Q – What’s one rule in football you would like to see changed at the high school level?

Brad Heath

High school should follow the professional and collegiate levels when it comes to starting field position after a touchback on kickoffs. Place the ball on the 25-yard line and call it good. The other rule that drives me insane is the “down without contact” rule. Both college and high school should change this one and make ball carriers down by contact. It’s frustrating to watch a receiver make a great catch and be down where he dove for the ball or a running back who slips and is never touched, called down at that spot.

Chris Cox

I HATE the way football does overtime. I’m talking about all levels: NFL, college, and high school. I want them to play a normal or reduced quarter. No gimmicks. No sudden death. Just regular football. Basketball does it. Baseball does it. Soccer does it. Why can’t football? In high, school play seven more minutes. If the game is tied after that, then it ends in a tie.

In terms of game play rules, I don’t want drastic changes. I’d like things to be aligned with college rules just to make it more seamless but overall, I think most of the rules are pretty good. I would like to see at least one official added to the field, but I know that means more officials must be available.

Also, I would love for OSSAA to make stat reporting mandatory. I believe UIL in Texas has a deal with MaxPreps for statistical reporting. As a broadcaster, I want numbers and information. Most schools, especially at the 5A and 6A level have them but I wish it was mandatory for all schools to keep them and make them available to media.

Payton Moody

As I have watched A LOT of high school football this fall, I would like to see a change in the time between plays. Unlike the traditional play clock that counts down the time a team must snap the ball, a shot clock specifically regulates the time between plays. This would accelerate the pace of the game, potentially making it more exciting for players and fans. The shot clock would require teams to run plays more efficiently, reducing the time between snaps and promoting a faster, dynamic style of play. This change could add a strategic element to the game, forcing teams to make quicker decisions and adapt to a faster tempo.

Bill Huddleston

With the expansion of the passing game in the high school football game, I would like to see a change for Pass Interference:

If possible, make it the same penalty as the NFL where the ball is placed at the spot of the foul instead of just a 15-yard penalty. If P-I occurs in the end zone, you place it at the 2-yard line.

The line of scrimmage is the 45-yard line of the team with the ball. They throw a pass to the opponent’s end zone where the P-I occurs and currently the foul is only a 15 yard penalty. Change to the spot of the foul or in this case, the 2-yard line with automatic first down.  If play occurs at the end of quarter, half or game, the team with possession gets one untimed down.

Derrick Smith

The rule I would like to see change would be that the player with the ball must be touched to be down. There are times when a running back breaks it open and has nothing between him and the end zone. Then, he slips and touches the ground and is ruled down. If the player is going to have a great chance to score, let the opponent stop them, not the ground. The same goes for when the defense picks off a pass or recovers a fumble.