Low light sports question

[astroNikon]

So this is your EXIF
EDIT: oops, not the OPs photo.

Artist: Picasa
Camera: Canon EOS 650D
Lens: Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6
Shot at 200 mm (shot wide open)
Exposure: Manual exposure, 1/256 sec, f/5, ISO 800
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Focus: One-shot AF, with a depth of field of from 0 m to infinity.
AF Area Mode: Single-point AF
Date: September 9, 2016 3:40:23AM (timezone not specified)
(1 year, 11 months, 21 days, 2 hours, 27 minutes, 42 seconds ago, assuming image timezone of 6 hours behind GMT)
Time Zone Offset: Chicago

 

[ac12]

I will look for a couple examples. I also think I'm describing the problem wrong. At the start of a play, you have to zoom way out to see which direction the play is going. If it's a run, you zoom in and you can stay with the subject most of the time. If it's a pass, you've got a problem, you've got to lower the camera and get on the right subject with the ball in the air. I'm using 9 point continuous AF one space up from center for head focus. Sometimes the camera will latch onto a shoulder or a hand and the head will be in a different plane, out of focus at 2.8. F 4 is more forgiving, even if you tag the shoulder for AF, the rest of the subject is usually pretty much in focus due to the DOF. I'll try to find a few at tonight's game.

I regularly shoot HS night football at night under lights.
I use a 18-140 or a 70-200/4 on a DX body.

How zoomed in are you if you are getting a focus difference between f/2.8 and 4?
If I had a f/2.8 lens, I would shoot it wide open at f/2.8.

Are you tracking focus on the players or snap shooting?
If you are snap shooting, you may not be giving the AF enough time to focus on the subject, before the shutter fires. Not all AF perform at the high AF speeds for sport.

I find it very hard to track the HEAD of a running player, it is too small.
It is much easier to simply focus on the larger chest.

Don't zoom out, keep a medium zoom on the QB and learn to track him.
If you can't track him, then you need more practice tracking.
I find it hard to track when zoomed in tight. My eye needs space around the subject to track.
And as Scoody said, it really helps to know the game, so that you can predict what play will be run.

If you shoot with your right eye, use your left eye to watch the action and track the pass.

I put the camera up before the center has the ball and do not lower it until the play ends, or the play has gone too far from me.

If you are getting spots of over exposure, without seeing a pix, you are probably getting reflections from the lights, off the helmet or shiny uniforms.
You either accept the blown highlights or lower your exposure.

If you are shooting in Manual, why -0.3 EC?

What do you mean by "LR can't seem to dehaze enough."
Do you have a lot of particulants/smog/fog in the air?

 

[Scoody]

I put the camera up before the center has the ball and do not lower it until the play ends, or the play has gone too far from me.

I keep shooting way after the play and some of my best shots have been a receiver celebrating a touchdown, a defensive back embarrassed at getting burned, high fives. I won an award for a photo of a wide receiver running off the field to hand the football to his twin brother on the sideline It was the final game of the season with less than a minute left and the last TD the receiver (a senior) would ever score. The brother was in a wheelchair, healing from a car wreck that left him paralyzed. He had been a star player and really was not recovered enough to be let out of the hospital but hoops were jumped through for him to be there to watch his brother's last game. I managed to get a very good emotional shot. As a result I now have "Award Winning Photographer" on all my literature.

 

[dennybeall]

It would help you to learn to keep both eyes open so you can see the developing action. Also helps to keep you from getting run down by a rampaging linebacker.