Makes sense from a safety standpoint. You don't want kids trying to jump up that high, not make it, fall on their necks/back and become paralyzed. Also don't want them to try and step on a smaller kid's helmet as that pressure on the neck could seriously injure the defender.
September 28th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^
Good point - about 99% of highschoolers have no business trying to hurdle another player. And there are enough small schools with some 5'5" corner playing because there is no one else.
September 28th, 2010 at 8:09 PM ^
Not to mention a kid coming up short and spiking the defender pretty badly. Spiking is for the prom punch, not the field...
September 28th, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^
Although, the biggest safety measure would be to just not let people play football at all.
September 28th, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
I honestly believe that it will one day come to this.
September 28th, 2010 at 8:11 PM ^
would hate to see another incident similer to jahvid best..he got lucky. although i have seen it done once this year in a hs game in MI..one of the coolest things I have ever seen
September 28th, 2010 at 8:24 PM ^
Also a rule in college BUT exception for the ball carrier, so the play under scrutiny would not have been a penalty. NCAA Rules, Rule 9, Section 1, Article 2, (i): "There shall be no hurdling (Exception: The ball carrier may hurdle an opponent.)."
Weird. So this is mostly for field goal blocks? Lavarr Arrington plays?
No direct link because the rulebook is a huge pdf, but you can go here to start:
September 28th, 2010 at 8:46 PM ^
I feel like now kids are starting to try flips and hurdling because they see college/pros do it, and they forget that there is a very real possibility they will be seriously injured on the play. And except in extreme rare circumstances, there are safer, better options for getting around the defender in front of you. I think of Barry Sanders, who I don't remember ever hurdling a guy on his way to the record books. Yeah, it's cool to see a guy like Knowshon Moreno jump over a guy, but sometimes those plays turn into Jahvid Best nearly being paralyzed.
September 28th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
not to hurdle the defender anyway. My coaches always told me to keep my feet, because its tough to get more yardage when you don't have your feet on the ground.
September 29th, 2010 at 9:28 AM ^
Unless your helmut has wings. Wait till everyone sees Denard fly. Literally
September 28th, 2010 at 9:19 PM ^
In other news...
There's an obscure rule in Ohio HS Basketball that you can't rebound next to a player who has either one or two feet on the ground.
It could be dangerous in the event that other players may be near by and cause collisions on a hardwood floor.
September 28th, 2010 at 9:41 PM ^
worst state ever. Texas prep football makes Ohio preps look like a bunch of pussies.
September 28th, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^
In all National Federation States (Michigan and Ohio included) hurdling is a personal foul. Texas uses NCAA rules for their high school football.
I can look up the exact rule for you, but it essentially says that no player may hurdle or jump over a player who is on their feet. This is usually a problem on extra points and field goals. However, it applies to running plays.
September 28th, 2010 at 10:53 PM ^
...but your screen name is ironic considering the topic...
Perfect example of 'The letter of the law VS. the SPIRIT of the law'.
When will refs figure this out? Have any of them ever been introduced to this concept?
Seems to me few, if any, have any capacity to employ logic in these situations...
September 28th, 2010 at 11:53 PM ^
Umm...isn't the spirit of the law exactly the same as the letter of the law in this case? They consider hurdling to be a play that has an elevated risk of injury, the spirit of the law is to try to ban it.
September 29th, 2010 at 12:00 AM ^
1. Refs don't write rulebooks. Former refs are generally included, as well as input from current refs on how to clarify rules.
2. If it's a safety issue, there is NO EXCEPTION to the written rule. If someone is hurt by you not making a call, you the ref is liable for allowing that type of play to occur. This assumes it happens more than once on your watch. So if he was to hurdle a player later because your negligence to call it the first time, then he breaks his neck, the ref can be held accountable.
September 29th, 2010 at 2:09 AM ^
That's an interesting question. I always think of legalities when someone says "liable," and I disagree with your conclusion (if this is your conclusion) that a ref would be liable for whatever injury is sustained by someone who chooses to hurdle over another human being during a contact sporting event. Even if the ref had previously allowed it to happen in contravention of the rules.
Now, the "hurdlee" may have an argument. My recall on this topic is that something very far outside the assumed risk of the game (such as a player pulling out a gun and shooting you, "Last Boy Scout"-style) could create liability. But, even if hurdling is outside the assumed risk of the hurdlee, that would only get you to the liability of the hurdler. You would have a causation problem with the ref in your example. Could you show that the refs negligence in failing to enforce the rule the first time caused the intentional act of the hurdler the second time around? That would be tough.
Which brings me to my last point: Don't smoke crack.
September 28th, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
I am always trying to officiate games within the spirit. If this play occured in a high school game I did and I DID NOT call a penalty I'd be marked down by my observors.
The rules is pretty clear and the intent of the rule is to discourage this type of play. Hurdling, while really cool looking is dangerous for both the runner and the tackler.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:44 AM ^
HS is in the lower half of my county in NE Ohio (60 mi south of Youngstown). Lou Holtz was born there.
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