On the back and left shoulder of every NFL game official is a key identifier — a uniform number. When officials join the league, assigning them a number is a very early order of business.

The number — worn by NFL officials since 1942 — gives the official an identity beyond the black-and-white-striped shirt. Ask any NFL official and there will likely be a story on how he or she obtained the number or some other personal connection to the digits. It also serves as another way to know which official ruled on a particular play when assignment details are not readily available or recalled by memory.

“You know who’s assigned to the game, but it does save a step,” said Dean Blandino, NFL vice president of officiating from 2013-17. “If someone sent me a play, while I knew who was assigned to the game, it was immediate in identifying the official.”

Numbers worn in the NFL have included 1 all the way to 142, with some exceptions.
In the first Super Bowl — then known as the NFL-AFL Championship Game — three officials represented each league. Each of the officials’ numbers ended with 0 and the backups’ numbers ended with 1. Thus, referee Norm Schachter was number 10, umpire George Young was number 20, head linesman Bernie Ullman wore number 30, line judge Al Sabato sported number 40, field judge Mike Lisetski was assigned number 50 and back judge Jack Reader was number 60.

But it wasn’t always that simple.

Beginning with the 1979 season, the NFL flirted with an eventual failed experiment — duplicate numbers assigned by position. That season, the NFL assigned numbers by position, predominantly from 3 through 20, excluding 13. So, with seven game officials across multiple positions, but not on the same regular-season crew, could there ever be a problem?

In back-to-back Super Bowls, number 7 caused a problem for the NFL. Fred Silva and Al Conway both wore number 7 during the regular season and were assigned to Super Bowl XIV. Fortunately, Silva wore a black hat as the referee and Conway wore a white hat as the umpire, but they wore identical numbers during the game.

Head linesman Tony Veteri Sr., line judge Tom Dooley, back judge Tom Kelleher and field judge Fritz Graf all wore number 7 during the 1980 season and were assigned to Super Bowl XV. Instead of doubling down on the previous year’s debacle, Kelleher was the only number 7 during the game, based on his seniority. Veteri, Dooley and Graf were given different numbers for the game. Veteri wore 8, Dooley wore 10 and Graf wore 17.
The experiment ultimately would be short-lived and most officials went back to unique numbers for the 1982 season.

“WE’LL SAVE A SPOT FOR YOU”

Retired down judge Ed Camp wore number 134 and did so proudly despite stereotypes of it being a bottom-of-the-barrel, triple-digit number.

“I was crushed,” Camp said when he learned of his number assignment when he joined the league. “But it’s grown on me.”

Camp did not hold the highest number, however, as Pete Morelli sported number 135. Only field judge Dave Warden and back judge Perry Paganelli have worn higher numbers in the history of the league. Warden wore number 137 during the 1998 season before switching to number 27 for his final four seasons, while Paganelli wore number 142 in 1998 and switched to number 46 after that season.

As if to molify him, Camp was told 134 is only 100 digits away from longtime referee Gerald Austin (34), who was assigned to three Super Bowls.

“We’ll save a spot for you,” Camp said he was told by college officiating peers when he told them his NFL number assignment. “You’ll be back.”

Camp, in the league since 2000, was assigned as the down judge for Super Bowl LIII — never returning to his former NCAA stomping grounds.

Now, after Camp’s retirement at the end of the 2021 season — culminating with his third assignment as a Super Bowl alternate — Robin DeLorenzo wears number 134 after being hired into the NFL for the 2022 season.

DeLorenzo referenced Camp as her first mentor in the New Jersey Football Officials Association North (NJFOA) in a Facebook post when Camp was slated to work the 2022 AFC Championship game as the down judge — presumably his last assignment before being selected as a Super Bowl alternate two weeks later. DeLorenzo met Camp on the first night of her cadet class in an effort to become a high school football official in New Jersey.

“Throughout my college career, there are always three calls that go out when I get a promotion or a special game: my parents, Tom (DeLorenzo’s husband) and Ed Camp,” DeLorenzo said in the post.

“Between the cadet classes every week where (Camp) would show us hours of film, to the study sessions, to coming to our games, to showing up to clinics to share his experiences. The man dedicated his whole life to football and making sure the NJFOA North (and other groups) had the most prepared officials around!” she wrote.

THE OFFICIAL BEFORE ME

When Jerome Boger joined the NFL in 2004, he was fortunate enough to choose his number — initially picking number 109 from a batch of unassigned numbers. But another number caught his eye — 23.

That’s because it previously belonged to Johnny Grier, the NFL’s first Black referee. Boger and Grier developed a bond and Boger shared a wish with Grier.

“JG, when you retire, I want you to tell me so I can tell the office I’d like your number,” Boger said he told Grier in 2004.

Two years later, that wish came true when Boger wore number 23 beginning with the 2006 season. “He’s always been special to me,” Boger said of Grier.

“When there is a request, we would certainly honor a request where we could,” Blandino said of his tenure. That was not the case under all NFL officiating leaders, however, as others merely assigned numbers.

Blandino said the process is a bit “random.”

Boger said he continues to enjoy his number as a tribute to Grier but said the number carries added meaning when talking with players.

He said he’ll seek out players on the field wearing the same number as his during the pregame and share a moment, usually saying, “I’ve worn this number for 15 years. Hopefully, you can do the same.”

That conversation, Boger said, is another avenue to have a human conversation with players before everything gets crazy.

Boger’s son, Tra, was hired into the NFL for the 2022 season and wears number 2. Jerome and Tra become the first father-son duo to work in the NFL at the same time since Steve and Brad Freeman were onfield officials through the 2019 season. Steve Freeman opted out of the 2020 season and subsequently retired.

