NFHS Official Football Signals - 2025 Edition

Oct 12, 2026

This document provides a comprehensive and standardized reference guide for NFHS Official Football signals used by referees during high school football games. The content delineates various administrative and penalty signals, including ball readiness, clock management, scoring signals, and specific rule violations such as targeting, intentional grounding, holding, and illegal helmet contact. Serving as a crucial resource for officials, players, and coaches, this guide ensures consistency and clarity in communication on the field, maintaining the integrity of gameplay through universally recognized manual gestures. Each signal is described alongside its corresponding official classification, aiding in the swift and accurate enforcement of rules during fast-paced athletic contests. The manual emphasizes the importance of precise physical demonstrations for effective officiating, facilitating clear understanding of rulings by all participants involved in the game.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Administrative Signals

Ball Ready for Play

Clock Management

Time-out Procedures

Scoring and Results

Touchdown and Field Goal

Point After Touchdown

Dead Ball and Touchback

Penalty Signals

Illegal Helmet Contact and Targeting

Intentional Grounding

Personal Fouls

Holding

Forward Pass Interference

Helping the Runner and Interlocked Blocking

FAQs

What does signal 16 represent in football officiating?

Signal 16 represents the 'First touching' or 'Illegal touching' rule as used by officials during a game.

How should an official indicate a time-out, including discretionary or injury cases?

An official should signal a time-out by extending arms laterally and then following up with the specific motion of tapping their hands on their chest for injury or discretionary time-outs.

Which signals are used for scoring in an NFHS football game?

Scoring is indicated using specific arm gestures for touchdowns, field goals, and points after touchdown, with the latter requiring the official to move their arms side to side.

Oct 12, 2026

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