Rule 1-2-3 now will also provide rule support for the location and dimension of a three-yard line marking that appears on the field diagram. A line, 4 inches wide by a minimum of 24 inches in length, shall be centered and placed three yards from each goal line.
The committee added two new articles to Rule 10-4 regarding basic spots for enforcement of penalties. The basic spot will be the 20-yard line for plays when the end of the related run is in the end zone followed by a loss of possession and the ball re-enters the playing field and then goes out of bounds.
Following are other changes approved by the Football Rules Committee:
- Added the word "legal" to the definition of a passer to help clarify Rule 2-31-11.
- Provided an opportunity for a coach who assumes the head coaching responsibility during a game (when the head coach has been disqualified) to call a time-out.
- Beginning with the 2008 season, required forearm pads to meet same specifications as gloves and hand pads as set forth by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association in 1994. The new rule will require forearm pads to have the NFHS/NCAA label attached beginning in 2008.
- In six-, eight- and nine-player football, reduced the free-blocking zone to a zone three yards on either side of the snap and three yards behind each line of scrimmage.
In terms of the number of participants, football is the most popular high school sport for boys. According to the 2005-06 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 1,071,775 boys played 11-player football, with another 25,000 involved in six-, eight- and nine-player football. In addition, 1,264 girls played high school football in 2005-06.
