High school football explained

High school football
Union:	NFHS (United States) Football Canada (Canada)
Country:	United States Canada
Sport:	High school football
First:	1870
National List:	High School Football National Championship (United States)

High school football (French: football au lycée), also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partly due to risk of injury, particularly concussions.^[1] According to The Washington Post, between 2009 and 2019, participation in high school football declined by 9.1%.^[2] It is the basic level or step of tackle football.

Rules

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) establishes the rules of high school American football in the United States. In Canada, high school is governed by Football Canada and most schools use Canadian football rules adapted for the high school game except in British Columbia, which uses the NFHS rules.^[3]

Since the 2019 high school season, Texas is the only state that does not base its football rules on the NFHS rule set, instead using NCAA rules with certain exceptions shown below.^{[4] [5]} Through the 2018 season, Massachusetts also based its rules on those of the NCAA,^[6] but it adopted NFHS rules in 2019.^[7]

With their common ancestry, the NFHS rules of high school American football are largely similar to the college game, though with some important differences:

• The four quarters are each 12 minutes in length, as opposed to 15 minutes in college and professional football. (Texas uses the NFHS 12-minute quarter.)
• Kickoffs take place at the kicking team's 40-yard line, as opposed to the 35 in college and the NFL. (Texas has adopted the NFHS rule.)
• If an attempted field goal is missed it is treated as a punt, normally it would be a touchback and the opposing team will start at the 20-yard line. However, if it does not enter the end zone, it can be downed or returned as a normal punt.
• The use of a kicking tee is legal for field goal and extra point attempts. (Texas has adopted the NFHS rule, although tees have been banned by the NCAA since 1989.)
• Any kick crossing the goal line is automatically a touchback; kicks cannot be returned out of the end zone.
• The spot of placement after all touchbacks—including those resulting from kickoffs and free kicks following a safety—is the 20-yard line of the team receiving possession. Contrast with NCAA and NFL rules, which call for the ball to be placed on the receiving team's 25-yard line if a kickoff or free kick after a safety results in a touchback.
• All fair catches result in the placement of the ball at the spot of the fair catch. Under NCAA and NFL rules, a kickoff or free kick after a safety that ends in a fair catch inside the receiving team's 25-yard line is treated as a touchback, with the ball spotted on the 25.
• Pass interference by the defense results in a 15-yard penalty, but no automatic first down (prior to 2013, the penalty also carried an automatic first down).
• Pass interference by the offense results in a 15-yard penalty, from the previous spot, and no loss of down.
• The defense cannot return an extra-point attempt for a score. Texas is the lone exception.
• Any defensive player that encroaches the neutral zone, regardless of whether the ball was snapped or not, commits a "dead ball" foul for encroachment. 5-yard penalty from the previous spot.
• Prior to 2013, offensive pass interference resulted in a 15-yard penalty and a loss of down. The loss of down provision was deleted from the rules starting in 2013. In college and the NFL, offensive pass interference is only 10 yards.
• The use of overtime, and the type of overtime used, is up to the individual state association. The NFHS offers a suggested overtime procedure based on the Kansas Playoff, but does not make its provisions mandatory.
• The home team must wear dark-colored jerseys, and the visiting team must wear white jerseys. In the NFL, as well as conference games in the Southeastern Conference, the home team has choice of jersey color. Under general NCAA rules, the home team may wear white with approval of the visiting team, or both teams may wear colored jerseys if they sufficiently contrast.
• Since 2018, the so-called "pop-up kick"—a free kick technique sometimes used for onside kicks, in which the kicker drives the ball directly into the ground so that it bounces high in the air (thus eliminating the possibility of a fair catch)—has been banned.^[8]
• Effective in 2019, NFHS gave its member associations the option to allow replay review in postseason games only.^[9] Previously, it prohibited the use of replay review even if the venue had the facilities to support it. In Texas, the public-school sanctioning body, the University Interscholastic League, only allows replay review in state championship games, while the main body governing non-public schools, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, follows the pre-2019 NFHS practice of banning replay review.
• In 2022, the NFHS adopted an exception to the intentional grounding rule that allows a quarterback who is outside the tackle box to throw the ball away without penalty as long as the pass reaches the line of scrimmage (including its extension beyond the sidelines). The NFL and college football had long used this rule. Also, it made 0 a legal player number, although that digit remains banned as the first digit of a two-digit number.^[10]
• In 2023, the base spot of enforcement for most offensive fouls behind the line of scrimmage changed from the spot of the foul to the previous line of scrimmage. Also, the intentional grounding rule adopted in 2022 was slightly modified; the only player who can benefit from the exception adopted in 2022 is the first player to possess the ball after the snap (almost always the quarterback).^[11]
• In 2024, like NFL, UFL & NCAA, Texas will allow the two-minute warning once the play ends and up to two minutes remain in the half.

