THSLL News

There are a few changes recently approved through the NCAA’s playing rules procedures to go into effect for the  2011/2012 seasons, and will appear in the next printing of the rules book.The THSLL Board voted unanimously to waiver the NCAA 30 second rule and would like to place a waiver in Appendix A to rule 4-13 and rule 4-14 in the THSLL Rulebook in order to let the SWLOA officials know this rule will not be enforced for the 2011 THSLL season
 
Also, in reviewing the new NCAA rules, SWLOA believes that the rules as written, will be difficult to administer by non-college certified officials which make up about 70% of the current SWLOA membership. SWLOA believes that it would be best for this change to be implemented in the college ranks first to determine the proper officiating mechanics before applying at the high school level.

Per the THSLL Rulebook, Member teams vote on rule changes to the THSLL rulebook. Each Member team gets one vote. Please reply with your vote to powers21@sbcglobal.net  before January 14th stating if you support the waiver to the NCAA rules or would like the new 30 second rule implemented.

Excerpts from the NCAA rulebook.
Rule 4-13, Advancing the Ball Into the Attack Area

Upon gaining possession of the ball, a team must advance the ball into their attack area within 30 seconds. Failure to do so will result in a turnover, and the ball will be awarded to the opposing team at the spot of the violation or laterally outside the attack area. The requirement for advancing the ball into the attack area is met when the ball touches anything within that area.

The officials will enforce this rule using their 30-second timing devices. Once started, the 30-second count will continue until:

a. The opposing team gains possession.
b. A clearing team player in possession of the ball touches the attack-area line or is inside the attack area.
c. A loose ball touches the attack-area line or the ground inside the attack area.
d. A loose ball touches anything in contact with the ground inside the planes of the attack-area lines (such as a player, the crosse of a player who is touching the ground, an official, the goal or the net).
e. The ball is loose and there is a play-on for a foul by the opposing team, after which the attacking team regains possession (thus starting a new 30-second count).
f. The officials sound the whistle to stop play for any reason.

RATIONALE: The committee believes using 30 seconds total to reach the attack area will eliminate some unneeded counts by officials and maintain the flow of play.

 Rule 4-14, Ball Returning to the Defensive Half.

Once the ball has been successfully advanced into the attack area, a team is provided the opportunity to run its offense on its offensive half of the field. When the ball touches anything on the defensive half of the field, and the offensive team was last in possession of the ball, the referee will signal “get it in/keep it in.” The offensive team has 10 seconds to return the ball to the attack area.
The change is:

Exception: A new 30-second count will be awarded in these situations: 1. A shot that leaves the offensive half of the field. 2. A loose ball that leaves the offensive half of the field and was last touched (or deflected) by the defensive team