OFF LIMITS

While no numbers have officially been retired by the NFL, some administrators have given certain numbers a “cooling-off period” after a retirement or transition.

When Al Riveron joined the league office after the 2012 season, Blandino said the league would not assign his former number 57 unless Riveron felt there was an official deserving. Since Riveron’s departure from the field, number 57 had not been worn until the 2020 season, when it was assigned to field judge Joe Blubaugh.

That has not always been the case as referees like Jerry Markbreit and Jim Tunney, working a combined seven Super Bowls, did not see their numbers — 9 and 32 respectively — put on hold.

For the longest time, numbers 1 and 13 were kept on the shelf. Under Blandino, then-incoming field judge and now referee Scott Novak was assigned number 1 and incoming down judge Patrick Turner was assigned number 13.

“My birthday is 13,” Blandino said of his birthdate. “It hasn’t been unlucky for me.”
Sixty-nine, however, remains off limits allegedly due to its sexual connotations.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A number of family members have been selected to officiate in the NFL — some concurrently and others years apart. Some family members have had the opportunity to honor their family history in the NFL by wearing a number “in the family.”

Walt Coleman spent his entire career as number 65. When Walt IV joined the league in 2015, he wore number 87. But following Walt’s retirement after the 2018 season, Walt IV was able to change to number 65, which continued a family tradition dating back to 1989 — the longest such streak in NFL history.

The Baynes family has a similar legacy, but not continuous. Former side judge and line judge Ron Baynes wore number 56 throughout his career. When Baynes’ career came to a close after the 2000 season, number 56 sat vacant until 2008. That’s when Allen Baynes, Ron’s son, joined the NFL and number 56 became a perfect fit.

But when Rusty Baynes, Ron’s other son joined the league in 2010 as a line judge, he was out of luck, since Allen already captured the “family number.” Rusty secured a nearby number, 59.

Jim Quirk Sr. spent more than 20 years in the NFL as a line judge and umpire wearing number 5. But in the 2009 season, with Quirk no longer in the league, John McGrath switched from number 120 to 5.

That led to an interesting conversation when Jim Quirk Jr. was hired into the league. Initially, Quirk Jr. wore number 63, but toward the end of McGrath’s career. McGrath said to Quirk Jr., “When I retire, you should take this number back.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Quirk Jr. has worn number 5 since the beginning of the 2017 season, when McGrath left the field.

The post Take a Number appeared first on Referee.com.

1. Eyes

Almost everyone would likely name the eyes as the body part most important to officiating. A college official who had received good ratings was phased out when it became public knowledge that he had a glass eye. The eyes detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. Visual acuity is the ability to distinguish fine detail and that’s exactly what’s needed to determine if a restriction has occurred when two linemen are engaged.

Most fouls cannot be called properly unless the whole act is observed. Perhaps the best examples are illegal blocks. To call a block below the waist, the official must see the initial contact. If he doesn’t, the official may not know if the blocker started with legal contact and then slid on the opponent’s body. If the official doesn’t see the initial contact on a potential block in the back, he may not know if the opponent turned on the blocker.

2. Ears

Hearing the sounds of the game is useful, if not essential. There is some benefit to not being able to hear what comes out of the team box, but overall a deaf official would be at a disadvantage. The umpire must know if the defense is interfering with the snap count. Perhaps the most important use of auditory perception is dead-ball officiating.

If opponents linger, officials should move in promptly to address it. When you can’t get to two players who have squared off before they part, go to the guy who is most upset and ask him the nature of the problem. He’ll usually complain of being punched or sworn at. Tell him you’ll take a closer look. If he started it, he knows he’ll be watched. If he didn’t, the foul can usually be spotted the next time. The fact an official is asking for details seems to make all the players aware the officials are tuned in to what’s going on and monitoring it closely.

3. Mouth

The mouth is used for communication, especially with crewmates, and that is an essential part of officiating. However, improper use of the vocal cords has besmirched many an official. “Speak when you are angry, and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.” Those words are commonly attributed to author Laurence J. Peter, known for The Peter Principle. Coaches can get away with it; officials cannot.

The regretful words can be uttered either during or after the game. As a general rule, the less you say to players, the better off you’ll be. However, some communication is not only necessary but desirable. Building rapport with the participants is part of good officiating. Under no circumstances, though, should officials fraternize, criticize, coach or threaten.

Last season, a local official was admonished because he tried to caution a player by saying, “Don’t be a dumbass.” The player mentioned it to his father, who was an assistant coach and then his mother got in on it and soon there was a controversy.

Some officials have found success appealing to a player’s ego. “You’re too good of a player to act like that” can result in a player calming down.

4. Arms

Like the mouth, the arms are used for communicating. Signals must be clear and be concise. Rushing or dawdling with signals is not very effective. By rushing, you communicate poorly; by dawdling, you keep the game from moving. A common error in signaling is excessive repetitions. In most cases, once is enough and two are acceptable. Recently, a crew from a smaller association received a very poor rating on a playoff game. Upon further review, the crew actually had called a decent game, properly getting forward progress. Apparently, what had turned off the observer was the hunched-over signaling on incomplete passes by the wing officials. Instead of signaling decisively while standing erect, they signaled while moving and waving their arms like ape men.

Some calls need to be sold. Close calls need a little extra emphasis to communicate to everyone clearly. But selling a call is like raising your voice — sometimes it is necessary and effective, but do it too often and people get angry or turned off. Sell a call only when necessary. You don’t want to appear that you’re caught up in the emotion of the game.