At least one unique high school rule has been adopted by college football. In 1996, the overtime rules originally utilized by Kansas high school teams beginning in 1971 were adopted by the NCAA, although the NCAA has made five major modifications. Through the 2018 season, each possession started from the 25-yard line. Since 2021, this remains in force through the first two overtime procedures. In double overtime, teams must attempt a two-point conversion after a touchdown. Secondly, triple overtime & thereafter are two-point conversion attempts instead of possessions from the 25-yard line, and successful attempts are scored as conversions instead of touchdowns.

Thirty-four states have a mercy rule that comes into play during one-sided games after a prescribed scoring margin is surpassed at halftime or any point thereafter. The type of mercy rule varies from state to state, with many using a "continuous clock" after the scoring margin is reached (wherein, except for specific situations, the clock keeps running on plays where the clock would normally stop). Other states end the game once the margin is reached or passed. For example, Texas uses a 45-point mercy rule (to stop the game) only in six-man football; for 11-man football there is no automatic stoppage but the coaches may mutually agree to use a continuous clock.

Demographics

High school football in the United States is played almost entirely by boys. Over the past decade, girls have made up less than half a percent of the players of American high school football.^[12] Eight states have high schools that sanction the non-contact alternative of flag football,^[13] but none sanction tackle football for girls,^[14] and a 2021 lawsuit in Utah that claimed the state violated Title IX laws by not sanctioning the sport was struck down.^[15]

According to the New York Times, in 2006, 70% of high school football players were white and 20% were black. By 2018, those figures were 30% white and 40% black.^[16], black youth are nearly three times more likely than white youth to play tackle football.^[17]

In the 2010s, participation in high school football decreased in most states across the United States. Wisconsin saw the largest decrease, dropping by nearly a quarter from 2009 to 2019; only seven states saw an increased number of players.^[18]

Safety and brain health concerns

See also: Health issues in American football and Concussions in American football.

Robert Cantu, a Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Co-Founder of the CTE Center at the Boston University School of Medicine, believes that children under 14 should not play tackle football.^[19] Their brains are not fully developed, and myelin (nerve cell insulation) is at greater risk in shear when the brain is young. Myelination is completed at about 15 years of age. Children also have larger heads relative to their body size and weaker necks.^{[20] [21]}

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by repeated brain trauma, such as concussions and blows to the head that do not produce concussions. It has been found in football players who had played for only a few years, including some who only played at the high school level.^{[22] [23]}

An NFL-funded study reported that high school football players suffered 11.2 concussions per 10,000 games or practices, nearly twice as many as college football players.^[24]

According to 2017 study on brains of deceased gridiron football players, 99% of tested brains of NFL players, 88% of CFL players, 64% of semi-professional players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players had various stages of CTE.^[25]

Other common injuries include injuries of legs, arms, and lower back.^{[26] [27] [28] [29]}

The largest stadiums by capacity

Below are the largest high school American football stadiums by capacity. Stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are included.^{[30] [31] [32] [33]}

