South Gulf Football Officials' Association
Proudly serving SW Florida High Schools for 52 years! 1972-2024
Unlock Your Full Potential
Great football officials must be able to bring control to chaos; understand fairness; promote safety and encourage good sportsmanship. You must have the positive characteristics of a police officer, lawyer, judge, accountant, reporter, athlete and diplomat. Are you ready for the challenge?
Training
Training classes are held in July and there is continued training at our general membership meetings throughout the year.
MAJOR 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 RULE CHANGES
Intentional Grounding
Intentional Grounding
Intentional Grounding
It is legal for a player to conserve yardage by intentionally throwing an incomplete forward pass if the passer has been beyond the lateral boundary of the free-blocking zone as established at the snap; and the pass reaches the neutral zone, including the extension beyond the sideline.
UPDATE FOR 2023:
The committee also approved a clarification to the intentional grounding rule change implemented last year. The change in Rule 7-5-2EXCEPTION permits the exception for intentional grounding to the first and only player to possess the ball after the snap ends.
Play Clock
Intentional Grounding
Intentional Grounding
When the clock is stopped due to Rule 3-5-7i, and Team B is the only team to foul, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds.
Game Clock < 2:00
Intentional Grounding
Game Clock < 2:00
When a foul is committed with less than two minutes remaining in either half, the offended team has the option to start the game clock on the snap.
Jersey Numbers
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
Game Clock < 2:00
Each player shall be numbered 0 though 99 inclusive. Any number preceded by the digit zero such as “00” is illegal. Player wearing #0 is an eligible receiver if in proper formation.
Blocking Below the Waist Must Be Immediate
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
Under the old rule, an offensive lineman can delay and then block below the waist if the ball is still in the zone. In the NFHS's ongoing quest to minimize risk in high school football, the change was approved to require the block to be immediate.
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
Play Clock Status on Defensive Player Injury
In an effort to eliminate a potential timing advantage gained by the defensive team, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds when an official’s time-out is taken for an injury or equipment issue to a defensive player.
Spike From Shotgun Formation Now Legal
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
The exception in Rule 7-5-2 regarding an illegal forward pass being a foul was expanded. The rule is now expanded to allow the exception to permit a player positioned directly behind the center in shotgun formation to also be allowed to intentionally ground the ball.
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
Rule 7-1-9 is new and states that no defensive player shall use disconcerting acts or words prior to the snap in an attempt to interfere with an offensive player’s signals or movements. This was actually moved from Rule 9-5-1 and has been reclassified from a 15-yard unsportsmanlike foul is now a 5-yard foul.
Who Makes Penalty Decisions?
Defense Deception Moved from 15 Yard Penalty to 5 Yards
Who Makes Penalty Decisions?
Several rules will be affected by the new ruling that the head coach, prior to the game, should notify the referee as to the team’s designated representative (coach or player) who will make decisions regarding penalty acceptance or declination.
Shortening Halftime
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
Who Makes Penalty Decisions?
If the game is interrupted due to weather during the last three minutes of the second period, and the delay is at least 30 minutes, the opposing coaches can mutually agree to shorten halftime intermission, provided there is at least a one-minute intermission (not including the three-minute warm-up period).
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
In a move to achieve one of the committee’s fundamental tasks of maintaining a balance between offense and defense, this revision stipulates the basic spot for enforcement of fouls behind the line of scrimmage is the previous spot rather than the spot of the foul. Current penalties for illegal kicking, batting and participation fouls, as well as provisions for offensive fouls occurring in the end zone that may result in a safety, remain intact.
As an example, with the change in Rule 10-4, a team on offense at its own 40-yard line that is called for holding 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage at its own 30-yard line, would be faced with first and 20 from its 30-yard line rather than the almost insurmountable task of first and 30 from its own 20-yard line.
Defenseless Player (Receiver)
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
Basic Spot on Penalty Enforcement
An addition (d) to Rule 2-32-16 states that another example of a defenseless player includes a receiver, as previously defined in the rule, including the person intercepting the pass, who is forcefully contacted by an opponent that is not 1) incidental contact as a result of making a play on the ball, 2) initiated with open hands, or 3) an attempt to tackle by wrapping arm(s) around the receiver.
Hello
fIVE THINGS YOU WILL LEARN BY OFFICIATING
1. You learn how to better express yourself so others understand exactly what you mean.
2. You will make lifelong friends.
3. You learn how to defuse anger in others.
4. You figure out how to build a strong team.
5. You will feel great when you get the "big call" correct!