In one instance, a runner was ruled down when the ball became loose and was recovered by the defense. In the ensuing confusion, the chains moved and didn’t get back to the correct position and that went unnoticed by the head linesman. The video revealed the head linesman merely signaled the number of the next down while the back judge nonchalantly pointed at the spot where the runner was down. If the call had been properly sold (the video also revealed it was indeed a fumble), the chains likely would not have moved.

5. Legs

To get the call right, an official must get to the proper position. That is what mechanics manuals are all about. In most cases, angle is much more important than distance. That usually requires movement. That includes the back judge on running plays moving as his buffer begins to dissolve to restore his separation while keeping a watchful eye on the runner and the nearest potential tackler, and the referee keeping pace with a quarterback who rolls away and covering the near sideline when the quarterback approaches it.

Beware of overusing your legs, the so-called “false hustle.” That refers to energetic movement during liveball coverage that serves no purpose other than to demonstrate the official can move rapidly. The real problem with false hustle is no officiating is accomplished while the official is showing everyone how fast he can run. When the runner breaks open for a long run, wing officials should focus on the blocking to see if any defender is illegally restrained from catching the runner. Blindly racing to a goalline that will be covered by the back judge may look good but serves no officiating purpose.

6. Brain

The five senses — sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch — are part of the nervous system and collect information about our environment that is interpreted by the brain (the latter three senses are of minimal value to officiating). We utilize that information based on previous experience, subsequent learning and by the combination of the information from each of the senses. Each sense provides different information which is combined and interpreted by our brain. Here is an example.

A player tackles a receiver in a straight line away from the covering official. It appears the tackler first makes contact with his shoulder, but the crack of helmets crashing is clearly heard. The sound should spur the official to reconsider what he saw. If he determines the position of the tackler’s head was consistent with a targeting foul, the flag should be thrown even if helmet contact was not observed.

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Kickoffs.

The problem starts with the first play of the game. Since the first game was played in 1869, no one has ever reported a ball exploding in mid-air. There is no value in intensely watching the entire flight of the ball — nothing will happen in the air. It is beneficial for all officials to always know the approximate location of the ball and what is being done with it, but that can be accomplished with peripheral vision and without a direct and prolonged stare.

When the ball is kicked, all officials should know how it was kicked and the general direction it is taking. After that there are specific players to key on. There are a variety of ways to divide responsibilities both for while the ball is in the air and during the runback. The important thing is to have such a plan; it cannot be left to chance.

The first phase should be to watch as many of the initial blocks as possible in a specified area. What follows will vary depending on how the play develops. The number-one priority is ascertaining who has responsibility for getting the forward progress spot. An oft neglected aspect of kickoff coverage is supervising the untangling of players around the ball after the tackle. That is normally done by the umpire, but he may not be able to get to the dead-ball spot in time. On shorter returns, the referee may be the closest to the pile.

Pass plays.

One of the few similarities between pass plays and kickoffs is that the ball is in the air; it just doesn’t get airborne as quickly or as high as during a kick play. At the snap, the wing officials should watch their tackle to see if his block indicates a pass or a run. Pass blocking usually entails a one- or two-step drop. At that time, the official should shift his focus to his key.

A common mistake made by wing officials is watching the quarterback in the pocket to determine when and if he is going to throw the ball. While the official doesn’t have to be at the same yardline as the deepest receiver on his side of the field, he needs to be reasonably close, perhaps within 10-15 yards. The farther away the covering official is from the play, the more likely he will be straight-lined or his view otherwise blocked. On longer passes, if the official waits for the ball to be thrown before releasing downfield, he will not be able to get to the desired proximity.

Some officials on the sideline relax when all the receivers flow to the opposite side of the field. However if a receiver has to come back toward the passer to catch the ball and is contacted after catching it, the progress spot should be marked by the opposite wing while the near wing focuses on completion of the catch and any personal foul during the tackle.

Referees need to train themselves to keep their eyes on the quarterback until he is no longer in danger. Watching the flight of the pass will not reveal any useful officiating information. Even when the ball is thrown into an area where there are no eligible team A receivers, there are crewmates downfield who can provide that information. The ball’s destination is not immediately the referee’s concern. His part of the intentional grounding determination is to decide if the throw is made under duress. Without a pressured throw, there cannot be a foul for grounding the ball. It could be an egregious error if the referee is watching the ball in mid-air while the passer is being roughed by the defense.

Running plays.

On runs to the opposite side, a wing official should focus on cleaning up behind the play, especially on any action against the quarterback after the handoff. Attempting to watch the ball on those plays is doubly futile. Not only does the ball not need any particular attention from the opposite side, but the view of the ball will almost certainly be blocked by the runner’s body, if not other players.

On runs to the near side, the wing official should focus on blocks in front of the runner — the point of attack. To do that the official must look beyond the path of the runner into the line. Conspicuous acts such as a takedown (tackle) or arm encirclement accompanied by forceful impetus or the prolonged grabbing of a jersey or an arm, are relatively easy to spot. Other forms of restriction such as taking out an opponent’s feet, spinning or turning him around or causing him to fall in an unnatural direction are more difficult to discern and generally cannot be detected with peripheral vision while watching the ball.

Punts.

Although the ball is in the air for a substantial amount of time during a punt, most officials are disciplined enough to not watch the ball. Perhaps it’s the realization that a crew of five is extremely short-handed when covering a punt. Umpires who try to watch the ball are inadvertent targets for linemen who abruptly turn to run downfield.

