Substitution Infractions

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Substitution Infractions

• July 19, 2004
• John Hoffmann
• referee_at_bellsouth.net
• [phone]

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2004 NFHS Football Rules - Points of Emphasis

• The committee annually adopts points of emphasis
  to make players, coaches and officials aware of
  specific areas that need attention. (See pages
  72-74 in the 2004 NFHS Football Rule Book)
• The emphasis of substitution and participation is
  related to the proliferation of specialty players
  and specialty situations within games.
• The number of players entering and exiting the
  playing area on any given down should not confuse
  either the opponents or officials, said Ronnie
  Matthews, chair of the NFHS Football Rules
  Committee. While deception is part of football,
  the rules committee does not believe this rule or
  any rule should create a situation where the
  offense, defense or officials are confused or
  distracted.

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Definitions

• Player 2-30-1
• A player is one of the 22 team members who is
  designated to start either half of the game or
  who subsequently replaces another player. A
  player continues to be a player until a
  substitute enters the field and indicates to the
  player that he is replaced, or when the
  substitute otherwise becomes a player.
• Replaced Player 2-30-12
• A replaced player is one who has been notified by
  a substitute that he is to leave the field. A
  player is also replaced when the entering
  substitute becomes a player.

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Definitions

• Substitute 2-30-15
• A substitute is a team member who may replace a
  player or fill a player vacancy. A substitute
  becomes a player when he enters the field and
  communicates with a teammate or an official,
  enters the huddle, is positioned in a formation
  or participates in the play. An entering
  substitute is not considered to be a player for
  encroachment restrictions until he is on his
  teams side of the neutral zone. A team member
  entering the field to fill a player vacancy
  remains a substitute until he is on his teams
  side of the neutral zone.
• Nonplayer 2-30-10
• A nonplayer is a coach, trainer, other attendant,
  a substitute or a replaced player who does not
  participate by touching the ball, hindering an
  opponent or influencing the play.

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Player Designations State Diagram
Enters field, communicates with a teammate or
official
Notified by a substitute that he is to leave
Player
Is positioned in a formation
Entering substitute becomes a player
Enters the huddle
Substitute
Replaced Player
Participates in the play
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More Definitions

• Encroachment 2-8
• For the purposes of enforcing encroachment
  restrictions, an entering substitute is not
  considered to be a player until he is on his
  teams side of the neutral zone.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct by nonplayers 9-8-3
• A nonplayer shall not be outside his team box
  unless to become a player or to return as a
  replaced player.

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Rule 3-7 Substitutions

• Art. 1 No substitute shall enter during a down.
• Art. 2 Between downs any number of eligible
  substitutes may replace players. Replaced players
  shall leave the field immediately.
• Art. 3 A replaced player or substitute who has
  been unable to complete the substitution, is
  required to leave the field at the side on which
  his team box is located and go directly to his
  team box.
• Art. 4 During the same dead ball interval, no
  substitute shall become a player and then
  withdraw and no player shall withdraw and
  re-enter as a substitute unless a penalty is
  accepted, a dead ball foul occurs, there is a
  charged time-out or the period ends.
• Art. 5 During a down a replaced player or
  substitute who attempts unsuccessfully to leave
  the field and who does not participate in or
  affect the play, constitutes an illegal
  substitution.
• Art. 6 An entering substitute shall be on his
  teams side of the neutral zone when the ball is
  snapped or free kicked.

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Delayed Departure

• If either team has more than 11 players on the
  field, there are times when the infraction is a
  dead-ball foul (illegal substitution) and others
  when it is a live ball foul (illegal
  participation).
• The difference is a matter of recognition by the
  officials.
• By rule, a replaced player must leave the field
  immediately.
• By interpretation, immediately means 3-5
  seconds.
• If you count more than 11 offensive players with
  the snap imminent
• Blow the whistle and throw the flag to keep the
  ball dead.
• If the defense has more than 11 player, some
  associations instruct officials to wait for the
  snap to be imminent before blowing the whistle.
• This gives the defense the fullest opportunity to
  correct the oversight before incurring a foul.
  This also aids in maintaining game flow.
• Try not to allow the ball to be snapped if you
  detect more than 11.

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Unsuccessful Departure

• If either team has more than 11 players on the
  field, there are times when the infraction is a
  dead-ball foul (illegal substitution) and others
  when it is a live ball foul (illegal
  substitution).
• The difference is a matter of recognition by the
  officials.
• If you dont catch it in time, and the snap
  occurs
• Throw the flag and allow the play to continue.
• This might be illegal substitution or illegal
  participation but depends on what the extra
  player(s) was doing.
• If the extra player(s) draws coverage or
  otherwise participates, it is a live-ball foul
  for illegal participation.
• Otherwise, this is a live-ball foul for illegal
  substitution.
• Basic spot is the previous spot (foul
  simultaneous with the snap).

