Hot topic of Horns Down signal gets some clarity by Big 12

It’s understandably a hot topic for West Virginia football fans after the Mountaineers were hit with a flag against the Longhorns a season ago for the gesture once David Sills scored a touchdown.

Making matters even more complicated is Will Grier wasn’t flagged later for the same signal after scoring what would prove to be the game winning two-point conversion.

Following the game, a 42-41 West Virginia win, then head coach Dana Holgorsen said he checked with officials prior to the start of the game to ensure that it would be permitted and later chalked the first flag up as a miscommunication.

So what’s the verdict on inverting a certain hand signal when it comes to drawing a possible flag?

Well, according to Greg Burks, coordinator of officials for the Big 12, “it depends.”

Like all other unsportsmanlike penalties, it depends on the situation and how it is used. Burks said that if somebody scores quickly and turns to their cheering section in a quick manner it won’t be flagged while if it is directed to the bench or another player in a prolonged fashion it likely would be.

“It would be like any other celebration foul, so it has to be like any other foul we have. Does it rise to the level we need to deal with that?” Burks said.

Burks said that under those conditions Grier’s usage of the sign would probably be a foul in that situation moving forward. But it’s hard to be definitive about celebration issues.

“It's a hot topic. I know people want us to be definitive on that, but it's like any touchdown celebration. Is it directed at an opponent or just celebration with your teammates?” Burks said.

That doesn’t mean flashing the signal itself is going to draw a penalty flag, because it won’t. It’s just in those instances that the player is drawing attention to the individual instead of the team.

So what’s the best advice to clear it all up?

“If you want to do that, do it back in your bench area, do it back with teammates, get away from where you are an individual drawing attention to yourself,” Burks said.

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