The referee has good reason to watch the ball if it heads toward a sideline, but his primary responsibility is observing the kicker. Punted balls that go out of bounds in flight must be lined up by the referee in conjunction with the wing official or back judge. However, the referee cannot watch the flight of the ball at the expense of missing contact on the kicker.

The post Eyes Off the Ball appeared first on Referee.com.

Players at the high school level don’t always abide by that practice. In effect, they have to learn it, and some of them are reluctant learners. Some high school runners squirm and thrash when they’ve been put on the ground, especially if they’re angry at being dumped for a loss.

A number of problems can be prevented if an official is at the dead-ball site within two or three seconds. Moreover, that official will take charge and use his voice to let the players know he is there. “I’ll take the ball. Use the ground, not a player. One at a time.”

For some reason, it is hard for officials to adopt that practice. Most will be gnawing on their whistles. Only a few will feel compelled to police the pile quickly. That is because coverage in the side zone isn’t as prompt as it could be due to uncertain responsibilities. If the umpire refuses to cross the hashmark and the wing officials decline to move into the field of play, any runner downed in a side zone will rest temporarily without an official covering immediately. Some referees will move to the side zone and retrieve the ball with the wing official poised at a progress spot some distance away, perhaps even remaining on the sideline.

One accepted practice is for the umpire to move into the side zone and get the ball while wing officials hold a spot. The umpire then runs back to place the ball at the hashmark. That practice has the umpire virtually running sideline to sideline while wing officials freeze at progress spots, not picking up the ball.

Here’s a system in five-official mechanics that guarantees nearly instant coverage of downed runners in a side zone from the sidelines to the hash.

After squaring off on a play that gains zero to seven yards, the wing official moves onto the field quickly and secures the ball while at the same time obtaining a progress spot. It’s that simple. The object is to provide rapid coverage. But that’s not all. The referee follows the play, swinging outside into the side zone and stays behind the play preparing to receive the relay. He tosses the ball to the umpire for placement at the hash. The umpire also moves toward the dead ball; if it is within several yards of the sideline, he crosses the hash and observes follow-up action at the dead-ball spot. The back judge also moves toward the play. If the gain on the play is more than seven yards, he’ll expect to be the middle person on the relay back to the hash.

That form of coverage has several purposes, one of which is immediate coverage of dead-ball action combined with an accurate progress spot. A second purpose is that four officials are actively closing in on the play, although three of them will stop before getting there. The third purpose is that all four officials will be in a useful proximity to spot post-play behavior by players. A fourth purpose is to decrease the distance between officials for passes that return the ball to the hash. No official should be making a pass of more than several yards.

The prescribed starting position for the wing officials is off the field. That is a sensible procedure, because it isolates the wings away from initial play action. College and pro officials, however, move in and out regularly, collapsing toward the dead-ball spot on every play — even if slightly — and moving swiftly inward to obtain dead-ball progress on first downs and the goalline. The persistent “accordion” movement on the part of wing and downfield officials on every play is not shown on TV, hence high school officials may not pick up on it. Starting from out of bounds does not mean staying off the field entirely.

Moreover, college and pro referees may start from deep behind the eligible receivers in the backfield, but they are also mobile enough to stay on the heels of flushed quarterbacks and to follow play action into the side zone. Although the camera may not show it, pro referees actually spot the ball for the next play a fair percent of the time.

Most high school crews don’t have the luxury of one or two crewmates to help coverage. That’s why a back judge in a crew of five has to be hustling toward the side zone on plays that end near or across the sideline. The back judge should be responsible for coverage out of bounds off the field whenever possible. An oft-heard expression is, “You can’t be killing grass back there.” In college and pro football, when the ball comes dead in a side zone halfway or past the numbers on the field, the deep officials initiate a ball exchange. Therefore, the wing official doesn’t have to get the ball at once. If he does get it, he merely puts it at his feet for a spot.

A variation in the four-person side zone coverage may be required when a sweep moves away from the referee’s established spot on the quarterback’s throwing arm. In such cases — say a three- or four-yard gain — the umpire can move farther into the side zone. The referee can get the second relay pass and place the ball at the hash.

The combined coverage is an effective way to show hustle and coordination for an officiating crew, but more important it is a solid way to cover all action around the runner and to get the ball back in play promptly.

The post Police the Pile appeared first on Referee.com.

For ease of reference, in this article, it will be assumed that the linesman is positioned on the chains side of the field and the line judge the opposite side.

Before the game

Inspect the chains before the game. The chain should be taped at its midpoint. If, during the pregame inspection, no tape is found on the chain, ask an athletic trainer or team manager for a strip of tape about six inches long. The chain is folded in half and the tape wound around the links at the halfway mark. The rationale for that will be explained later.

Ensure the stakes are equipped with safe, flat bottoms and check the down box to confirm it operates correctly. Next the chain must be checked for length and integrity and that it is securely attached to the stakes and is free of kinks. Any corrections that are possible should be made.

The linesman may pack a zip tie in his pocket. If a repair is necessary, the zip tie can provide a temporary solution and shorten the delay.

Mechanics

It has become accepted practice for a new series that follows a free kick, punt or turnover to begin on a yardline. That prevents unnecessary measurements. For instance, the kick receiver is downed such that the ball is dead between the 27 and 28 yardlines. The ball should be moved up to the 28 yardline.

Similarly, if a play ends near team B’s 10 yardline and it’s at all possible, place the ball on or just inside team B’s 10 yardline, making it goal to go.

Understand, however, that the above mechanics are used only at the start of a new series following a kick or turnover. At all other times, the spot is the spot.