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Leaving on Wrong Sideline

• Another requirement is that the departing
  substitute must leave the field on his own
  sideline and go directly to his team box.
• Leaving on the opponents sideline or over the
  end line is a foul.
• Only replaced players (or substitutes unable to
  complete the substitution) are restricted from
  leaving over the end line or opponents sideline.
• For example, a team with 11 players gets confused
  thinking they have too many on the field. One of
  the 11 players could legally leave the field just
  before the snap over the end line and immediately
  return to his bench.

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Substitute on Opponents Side of Neutral Zone

• A team member who is entering the field to fill a
  player vacancy must be on his teams side of the
  neutral zone prior to the snap.
• If the snap occurs while such a team member is on
  his opponents side of the neutral zone, he is
  considered to be a substitute, not a player.
• If he participates in any way by hindering an
  opponent, drawing coverage or touching the ball,
  it is a live-ball foul for illegal participation.
• Otherwise, it is a live-ball foul for illegal
  substitution where the basic spot is the previous
  spot (foul simultaneous with the snap).
• Encroachment restrictions apply only to players
  and not to substitutes or replaced players.
• While an entering substitute becomes a player
  when he communicates with a teammate, he is not
  considered a player for encroachment restrictions
  until he crosses to his teams side of the
  neutral zone.

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Substitute Enters Then Withdraws

• If a substitute enters, becomes a player and then
  withdraws during the same dead-ball interval it
  is a foul.
• The withdrawal is legal if
• a penalty is accepted
• there is a dead ball foul
• there is a charged timeout
• the period ends
• This rule was adopted to require a messenger
  who brings a play to the huddle to play at least
  one down.
• Be especially careful and mindful of activity
  during a charged time-out. Dont let your guard
  down because once it is called, the normal
  substitution rules apply. A time-out is not an
  all free substitution period.

13
Player Withdraws Then Re-Enters

• If a player withdraws and then re-enters during
  the same dead-ball interval it is a foul.
• The re-entry is legal if
• a penalty is accepted
• there is a dead ball foul
• there is a charged timeout
• the period ends
• During a dead ball, a player who mistakenly
  returns to his team box, realizes he is supposed
  to stay in the game, and returns to the field
  does not commit a foul since he continues to be a
  player until a substitute enters the field.
• See 2003 NFHS Interpretations Situation 4 and
  Rule 9-5-1f

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Entering During a Down

• When a substitute enters the field during the
  down, but does not participate in or influence
  the play, it is a substitution infraction.
• If he participates, draws coverage or influences
  the play, it is illegal participation.
• I have never seen this in a real game.
• Exception Dan Higgins sent extra K players in
  during the free kick exercise of our 2000 MCOA
  field clinic at Eau Gallie High School.
• My favorite foul for complicated enforcement
  scenarios.
• Live-ball, nonplayer foul.
• Cant be paired with another live-ball foul to
  produce a double foul or multiple foul.
• Basic spot for enforcement is the succeeding spot.

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Penalty Enforcement
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Miscellaneous Substitution Topics

• After the ball is ready for play, each player of
  A must have been, momentarily, within 15 yards of
  the ball before the snap. 7-2-1
• This is particularly important for late
  substitutions by team A.
• A time-out occurs when an apparently injured
  player is discovered by an official. The player
  shall be replaced for at least one down, unless
  the halftime or overtime intermission occurs.
  3-5-10a
• Currently, there is no option to buy back in
  with a charged time-out.
• Any replacement player may take the injured
  players place.
• It is illegal participation to use a player,
  replaced player or substitute in a substitution
  or pretended substitution to deceive opponents at
  or immediately before the snap or free kick.
  9-6-4c
• It is illegal participation for a disqualified
  player to re-enter the game. 9-6-4e
• A disqualified player cannot become a substitute
  later in a game.

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References

• Demetriou, George, and Redding, Rogers.
  Officials Study Guide to NFHS Football Rules,
  Double S Distributors, 2002 Edition.
• Diehl, Jerry. NFHS Football Rule Book, 2004
  Edition
• Diehl, Jerry. NFHS Football Case Book, 2004
  Edition
• Diehl, Jerry. NFHS Football Simplified
  Illustrated, 2004 Edition
• Howard, Judson. Danger Sub Sighting. Referee
  Magazine, February 2004, Pages 70-72.
• Pressman, Mike. How to call the game. 1984
  Edition