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Last season if a player was flagged for targeting he was then ejected for the remainder of the game.
Originally Appeared on VYPE
HOUSTON – Getting flagged for targeting won't mean an automatic ejection anymore in Texas high school football.
Heading into the 2019 season, the UIL has added a wrinkle to the targeting rule where referees will have the option to flag a player for targeting, which will result in a 15-yard penalty but not an automatic ejection if it is deemed that the play was made without "intent to harm".
"What coaches, officials and we all agree on is that by having that differentiation you will see officials be more comfortable calling targeting," UIL Director of Athletics Dr. Susan Elza said. "What we found in feedback we got from coaches and officials was there were times that it was probably targeting but I'm not sure. But if I throw this flag and call it that kid's out for the rest of the game. If it's early in the first quarter, that's a big deal. So, they were keeping the flag in their pocket, they were going to make absolute sure it was targeting."
Last season if a player was flagged for targeting he was then ejected for the remainder of the game. Now, officials will have an option.
If it is deemed that the player did not have "intent to harm" on the play, then they can stay in the game but if they get a second targeting penalty of that sort they are then ejected.
"TASO football is very excited about this," Elza said. "They think it's going to make it a lot easier on the officials to feel comfortable making that call."
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Critical levers Astros can pull as health concerns, deadline pressures grow
Jul 10, 2025, 3:46 pm
Jake Meyers is the latest Astro to be rushed back from injury too soon. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Houston center fielder Jake Meyers was removed from Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland during pregame warmups because of right calf tightness.
Meyers, who had missed the last two games with a right calf injury, jogged onto the field before the game but soon summoned the training staff, who joined him on the field to tend to him. He remained on the field on one knee as manager Joe Espada joined the group. After a couple minutes, Meyers got up and was helped off the field and to the tunnel in right field by a trainer.
Mauricio Dubón moved from shortstop to center field and Zack Short entered the game to replace Dubón at shortstop.
Meyers is batting .308 with three homers and 21 RBIs this season.
After the game, Meyers met with the media and spoke about the injury. Meyers declined to answer when asked if the latest injury feels worse than the one he sustained Sunday. Wow, that is not a good sign.
Asked if this calf injury feels worse than the one he sustained on Sunday, Jake Meyers looked toward a team spokesman and asked "do I have to answer that?" He did not and then politely ended the interview.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) July 10, 2025
Lack of imaging strikes again!
The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported on Thursday that the Astros didn't do any imaging on Meyers after the initial injury. You can't make this stuff up. This is exactly the kind of thing that has the Astros return-to-play policy under constant scrutiny.
The All-Star break is right around the corner, why take the risk in playing Meyers after missing just two games with calf discomfort? The guy literally fell to the ground running out to his position before the game started. The people that make these risk vs. reward assessments clearly are making some serious mistakes.
The question remains: will the Astros finally do something about it?