Football rules changes for the upcoming year

Among the changes includes contact with a helmetless player, interference rules (both pass and fair catch)

Here is the total list of changes:



The following are the 2013 NFHS Football Rules Changes in a simplied format. Case play and other interpretations will be made available when received.

1-5-3a(5)a
Towels of any one solid color are now legal as long as they are not ball or penalty flag colored. Only one manufacturer's logo/trademark is permitted. School name, mascot, player number, etc... is not permitted.
All team members must wear the same color towel.  

1-6
Any form of available communication technology may be used by coaches, players and non-players during an outside-the-nine-yard-mark (sideline) conference and during the halftime intermission. Use of communication devices during any inside-the-nine-yard-mark (on-field) conference continues to be prohibited.

2-4-1
An airborne player/receiver who has forward progress stopped inbounds and is carried out-of-bounds by an opponent before contacting the ground is awarded a catch at the spot of forward progress.

3-5-10d
Last year, if a player's helmet came off while the ball is live, and was not due to a foul by his/her opponent, that player had to leave the game for one down (unless halftime or an overtime intermission occurs.) For 2013, the rule was expanded to include subsequent dead ball action related to the down.

6-5-6
Penalty
A 15-yard penalty with an awarded fair catch from the spot of the foul was added to the existing options for kick-catch interference. The option to try a scoring free kick after the awarded fair catch remains.

7-5-10
Penalty
This rule change removes the automatic first down for defensive pass interference and the loss of down for offensive pass interference. Both fouls will continue to result in a 15-yard penalty.

8-3-3
Clarifies that the touchdown-scoring team is the only team that can score on a try.

9-3-8
Last year, during a free kick, no member of the kicking team could initiate contact (block) with an opponent until the ball had traveled 10 yards, or until the kicking team was eligible to recover the free kick. For 2013, the rule has been further clarified to allow any member of the kicking team to initiate contact once any member of the receiving team has initiated a block.

9-4-3l
It is now a personal foul for any player or non-player to initiate contact with an opposing player whose helmet has come completely off.

9-6-4g
It is now a foul for illegal participation if a helmetless player blocks, tackles or otherwise participates beyond the immediate action in which the player is engaged when the helmet came completely off. This is a live ball, basic spot foul.