Location	Stadium	Capacity
New Orleans, Louisiana	Tad Gormley Stadium	26,500
Wailuku, Hawaii	War Memorial Stadium	23,000
Canton, Ohio	Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium	22,400
Baton Rouge, Louisiana	BREC Memorial Stadium	21,395
Canyon, Texas	Happy State Bank Stadium	20,000
Mesquite, Texas	Mesquite Memorial Stadium	20,000
San Antonio, Texas	Alamo Stadium	18,500
Allen, Texas	Eagle Stadium	18,000
Odessa, Texas	Ratliff Stadium	17,931
San Angelo, Texas	San Angelo Stadium	17,550
Pendleton, Oregon	Pendleton Round-Up Arena	17,000
Massillon, Ohio	Paul Brown Tiger Stadium	16,392
Clarkston, Georgia	James R. Hallford Stadium	15,600
Roebuck, South Carolina	Cavalier Stadium	15,200
Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Kingston Stadium	15,000
Tacoma, Washington	Stadium Bowl	15,000
Little Rock, Arkansas	Quigley Stadium	15,000
Hobbs, New Mexico	Watson Memorial Stadium	15,000
Allentown, Pennsylvania	J. Birney Crum Stadium	15,000
Cumberland, Maryland	Greenway Avenue Stadium	15,000
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Bethlehem Area School District Stadium	14,000
Meridian, Mississippi	Ray Stadium	14,000
McAllen, Texas	McAllen Veterans Memorial Stadium	13,500
Shreveport, Louisiana	Lee Hedges Stadium	13,400
Carrollton, Texas	Tommy Standridge Stadium	13,000
Pueblo, Colorado	Dutch Clark Stadium	12,500
Irving, Texas	Joy and Ralph Ellis Stadium	12,500
Bedford, Texas	Pennington Field	12,500
San Benito, Texas	Bobby Morrow Stadium	12,000
Austin, Texas	Burger Stadium	12,000
Bridgeport, Connecticut	John F. Kennedy Stadium	12,000
Denton, Texas	CH Collins Stadium	12,000
Houston, Texas	Jones-Cowart Stadium	12,000
Pasadena, Texas	Veterans Memorial Stadium	12,000
Louisville, Kentucky	Manual Stadium	11,500
West Monroe, Louisiana	Don Shows Field at Rebel Stadium	11,200
Cypress, Texas	Cy-Fair FCU Stadium	11,000
Austin, Texas	Kelly Reeves Stadium	11,000
Evansville, Indiana	Reitz Bowl	12,000
Commerce, Texas	Memorial Stadium	11,000
San Antonio, Texas	Dub Farris Stadium	10,000
Dallas, Texas	Forester Stadium	10,000
San Antonio, Texas	Jerry Comalander Stadium	10,000
Harlingen, Texas	J. Lewis Boggus Stadium	10,000
Miami, Florida	Nathaniel "Traz" Powell Stadium	10,000
Bluefield, West Virginia	Mitchell Stadium	10,000
Brownsville, Texas	Sams Memorial Stadium	10,000
Corsicana, Texas	Tiger Stadium	10,000
New Braunfels, Texas	Unicorn Stadium	10,000
Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Howard Wood Field	10,000
Tulsa, Oklahoma	Union-Tuttle Stadium	10,000
Waller, Texas	Waller ISD Stadium	10,000
Melissa, Texas	Coach Kenny Deel Stadium	10,000
Greensboro, North Carolina	Jamieson Stadium	10,000
San Francisco, California	Kezar Stadium	10,000

See also

• High School Football National Championship
• USA Today All-USA high school football team
• USA Today High School Football Player of the Year
• Utah Girls Tackle Football League
• Nine-man football
• Eight-man football
• Six-man football

References

• ESPN College Football Encyclopedia by Michael McCambridge – lists all-time records for all current Division I and Ivy League colleges, including games played against high school teams