The wing official on the side of the field opposite the chains is a key cog when the ball becomes dead beyond or close to the line to gain. That official can see the chains and can alert the referee if the ball is clearly short, is clearly beyond the line to gain or is so close he needs to take a look. The linesman should never peek over his shoulder to check the line to gain. Best practice is for the linesman to memorize the line to gain; failing that, observing the line judge will provide the information needed.

The tape on the chain helps determine if team A will achieve a first down on a five-yard penalty, thus precluding the need for a measurement. For instance, if the box is three links behind the tape and team B is flagged for a five-yard penalty, the linesman can check the tape and tell the referee, “They’ll still be short.” Conversely, if the box is slightly beyond the tape, the linesman can place his hand on his chest, which has come to mean “Five will get you one.”

Rules

A measurement may only take place before the ball has been declared ready for play. In NCAA, the referee alone determines if a measurement is necessary. In NFHS, the captain may request a measurement. In either code, there is no measurement if the referee deems it is obvious the line to gain has or has not been reached.

If the ball has become dead close to the line to gain, the covering official should first ensure the clock is stopped and then pinch in all the way to the ball. The retrieving official will hand that official the ball, which will then be placed by the covering official at the dead-ball spot. Directly handing the ball to the spotting official will ensure the ball is not mishandled, resulting in uncertainty in the covering official’s spot.

Procedure

When the referee calls for a measurement, the linesman should have the box moved behind the lead stake. That is a reference point in case the line to gain should somehow become lost during the process. The NFHS manual indicates the down should not be changed on the box; that point is not covered in the college manual.

A beanbag may be placed at the sideline where the chain is clipped. If team A is short, that enables the linesman to go directly to the spot with certainty and is another fail-safe.

As the chains are being brought onto the field, the line judge should use his foot to indicate the intersection of the five yardline where the chain is clipped and a line through the ball parallel to the sideline. That is the spot where the linesman will place the clipped part of the chain.

The linesman brings the chain in from the sideline with the chain crew members. Putting one hand on the links on each side of the clip improves the linesman’s chances of keeping track of the proper link in case the clip falls off the chain. The clip must be placed on the back edge of the line for the measurement. A good double-check is for the linesman to state that the next down will be first if the ball is beyond the stake or the next down of the series if it is short. (Example: “It will either be first or fourth.”)

The back judge holds the ball, positioning himself outside of the forward stake with his back toward the goalline to which the offense is advancing and does not let go of the ball until the measurement is totally finished. In some areas, it is customary for the line judge to step on the chain to prevent any movement when the umpire pulls the stake. Once the linesman tells the referee he has the chain on the proper mark, the umpire takes the forward stake from the chain crew member, then pulls the stake to ensure the chain is taut. The referee makes the determination.

If the measurement is in a side zone and does not result in a first down, the umpire should keep control of the stake. The referee uses his hands (or thumb and index finger if the ball is inches short of the front stake) to indicate how short the play ended of a first down.

The referee grasps the chain at the link in front of the ball and rises. Referee, umpire, line judge and linesman walk to the nearest hashmark. The line judge should have another ball ready to be placed. It’s OK if it’s not the offensive team’s game ball. Once the ball is set and the chains removed, the balls are switched so the offense will snap its own ball.

If the measurement occurred on fourth down and team A is short, the referee signals the change of possession by giving the first down signal toward team A’s goalline. The referee then sets the ball in the same position as it was when it became dead so its foremost point becomes the rear point when the direction is changed. The new rear stake is then moved to the new foremost point of the ball.

If the measurement results in the award of a new series for team A, the referee signals the first down. The linesman need not hold the chain as he accompanies the chain crew back to the sideline, but he must go all the way to the sideline and indicate to the chain crew where the new series will begin.

Regardless of the result of the measurement, the referee must wait for the linesman’s signal that the chain crew is back in position before giving the ready signal.

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One thing that football crews often do that can foster a negative impression is to have conferences that go on too long or involve officials with nothing useful to offer. How many times have you seen games in which multiple officials converge to discuss what may be something as simple as a false start and to prolong the discussion to the point that everyone gets antsy? To be sure, when more than one official has a flag down on a play, all of the calling officials must get together to compare notes; what I’m talking about are crew conferences when only the referee and calling official need to be involved, crew conferences that are needed but involve five people when only three have something meaningful to contribute and meetings that go on endlessly because those involved are talking over each other, too excited and the like.

If, for example, only the head linesman has a false start before the snap, he can quickly communicate that to the referee and umpire, the umpire can immediately march off the penalty and the referee can give the signal and, if applicable, microphone announcement. There doesn’t need to be any preliminary signal by the referee or any other officials involved in the discussion; in fact, there really doesn’t need to be much discussion at all. The procedure in college ball is for the linesman to give the referee a visual false start signal, which the umpire will see; all the referee needs is the player’s number (if he doesn’t already know it) and then makes an announcement while the umpire marks off the five yards. Bing, bang, done. If others besides the linesman have a flag down, they will converge with the referee and the umpire to determine whether it is a false start or defense in the neutral zone (offside). But again, they do their thing and get on with it.

The same thing applies no matter the foul(s) and number of officials with flags. We need to be sure that everyone understands what has been called and what the enforcement is, but we do it expeditiously and without officials with no flags down involved in the discussion.

If it is appropriate at whatever level you work for calling officials to give visual signals, it sure can help the referee to get things clarified and enforced with alacrity. One example is the one above, in which the linesman has a false start; his giving me the visual signal eliminates the need for a lengthy discussion. If a deep official has defensive pass interference and, after he throws his flag, he gives me the appropriate signal and points to the defense, the tumblers of my mind start immediately working. As I run downfield to meet him I already know what he has called and I can calculate whether the foul is a spot foul or we will enforce the 15 yards (because that is how interference is enforced under NCAA rules). That eliminates a lot of talk and possible confusion, saves a ton of time and helps us to look crisp and in control.

