Some writers are absolutely correct all the time. If you don’t think so, just write a letter criticizing one of them and see the reply you will get. I do not fit into that category.

Last week I wrote about changes to college football rules which I thought would take place in 2005. I have since found those changes are actually in place for this fall.

My apologies, and I assess myself a five-word penalty for delay of your time.

A couple of more changes the college football television fan will notice this fall include allowing a TV camera, with no audio component attached, to hang from cables over the team area.

That is not to be confused with the NFL, which allows a camera to actually hang over the playing field.

This year at college games the referee will announce the number of the player committing a foul as happens at NFL games.

Football rules changes for the 2004 high school season will go largely unnoticed by most fans.

A change important to coaches and players is the post-scrimmage kick status starts when the ball is snapped, rather than when the kick ends.

The old rule created a situation when the kicking team, even though it had committed a foul, could retain possession if the receiving team committed a personal foul before the kick ended.

The kicking team would be penalized from the previous spot, then the receiving team would be penalized and the personal foul would give the kicking team an automatic first down, even though the resulting spot might actually be behind the original line of scrimmage.

A change in the high school officiating manual requires the back judge, who keeps up with the 25-second clock, will now give a visual signal when five seconds remain in the 25-second clock. That is if there is no actual 25-second clock on the field.

Many differences remain between NCAA and high school football rules.

Fans know of the restriction against blocking below the waist in high school, and college rules seem to be heading in that direction. College players are prohibited from blocking below the waist after any change of team possession, and there are a number of other restrictions on that action as well.

Chop blocks (which are blocks against an opponent when he is in contact with one of the blocker’s teammates) are defined in high school as being at or below the knee, while college rules use the thigh as the defining area.

Strangely, high school players are required to wear shoes but not socks; college players may play barefooted, but all team members must wear socks which match in color, length and style.

As the football season gets closer, I’ll cover more of the rules and changes. Realize all of this is designed for the casual fan and is certainly not meant as a clinic for officials.

Congratulations to Principal Pat Sanguinetti, Athletic Director Roy Garcia, all three of the coaches Beesley and the rest of the staff and athletes at Cathedral for winning the 2003-2004 All-Sports Trophy for Class 1A.

And that’s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. He can be reached at

AlanWard39157@aol.com.