High School Football
High school officials award touchdown after a player re-enacts the 1954 Cotton Bowl
High School officials in Tennessee award a touchdown after a player come off the sidelines to make a tackle.
A Tennessee high school officiating crew made a once-in-a-lifetime call on September 26, in the Fairview – Sycamore varsity football game.
At the 8:27 mark of the second quarter, with the score 0-0, Fairview’s Gage Proctor intercepted a Sycamore pass and was running down the Sycamore sideline and had a clear path to the endzone. According to Bro Bible, Sycamore player Silvio Rizzo, who was not in the game, came off the bench and tackled Proctor. The officials ejected the Rizzo and awarded Proctor a touchdown.
The game continued, and Fairview beat Sycamore 31-30.
Whenever high school football officials attend clinics NFHS rule 9-9-5 comes up. Rule 9-9-5 states that, “Neither team shall commit any act which, in the opinion of the referee, tends to make a travesty of the game.” The rule says if that if a team commits an unfair act, “the referee enforces any penalty he/she considers equitable, including the award of a score.”
Officials always file Rule 9-9-5 under “things that will never happen.” But the Fairview-Sycamore crew had it happen and made the proper ruling.
Somewhere, Dicky Moegle is smiling
Who is heck is Dicky Moegle? Well, on New Year’s Day 1954, Dick Moegle was a member of the Rice Owls. Rice was playing the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Owls, and Moegle were running wild.
As Moegle broke free for and was on his way to another touchdown, Crimson Tide player Tommy Lewis had had enough. Lewis jumped off the sideline and tackled Moegle – and then tried to hide.
Southwest Conference referee Cliff Shaw, awarded Moegle and Rice another touchdown.
In the NFL and college football, these are collectively called “palpably unfair acts.” Quirky Research has a list of the times the rule was invoked in college. While it has not been called in the NFL, it nearly happened in the NFC Championship Game this year, and was a topic on our 1st & 25 podcast that week.
An official’s biggest enemy is surprise. When surprising things happen, the officiating crew has to be ready to apply the proper rule. And last week in Tennessee, the officials stepped up and did right by the game.