In line with that, I do not give options to the captain if the choice is clear. That wastes time. If, for example, the offense gains six yards on a running play so that it will be third and four, but there is holding in the backfield, no consultation is needed to know the defense wants the penalty enforced. Once I get the foul and its location and the number of the fouling player — the umpire will know that as he will be with me when the calling official reports that information — the umpire enforces the penalty and I give the announcement. NFHS mechanics don’t allow for that lack of consultation, but the idea is be as brief as possible.

Being thorough but expeditious helps to move the game along and creates the impression that the crew is on top of things. Contrast that with the situation in which there is a lot of discussion involving a lot of people. The referee starts to leave and do something but  then he returns and there is more discussion, with officials pointing here, there and yonder until finally something is done. The reality may be that the crew knows what it is doing, but the perception will be otherwise and there can be a snowball effect with doubts cast on things the crew does or calls down the line.

Lest anyone misunderstand, let me stress that I am not advocating speed at the expense of accuracy. Sometimes conferences are necessary and it will take a while to sort things out. Ultimately, our goal has to be to get things right. I am simply saying that multi-official conferences should be held only when they are necessary; they should be reasonable in length, meaning that everyone who talks must do so calmly; and they should not involve officials with nothing to offer. If you don’t have a flag down or something meaningful to offer, stay out of it.

Having said all of that, it is essential to ensure that all of the pieces of the puzzle are put together at one time and before the referee does anything. Last season our crew had a game that began with an onside kick. On the goalline, I saw a flag from the back judge and then saw the side judge point to indicate that the receivers recovered the kick. The back judge told me he had offside on the kickers; the side judge told me he pointed the wrong way and the kickers recovered. Fine. I announced the penalty, noted there would be a rekick and ran back to the goalline. Tweet, tweet! In comes the field judge to ask why, if the receivers recovered, we’re not adding the penalty to the spot of the recovery. I told him the side judge pointed the wrong way and the kickers recovered. Off goes the field judge, only to tweet, tweet and come running in again to ask whether the kick went 10 yards or the receivers should get it at the spot of illegal touching. That meant I had to get the side judge involved to ask him about that; he said it did go 10 yards.

When we finally rekicked, with 14:55 on the clock in the first quarter, we had pretty well convinced the two coaches that we had no clue what we were doing. The Keystone Cops looked more organized and in command than we did.

First, kudos to the field judge. My rule is that even if you’re the one guy on the crew who thinks something is not right, stop the game and ask the question, for you may save the entire crew from disaster. But my main point is that we did not take our time from the start to be sure we had all the necessary information assembled and that all of us were on the same page before anyone enforced or announced anything. The play was a little confusing andthere was a lot going on, but there is no excuse for it having led to all of the discussions, meetings, etc., that ensued.

The next time you work a game, spend time in the pregame discussing the notion of having conferences only if clearly needed, limiting them to the people with relevant input to offer, having people talk calmly and not over one another and ensuring that discussions end with all pieces of the puzzle put together and all crew members singing from the same song sheet. Handling business in an expeditious, crisp and organized fashion will go a long way toward creating the impression that the crew knows what it, is doing, which can save its bacon when the tough times come.

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Two different situations come to mind. One is where a player is close to fouling and we’re trying to keep him from crossing the line. The other is where he does foul and we ignore it because it had no effect on the play (advantage-disadvantage philosophy), but we want him to know that given different facts we may call it.

Newer officials may be reluctant to use preventive officiating because they don’t know when or how, fear being accused of coaching or are still in the overly technical “see a foul, call it” stage of their development. Once they’ve been around awhile, they see its benefits.

Take a tackle who is off the line of scrimmage, maybe with his shoulders turned, to gain an advantage on a defender trying to get around him. If it’s just a few inches let it go; no harm, no foul. If he’s flirting with not meeting the requirements of being on the line, the wing official should tell him to move up after the play ends or tell the referee so he can tell him. Then tell the head coach you’ve warned him. That almost always achieves the desired result. If he does get so far back he’s clearly not a lineman by rule, we’ve no choice but to call it because he’s gaining an unfair advantage. The coach will usually stay quiet because he’ll appreciate the fact you provided an opportunity to fix things.

Say the tackle has his hands outside the defender’s body and grabs him a little. If there’s no material restriction, let him know he’s borderline and needs to work his hands back in, let go when he gets beat, etc. If there’s enough restriction for a flag but you ignore it because the play goes the other way, tell him that, too.

Don’t nitpick whether a split receiver is on the line or in the backfield or, if there are two or more receivers, there’s a slight stagger between them because the defense knows they’re meant to be eligible. But when one or more are almost in the backfield, making too many backs, or the stagger is barely perceptible, let them know there’s a problem and clue in the head coach. When one is clearly in the backfield or they’re flatlined so there’s no avoiding the fact one is covering up the other and there’s a downfield pass, the time for warnings is over because the applicable rules are clearly violated and their alignment may affect how the defense reads the play.

Wing officials should point to the line of scrimmage to help receivers get properly situated. But don’t tell them to move up or back because you don’t know where they’re supposed to be and may end up making them foul. Also, talking to them may cause them to be moving at the snap. If they ask, “Am I OK?” just point and say, “My foot’s on the line.”

