Here are the NFHS changes that will take affect in September ... https://www.nfhs.org/articles/fouls...high-school-soccer-rules-changes-for-2023-24/
Excuse me... this has to be misquoted? Or misrepresented? This probably means they are aligning handling with IFAB too but it is worded weirdly. Right? Right?! Also, good to see they are aligning offside with IFAB.
I like this one. Think late in a closely contested game... Now we don't have to choose between burning clock vs forcing them to sub out.
That was always one of the high school rules I HATED. If you are going to have a clock and make us stop it, etc., then at least let us use that discretion to check on a player. That has always been a massive inconsistency between high school’s purpose of safety and participation in my mind.
They are actually returning to the way the rule was written back when I first started officiating high school way back in 1999. Since you had the power to stop the clock at any time, you could stop the clock to check on a player. I never liked the change that if you stopped the clock to check on a player that they had to come off.
Glad they finally clarified when a player has to leave for an injury. I’m assuming it is implied the clock can be stopped. Also glad they cleared up if they agree with IFAB on the attacker handball and “deliberate” for offside purposes. Way too many instructions going about on those topics with no actual official word from NFHS before this update.
I've had it before with the GK of the winning team late in the game when they land hard. Knowing I can stop the clock to check on them solves the issue of them having to sub out and the issue of them potentially wasting time.
"Official word" is supposed to come from your state high school association. The way high school rules work is that NFHS creates a set of rules, as they do for many high school sports. The various state high school associations then adopt them for their sports or they do something else. I know that the state of Washington does not use NFHS rules for high school. NFHS does not require that state associations use their rule books.
The problem was NFHS literally said nothing with regard to if they wanted to adopt the changes IFAB had implemented. And for most people, if the rule doesn’t change the assumption is they haven’t automatically adopted anything.
In my state we got a very clear email (even including a link to the IFAB videos!) before the 22-23 season that we were supposed to use the new IFAB interpretation of the offside rule.
Well considering they still categorized it as Serious Foul Play I think everyone just sort of knew we were on our own for that one. lol
Ha, I didn't realize that either until this past fall... I was showing continuing ed discussion clips during HS chapter meeting and some of the non-USSF referees were not considering the "4 D's"..... when I heard things like "she was going for the ball", "it wasn't a hard foul", etc. as justification for not going red on textbook dogso clips, i was quite befuddled.... I just assumed that if considerations for certain offenses are not detailed in NFHS, we all just follow IFAB guidance... Oops.
Was anyone aware of this new situational interpretation in NFHS? It happened in a scrimmage in my area and was brought up by our rules interpreter: 12.7.1 SITUATION E: Team A is awarded a free kick and multiple players from Team B line up for a wall at appropriate distance from the spot per the official, and then another player from Team B (the defending team) lays down behind the wall. Before allowing play to start, the official instructs the player from Team B to stand up. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: A player may play the ball while on the ground provided the player's actions do not create a danger to that player or any other player. Laying down behind the wall of defensive players creates a dangerous situation to both the player on the ground and those standing in the wall.
Both the Laws and the Rules are clear: no crocodiles on the field of play! Seriously though, the ball is out of play. I guess the situation raises a philosophical question: What power to intervene does the referee have when presented with a situation of potential though not yet developed dangerous play?
Great, this will be fun. "I know you see this every week on TV in the Premier League and MLS. High school rules say you can't do this because you might put yourself in danger." I'll prepare myself right now to have players look at me like I have three heads . . .
I'm just going to tell them that it's one of the differences between pro soccer and high school soccer. Like when a TI does not enter the field or the fact that we use a count down clock in HS.
And let's say a defender drops into position before the kick and before you can manage; IFK for dangerous play since the book says this is dangerous? Maybe coaches should manage this, like they do with U10s and the build-out line, boy that works great with us never having to get involved.
We actually highlighted this one in our local association's preseaain meeting. We were discussing various "as seen on TV" stunts vs.what's acceptable in HS.
Not in high school! It’s dangerous in high school! But I never in a million years would prevent a team from doing this in a game with the LOTG. (Seems like a pretty poor strategy in general, and certainly before you reach very high levels where that has a remote chance of stopping a shot. I can’t recall ever seeing it actually accomplish anything, even in a pro game. I’d think there would be more useful things for that player to be doing.)
Only HS rules that anyone notices that are different is the YC sub rule, subs on your possession only, and maybe throw in turnover instead of retake if it never goes in. No one else will give a crap about any of the others. Not even stopping the clock, you can announce stoppage time and no coaches would care.