Notes and References

1. Web site: Concussions in High School Sports - Can Football be Saved? - Athletico . January 24, 2020 .
2. News: D-III football players say choice to forfeit season after injuries was theirs, not college's. Bogage. Jacob. 3 October 2019. The Washington Post. 2019-10-03. Nationally, high school football participation has declined 9.1 percent over the past 10 years..
3. Web site: BCFOA Home . British Columbia Football Official's Association . September 1, 2010 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20100913071747/http://www.bcfoa.ca/ . September 13, 2010 .
4. Web site: 2018–19 Football Manual . . January 21, 2019.
5. Web site: Section 159 – Football Rules . TAPPS Constitution . . January 21, 2019.
6. Web site: Rule 69.1 . Rules and Regulations Governing Athletics . . July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2011 . July 28, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091116082844/http://www.miaa.net/MIAA-Handbook-09-11.pdf . November 16, 2009 .
7. MIAA Aligns Rules with NFHS in Football, Volleyball & Baseball . National Federation of State High School Associations . August 8, 2018 . January 21, 2019.
8. New Blocking, Kicking Rules Address Risk Minimization in High School Football . National Federation of State High School Associations . April 24, 2018 . December 2, 2019.
9. Web site: Football Rules Changes - 2019 . National Federation of State High School Associations . May 16, 2019 . November 24, 2019.
10. Revised Intentional Grounding, Chop Block Rules Headline 2022 High School Football Rules Changes . National Federation of State High School Associations . February 17, 2022 . February 25, 2023.
11. Changes in Basic Spot for Penalty Enforcement Headline 2023 High School Football Rules Changes . National Federation of State High School Associations . February 2, 2023 . February 25, 2023.
12. Web site: September 2022 . 11-player football participation in U.S. high schools 2009-2022, by gender . 2022-12-02 . Statista Research Department . en.
13. Web site: Lindkvist . Kierstin . 2022-03-06 . All-girls flag football league wraps up winter season, looks to expand . 2022-12-02 . KVAL . en . CBS.
14. News: Bogage . Jacob . 2019-05-02 . When Sam Gordon was 9, she beat boys at football. Now she wants a high school league for girls. . en-US . . 2022-12-02 . 0190-8286.
15. Web site: 2021-03-03 . Judge Rules Utah Schools Don't Need To Sanction Girls' Football . 2022-12-02 . KSLTV.com.
16. News: Belson . Ken . Bui . Quoctrung . Drape . Joe . Taylor . Rumsey . Ward . Joe . 2019-11-08 . Inside Football's Campaign to Save the Game . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-12-02 . 0362-4331.
17. Web site: July 2016 . RACE AND SPORT . 2022-12-01 . Women's Sports Foundation.
18. News: Hess . Corri . 2023-10-12 . Wisconsin saw the nation's steepest decline in football participation. Now some schools are getting creative. . 2023-11-16 . Wisconsin Public Radio . en.
19. Web site: Nader. Ralph. Reed. Kenneth. The X's and O's of brain injury and youth football. Chicago Tribune. August 26, 2017. November 8, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170827044906/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-youth-football-brain-injury-nfl-concussions-perspec-1109-jm-20161108-story.html. August 27, 2017.
20. Cantu, " Concussions and Our Kids"
21. Paul Solotaroff, "This Is Your Brain on Football", January 31, 2013, Rolling Stone
22. News: Toporek . Bryan . New: High School Football Can Lead to Long-Term Brain Damage, Study Says . August 26, 2017 . Education Week . December 6, 2012 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170802140121/http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/schooled_in_sports/2012/12/long-term_brain_damage_found_in_six_former_hs_football_players.html?qs=High+School+Football+Can+Lead+to+Long-Term+Brain+Damage,+Study+Says . August 2, 2017 .
23. Web site: Deadly Hits: The Story of Ex-football Player Chris Coyne. Lauren Tarshis YouTube page. Lauren Tarshis. August 27, 2017. September 21, 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170528212418/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pELMv31qJ2I. May 28, 2017.
24. https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/9902116/report-details-concussion-risks-high-school-athletes Preps at greater concussion risk
25. Web site: July 26, 2017 . Barbara . Moran . BU Researchers Find CTE in 99% of Former NFL Players Studied . The Brink . Boston University.
26. Comparison of Injuries in American Collegiate Football and Club Rugby: A Prospective Cohort Study - Nienke W. Willigenburg, James R. Borchers, Richard Quincy, Christopher C. Kaeding, Timothy E. Hewett, 2016 . 2016 . 10.1177/0363546515622389 . 26786902 . Willigenburg . N. W. . Borchers . J. R. . Quincy . R. . Kaeding . C. C. . Hewett . T. E. . The American Journal of Sports Medicine . 44 . 3 . 753–60 . 21829142.
27. Web site: Elizabeth . Quinn . November 27, 2019 . Common Aches, Pains, and Injuries You Can Expect From Playing Football . Verywell Fit.
28. Lower Back Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Players: A 5-Season Epidemiological Study . 2019 . 6582304 . Makovicka . J. L. . Patel . K. A. . Deckey . D. G. . Hassebrock . J. D. . Chung . A. S. . Tummala . S. V. . Hydrick . T. C. . Gulbrandsen . M. . Hartigan . D. E. . Chhabra . A. . Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine . 7 . 6 . 10.1177/2325967119852625 . 31245431 .
29. Web site: High School Sports News - live scores, stats, standings and projections. High School Sports News.
30. Web site: Tony . Adame . May 13, 2022 . Biggest High School Football Stadiums . Stadium Talk.
31. Web site: Stadiums with Capacity Greater Than 16,500 . TexasBob.com.
32. News: Chris . Shelton . Matt . Young . August 3, 2022 . Texas high school football: The 20 biggest, most expensive stadiums . Houston Chronicle.
33. News: Dave . Krider . July 25, 2014. 10 more High School Football Stadiums to See before you Die. Maxpreps.