Let marginal hits on the quarterback go if the defender was already committed or not quite late. But say, “That was close — more and I’m ringing it up,” to let them know to be careful. Conversely, if a defender held up on a quarterback or went over the pile instead of into a downed runner, praise him. Just as a talk-to when players are on the verge of fouling is good practice, verbally patting them on the back when they easily could have fouled but didn’t can go a long way toward creating a positive atmosphere and keeping problems at bay.

Downfield officials can counsel defenders if they get grabby with receivers. We can warn if a little yank doesn’t take the receiver out of his route or we ignore action that’s foul-worthy because the quarterback threw elsewhere. Letting them know we’re watching and they’re on the edge of fouling gives them a chance to fix things on their own. But we can’t ignore the material restriction that doesn’t let the receiver run his route or hinders his effort to catch a pass.

Coaches sometimes need counseling. If an assistant gripes about a call, you can generally ignore it unless it carries on to the next play. Then tell him to turn the page. If he doesn’t, tell the head coach you’ve reached the end of your rope and he needs to calm his assistant down. Don’t threaten as in, “If he keeps yapping I’m flagging him,” because that is provocative. Handle head coaches the same way, although they get more leeway than their assistants. But flag it if they come on the field to complain or hurl personal insults.
We must calm players down if they get too aggressive with opponents. It’s an emotional game and tensions will run high, but if they start the in-your-face trash talk and post-play pushing and shoving, give them a firm talk-to. Sometimes you can go to the quarterback or defensive captain and tell them to get a certain guy under control. They like that responsibility and usually take care of things. If that doesn’t work and we’re getting to the brink of war, we may have to toss our marker; we can’t just warn all the time without there ever being consequences.

In sum, throwing flags is easy. What’s harder is knowing when action isn’t quite foul-worthy and some judicious counseling might prevent it from getting there. The ability to recognize when and how to do that, and to know when enough is enough and a flag is in order, are marks of a good official and make for a better game.

The post Before The Flag appeared first on Referee.com.

That scenario highlights the requirement to know the timing of fouls. Put another way, when do you blow your whistle, throw a penalty marker and stop the clock?
There are four intervals in which a foul can occur: before the snap, when the ball is snapped, during a live-ball play and after the ball is dead.

Fouls before the snap. Prime examples are false start, encroachment and illegal snap. When observed, first blow your whistle to prevent further action. Second, throw your penalty marker high into the air (though it doesn’t have to go into outer space) to alert everyone of the foul. Then signal the clock to stop (in some areas, that is to be done even if the clock is not running). Execute those tasks in that order. Again, it is most important to stop further action by preventing a snap.

Fouls when the ball is snapped. Those are not fouls until the ball is put into play. The most common examples are illegal shift, illegal motion and illegal formation. The mechanics here are to allow the play to continue, toss your flag high into the air, cover the play until its normal completion and stop the clock at the end of the down. Your flag need not be thrown to a specific location as penalty enforcement is from the previous spot, the same spot for interval one fouls.

Play 1: All team A players are motionless. Then, two backs go in motion and are still moving when (a) the ball is snapped, (b) team A calls timeout, or (c) A1 false starts. Ruling 1: A live-ball foul in (a). There is no foul in (b) because the ball did not become live. In (c), only the false start is penalized.

Fouls during a live-ball play. There are no dead-ball fouls and no infractions at the snap. So we have a regular play to make rulings. Any fouls now happen during a run, pass or kick play. When you observe a foul, throw your flag to the foul spot. Continue to cover the play until the ball is dead by rule and then signal to stop the clock. Examples during playing action are holding, illegal blocks and pass interference.
In NFHS, no live-ball foul causes the play to end or the clock to stop. The same is true in NCAA with two rare exceptions: a return kick and a punt made beyond the neutral zone (6-3-10b and c).

After the ball is dead. Examples are late hits and excessive celebrations. When seen, toss your flag into the air as penalty enforcement is from the succeeding spot. Stop the clock if it is running.

At the end of plays in those four time frames, report your foul to the referee for the referee to properly enforce the penalty. You can first state if it is a live- or dead-ball foul. Then, give the standard order of foul reporting such as which team, player number, foul spot, etc.

So far we have only covered fouls relative to a snap. The other method to put the ball into play is a free kick. There could be a dead-ball foul before a kickoff as well as fouls when a kickoff is made.

Play 2: K1 is past his free-kick restraining line by two yards when K2 kicks off. Ruling 2: That is a dead-ball foul for encroachment in NFHS. Blow your whistle to stop the action and toss your flag. In NCAA, that is a live-ball foul for offsides. Launch your flag, but permit the play to continue.

There can be other live- or dead-ball fouls when a free kick is made like a pop-up kick in NFHS (6-1-11).

Once the ball is kicked, absent of live- or dead-ball fouls, interval three fouls or touching violations are possible. For example, first touching (NFHS 6-1-7) or illegal touching (NCAA 6-1-3), kick-catch interference (NFHS 6-5-6; NCAA 6-4-1) and an illegal wedge formation in NCAA (6-1-10).

As with a play from scrimmage, there could also be dead-ball fouls after a free-kick down ends.

In summary, you must know when to sound your whistle, when to stop the clock and how to throw your flag when fouls happen in those four intervals.

The post Before, During or After the Play When to Throw the Flag Determined by Foul Intervals appeared first on Referee.com.

The following is a ballhandling procedure that is guaranteed to make your crew look good if it’s properly executed.

Having competent ball assistants and briefing them properly before the game is essential. In an ideal situation there are at least four footballs available and four ball assistants, two on each sideline. It also makes it simpler if there is a league- or state association-mandated ball that is used by both teams. If each team has its own football, the procedures described below will have to be modified so that a particular team’s ball always goes out and comes in from its own sideline unless there is a ball assistant for each team on each sideline.

