Good rule changes in high school football over the years

[dwaynefu]

With another topic on this board about opinions on rule changes that should happen.....let’s go the opposite way...

What rule changes in the past were good for high school football?

Here’s mine: Elimination of 20-yd line penetrations as a tie breaker for playoff games and the implementation of overtime...a much needed rule change cause there were many good games that ended in a tie.

I remember at the Astrodome, it used to say “play by” on the scoreboard for penetrations.

[Eagle2]

Although eliminated, I can also remember seeing some good games decided defensively based on the penetration rule.

[mojotrain]

With another topic on this board about opinions on rule changes that should happen.....let’s go the opposite way...

What rule changes in the past were good for high school football?

Here’s mine: Elimination of 20-yd line penetrating as a tie breaker for playoff games and the implementation of overtime...a much needed rule change cause there were many good games that ended in a tie.

I remember at the Astrodome, it used to say “play by” on the scoreboard for penetrations.

I wouldn't say it was good or bad but except, to my knowledge, there was only one game there was no winner declared. Pre district games it just didn't matter. Only in district games and playoff games , penetrations, first downs, total yardage in that order, mattered.

Until the 1990 season only the district winner advanced to the playoffs. A win by penetrations, first downs or total yardage, in many cases left a zero loss team at home. There-in the greatest difference a lose by any of those means was more hurt full that a loss by points.


Examples:

In 1975 El Paso Coronado tied Permian in a bi-district game. Permian advanced on penetrations or first downs and won all the way to the finals.

In 1980 OHS tied Permian 14-14, Permian won on penetrations, won district and won the state championship.

In 1981 Permian lost in penetrations or first downs to Lewisville in the bi-district round.

In 1984 the state championship game (state title games were not determined by penetrations or otherwise) Beaumont French tied Permian 21-21. They were declared co-champions. A joyous day for the French side a terrible event for the black and white.

In 1985 a 7-7 tie with Abilene, Permian winning on penetrations or first downs gave us the district championship and a date with Houston Yates in the state championship. Thanks Abilene!

In 1990 a tie with San Angelo left us sitting at home. We had one other district loss but this way the first year of diluted playoffs where two team per district were allowed to advance.

In 1993 we won district via penetrations or first downs in a tie with Lee.

This may not be all or 100% accurate in tie games involving Permian.

[Matt.Stepp]

My sophomore year at Everman (1995) we "lost" to Seagoville in the area playoffs on first downs

[mojotrain]

My sophomore year at Everman (1995) we "lost" to Seagoville in the area playoffs on first downs

I never thought 1st downs was a good measurment. It gave running teams the advantage over passing teams. Total yardage might have been better.

[slorch]

I never thought 1st downs was a good measurment. It gave running teams the advantage over passing teams. Total yardage might have been better.

you misspelled "points."

[mojotrain]

you misspelled "points."

Maybe, but I've never tried to spell the word "yards", p-o-i-n-t-s. It doesn't look right or mean the same.M

Sure, points would be the best way to win but I'm speaking about district and playoff games that ended in a tied score.

As it was, if a game was tied at the end of 4 quarters the team with the most penetration advanced. If penetration were tied the team with the most first downs advanced and if first downs were tied the team with the most number of yards advanced. I thought the team with the most yardage should be the team that advanced rather that first downs.

[dwaynefu]

Maybe, but I've never tried to spell the word "yards", p-o-i-n-t-s. It doesn't look right or mean the same.M

Sure, points would be the best way to win but I'm speaking about district and playoff games that ended in a tied score.

As it was, if a game was tied at the end of 4 quarters the team with the most penetration advanced. If penetration were tied the team with the most first downs advanced and if first downs were tied the team with the most number of yards advanced. I thought the team with the most yardage should be the team that advanced rather that first downs.

I agree....

Team A and Team B were tied at 21-21 and the game ended.
Team A passed for 1TD and ran for 2TD’s.....but Team B had a punt return TD, a rushing TD, and a pick-6 TD....even though the returns count as penetrations Team B would probably lose on first downs....overtime was much needed.

[dwaynefu]

Until the 1990 season only the district winner advanced to the playoffs.

I believe that rule changes in 1980...1990 was the first year for 3 teams to advance....

2 teams went to the “big school” bracket
1 team went to the “small school” bracket

[slorch]

Maybe, but I've never tried to spell the word "yards", p-o-i-n-t-s. It doesn't look right or mean the same.M

Sure, points would be the best way to win but I'm speaking about district and playoff games that ended in a tied score.

As it was, if a game was tied at the end of 4 quarters the team with the most penetration advanced. If penetration were tied the team with the most first downs advanced and if first downs were tied the team with the most number of yards advanced. I thought the team with the most yardage should be the team that advanced rather that first downs.

