2013 Rule Changes for High School Football

We have 34 days until the start of football practice and wanted to pass along rule changes for the 2013 football season.

In an effort to continue minimizing the risk of injury in high school football, three additional rules will take effect this coming season to address helmets coming off players' heads during game.

As a follow-up to last year's rules change that requires players to sit out one play if their helmet comes off while the ball is live, the NFHS rules committee approved three additional rules that are extensions of last year's changes.

An illegal personal foul was added to Rule 9-4-3 to state that "no player or non player shall initiate contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely off."

In addition, a new listing in Rule 9-6-4 will state that it is illegal participation "for a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down to continue to participate beyond the immediate action in which a player is engaged."

The committee also added language to Rule 3-5-10 to clarify that if the helmet comes completely off during the down or subsequent dead-ball action related to the down - and is not directly attributable to a foul by an opponent - the player must leave the game for at least one down, with the exception of halftime or overtime intermission. When this occurs, an official's time out shall be called.

Perhaps the most significant rules changes this coming season will be one that reduces the penalty for pass interference. While the 15-yard penalty will remain for both offensive and defensive pass interference, the loss of down has been removed for offensive pass interference and the automatic first down has been eliminated for defensive pass interference.