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Any HS football refs on here that can help me?

GenevaWildcats

Redshirt Freshman
Jun 23, 2002
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So I went to a HS football game in Omaha this past Friday night. I noticed something odd going on with 1 team on the sideline. There was at least 2 different players who were constantly changing their jersey numbers during the entire game. For instance, player #11 plays safety. After a change of possession this player would come to the sideline and sometimes put jersey #71 on. He did not play offense nor special teams that I noticed. But during the game he would play his safety position sometimes wearing #11 and sometimes wearing #71. It was odd seeing a player in the secondary wearing #71. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when he wore #11 or #71.

Another player played defensive end wearing #25. This same player played offensive line wearing #60. I didn't think much of it at first. But this player would play defensive end sometimes wearing the #60 and sometimes wearing #25. So the same exact player playing the same defensive position would go in on different series wearing different numbers. He always would wear #60 when he played on the offensive line. I noticed on a couple series before going into the game he would look at a defensive coach seemingly asking what jersey number the coach wanted him to wear for that defensive series.

I could not figure out why a coach would have players doing this. It did not seem to create any competitive advantage that I could think of which makes it that much more confusing as to why the team was even doing it. Are there any refs on the board that may have some insight to this? Thanks.




;;lll;

I
 
But 7(ish) years ago there was a coach in house league baseball in Millard who had is best player change jersey's so he could bat more....like nobody was going to notice that? Yeah, he got caught and booted.
 
So I went to a HS football game in Omaha this past Friday night. I noticed something odd going on with 1 team on the sideline. There was at least 2 different players who were constantly changing their jersey numbers during the entire game. For instance, player #11 plays safety. After a change of possession this player would come to the sideline and sometimes put jersey #71 on. He did not play offense nor special teams that I noticed. But during the game he would play his safety position sometimes wearing #11 and sometimes wearing #71. It was odd seeing a player in the secondary wearing #71. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when he wore #11 or #71.

Another player played defensive end wearing #25. This same player played offensive line wearing #60. I didn't think much of it at first. But this player would play defensive end sometimes wearing the #60 and sometimes wearing #25. So the same exact player playing the same defensive position would go in on different series wearing different numbers. He always would wear #60 when he played on the offensive line. I noticed on a couple series before going into the game he would look at a defensive coach seemingly asking what jersey number the coach wanted him to wear for that defensive series.

I could not figure out why a coach would have players doing this. It did not seem to create any competitive advantage that I could think of which makes it that much more confusing as to why the team was even doing it. Are there any refs on the board that may have some insight to this? Thanks.




;;lll;

I
We had to have players switch jerseys before because of blood or severely torn. Unlike colleges we didn't have replacement. We did have some extras but if that didn't fit had to take one from a kid that was second or third string. Told them it was probably the only way their jersey was going to see game time!!! One smart alex replied, "but now my mom has to wash it". Got a laugh that's for sure.

PA announcer acknowledged player x was now wearing # whatever.

I thought nsaa allowed numbers to not necessarily be required at specific positions....ie 70 for tackles, 60 for guards, 50 for center etc.

Not sure what their purpose or logic would be for continually switching jerseys. Look forward to other answers
 
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Again, the only logical explanation would be that there was another 25 that played offense and another 11 or 71 that played defense. Depending on the personnel, that’s why you saw them in the other number at times
This was my initial thought as well... there may have been personnel packages where it required another person with the same number so he had to use a different jersey to have a different number... that to me is the only logical explanation of what was going on
 
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There was not another #71 or #25 playing no. The team only had maybe 50 players on the team. So there would plenty of jersey numbers to pass out to avoid having 2 players with the same number. That definitely was not the reason they were changing jerseys. I looked for that all game and never saw another player wearing #71 or #25. Again there was maybe 50 players on the team with 99 jersey numbers to choose from. So that is definitely not the reason for them changing jerseys. Even if that was the case that would be dumb to do cause they would run the risk of being penalized for having 2 players wearing the same jersey number. A player gets hurt and another comes in and suddenly you have 2 #71's out there playing on the same side. No reason to put yourself in that position when there are plenty of numbers to go around.
 
I don't know about your first example, unless he was a back-up lineman on offense.... You have to have 5 players on the line wearing 50-79 on offense on downs 1,2,3. 4th down your snapper can have any number....

The second example makes sense, as you can wear any number in any location on defense, but if you are o-line gotta have that #60 on.


This is the manual that I used to back up my findings.... pages 17, 58-59.
 
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So I went to a HS football game in Omaha this past Friday night. I noticed something odd going on with 1 team on the sideline. There was at least 2 different players who were constantly changing their jersey numbers during the entire game. For instance, player #11 plays safety. After a change of possession this player would come to the sideline and sometimes put jersey #71 on. He did not play offense nor special teams that I noticed. But during the game he would play his safety position sometimes wearing #11 and sometimes wearing #71. It was odd seeing a player in the secondary wearing #71. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when he wore #11 or #71.

Another player played defensive end wearing #25. This same player played offensive line wearing #60. I didn't think much of it at first. But this player would play defensive end sometimes wearing the #60 and sometimes wearing #25. So the same exact player playing the same defensive position would go in on different series wearing different numbers. He always would wear #60 when he played on the offensive line. I noticed on a couple series before going into the game he would look at a defensive coach seemingly asking what jersey number the coach wanted him to wear for that defensive series.

I could not figure out why a coach would have players doing this. It did not seem to create any competitive advantage that I could think of which makes it that much more confusing as to why the team was even doing it. Are there any refs on the board that may have some insight to this? Thanks.




;;lll;

I
I'm not an official, but I'd agree with the others. Defensive numbers don't matter, but OL positions in 11-man football have to have jersey numbers 50-79. They might have also had duplicate numbers. 6- and 8-man numbers don't matter, so I am assuming it was an 11-man game-plus it being in Omaha.

What schools were playing, if you don't mind me asking?
 
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