My post was a shot at not using points to break the ties. IT was idiotic. It's not freaking gymnastics, "Well, both routines were solid, but Permian nailed the landing..."

It was not a shot at you. I just get a bit confounded at someone trying to rationalize something so inexplicable for deciding the outcome of an athletic contest.

I do agree bigtime with your post about adding the 2nd playoff qualifier. So many good/ great teams missed the POs because of fluke injuries/ bad circumstances/ singular bad games. !980, Windthorst gets moved up to (now 3A) in a district with Boyd and Billy Joe Tolliver. WHS' ADP was higher because of the graduating class in the Spring of 80 being abnormally huge. They had no business competing for the District title, but they were undefeated in District and played the Yellowjackets at Windthorst in the final week of the season, in a driving monsoon. Boyd won 7-0 and a great, overachieving Trojan team sat home for the playoffs.

[mojotrain]

I agree....

Team A and Team B were tied at 21-21 and the game ended.
Team A passed for 1TD and ran for 2TD’s.....but Team B had a punt return TD, a rushing TD, and a pick-6 TD....even though the returns count as penetrations Team B would probably lose on first downs....overtime was much needed.

And I'm fine with overtimes.

[mojotrain]

My post was a shot at not using points to break the ties. IT was idiotic. It's not freaking gymnastics, "Well, both routines were solid, but Permian nailed the landing..."

It was not a shot at you. I just get a bit confounded at someone trying to rationalize something so inexplicable for deciding the outcome of an athletic contest.

I do agree bigtime with your post about adding the 2nd playoff qualifier. So many good/ great teams missed the POs because of fluke injuries/ bad circumstances/ singular bad games. !980, Windthorst gets moved up to (now 3A) in a district with Boyd and Billy Joe Tolliver. WHS' ADP was higher because of the graduating class in the Spring of 80 being abnormally huge. They had no business competing for the District title, but they were undefeated in District and played the Yellowjackets at Windthorst in the final week of the season, in a driving monsoon. Boyd won 7-0 and a great, overachieving Trojan team sat home for the playoffs.

Then I imagine th s "COIN TOSS" event between Midland Lee, Midland High and Permian to determine this districts champ in 1988 really captured your attention. The results sent Permian to the Carter, bounce passes are good, semi final game. Bissinger made a movie and Midland High started basketball season.

[OldCatFan]

I never thought 1st downs was a good measurment. It gave running teams the advantage over passing teams. Total yardage might have been better.

It also favored ball control teams over explosive teams.

[Yellowjacket]

It also favored ball control teams over explosive teams.

Agreed. I never liked first downs as a tie breaker at all.

Recent example of a close game with first downs not being a good indicator... In the Duncanville win over Allen in last year's semifinals, the game was tied with a few minutes left (~3 minutes or so). Had it stayed that way (ended in a tie - it could have) and the old rule was still in effect, Allen would have won that tie-breaker as they finished with 25 first downs compared to Duncanville's 11. So, although it was indeed a close game, that would not have made sense (at least to me). It would unfairly penalize Duncanville for doing their scoring on explosive plays. To me, you should have never been penalized for scoring like that.

So, I like the overtime approach much better. I do think they should consider somehow changing the point values for the overtime though. For games where it goes several OTs, the final score sometimes goes up to some crazy number that doesn't really reflect what happened in the game. Not sure how that would be done though.

[pied]

My post was a shot at not using points to break the ties. IT was idiotic. It's not freaking gymnastics, "Well, both routines were solid, but Permian nailed the landing..."

It was not a shot at you. I just get a bit confounded at someone trying to rationalize something so inexplicable for deciding the outcome of an athletic contest.

I do agree bigtime with your post about adding the 2nd playoff qualifier. So many good/ great teams missed the POs because of fluke injuries/ bad circumstances/ singular bad games. !980, Windthorst gets moved up to (now 3A) in a district with Boyd and Billy Joe Tolliver. WHS' ADP was higher because of the graduating class in the Spring of 80 being abnormally huge. They had no business competing for the District title, but they were undefeated in District and played the Yellowjackets at Windthorst in the final week of the season, in a driving monsoon. Boyd won 7-0 and a great, overachieving Trojan team sat home for the playoffs.

I agree with you a little, it wasn't great but it wasn't subjective either. Everyone going into a playoff game knew the way to advance.

Score more points, or have more possessions inside the 20, or first downs, etc....

I'm fine with overtime, but I'd be curious as to how many OT games are played vs. games that ended in a tie and decided the old way. I have NOTHING to back me up, but would guess that more games were decided by points then vs. now with teams playing for OT. If true, is that a good thing or a bad thing?