When requesting a ball from a ball assistant, the official should establish direct eye contact with the ball assistant and then ask for the ball verbally and non-verbally (i.e. clapping hands together or placing hands in front of the body as to catch the ball). The ball assistant should be instructed to toss the ball to the official with an underhand toss only after the official has requested the ball.

The ball should be changed whenever it becomes dead outside the top of the numbers (nine-yard marks) or after any change of possession. If the ball becomes dead in the field of play, the old ball is left in place until the new ball is properly positioned at the succeeding spot. The new ball is brought in by the deep official on that sideline (six-official crew) or by the back judge (five- or seven-official crew) and thrown directly to the umpire, who should be mobile enough to range between the tops of the numbers. Ball assistants should be instructed to stay off the field to decrease the chance they’ll run on the field at an inappropriate time.

Balls that become dead outside the field of play should be left there for the ball assistants to retrieve. Not only is it unnecessary for an official to chase after the ball, doing so prevents the official from dead-ball officiating.

In many areas it’s customary for a ball assistant to put a ball behind a goalpost when a try or field goal is being attempted. It can be easily accessed when the try ends while the ball assistant retrieves the one used on the try or field goal.

When the ball becomes dead between the tops of the numbers, the umpire (in most cases) will be able to directly retrieve the ball himself. On incomplete passes, a deep official must assist.

Inclement weather.

If the field is wet, the ball may have to be changed more often than described. Wet ball procedures should include a towel (black is preferred) for the umpire.

The ball assistants should also have towels. Encourage them to cover the ball with the towel rather than enclose it like a mummy. It takes longer to unwrap when it’s needed, plus the ball will absorb more water because it is exposed to more wet towel.

The umpire may wish to hold the ball and keep it covered between plays, then place it on the ground when the offense comes to the line.

The relay.

When the ball is relayed between officials, it should always be thrown underhanded so that it can be caught waist high. Most officials cannot accurately throw the ball more than 10-15 yards. It takes more time to run 10 yards and then throw the ball another 10 yards than it takes to throw the ball 20 yards; however, when you consider there is a high probability the 20-yard toss will go awry and have to be chased, it’s quicker to get close enough to ensure a smooth toss. It also looks much better.

When the play ends out of bounds or in a side zone, the official tossing the ball should ensure players returning to their side of the line will not get in the way.

If players are still in the way, the official should hesitate until they clear the area, or the official should move a couple of steps to find a clear path. Never try to “thread the needle” between players or try to throw over their heads. Both officials and players have on occasion been hit in the head by errant tosses. If the ball ends up on the turf, it could be accidentally kicked, wasting further time. In the process the crew risks looking like the Keystone Kops and worse yet, injury may result.

When a team employs a hurry-up offense, the umpire must range farther than normal to retrieve the ball. All other officials must be in position to observe the snap when the ball is spotted. That avoids creating the appearance the officials are holding up the game.

In summary, ballhandling has nothing to do with how accurately the game is called but will go a long way to enhance crew credibility and can appreciably reduce down time between plays.

The post Ballhandling Makes Your Crew Look Sharp appeared first on Referee.com.

For ease of discussion, the scenarios in which picking up a flag may be prudent are grouped in categories based on the circumstances that may dictate the wave-off. The first group is situations where covering officials are not expected to observe events outside their coverage area.

Ineligible receiver downfield/ offensive pass interference

Whether an ineligible simply goes downfield or goes downfield beyond the expanded neutral zone (NFHS) or more than three yards (NCAA) and initiates a block against an opponent, a flag should be thrown when a forward pass is thrown and there is a possibility the ball crossed the neutral zone. If it is subsequently determined the pass did not cross the line, the flag must be picked up. Under NFHS rules, a pass deflected by a team B player behind the line is considered to not have crossed the line while in NCAA play that applies for a tip by any player. Depending on crew size, a specific official is responsible for determining if a pass crosses the line, and that probably won’t be the official who observes the possible illegal act.

Defensive pass interference

The flag should be picked up if the pass was tipped prior to the illegal contact. Pass interference restrictions end for all players once a team B player touches the pass. If a team A player tips the ball, restrictions also end for all team B players and for eligible team A players.

Two forward passes

An apparent second forward pass should be flagged and picked up if discussion reveals the first pass was ruled backward.

Illegal participation

When a player is observed returning inbounds (NFHS) or returns inbounds and is the first to touch a pass (NCAA), the flag should be thrown and picked up if discussion reveals the player was blocked out of bounds (in NFHS the player must have returned immediately).

Delay of game

A flag for a delay of game foul can be picked up if another official had granted a timeout before the play clock expired. The next group includes acts that are highly dependent on the angle of view and almost always have multiple covering officials. Those crewmates must immediately compare notes even if both had flags. In order to change such a call, differing officials must be 100 percent sure of what was observed or they must be able to point out what the calling official did not see. If the two officials cannot agree, the original call should stand.

Targeting

It’s possible to interpret a straight-line view of the engagement as head contact (like an eclipse) when in reality the contact was at or below the shoulders.

Blindside blocks

If open hands are used, the blindside block is legal. The covering official may be screened by the blocker’s back.

Pass interference

There are multiple ways for pass interference to occur and in many cases, no one official can see exactly what transpired, including which player initiated the contact. Another category includes situations where one official should be able to get the call correct, but for a variety of reasons, including not seeing the whole play, being in a poor position or simply miscounting is unable to do so.

Roughing the kicker

If the referee calls a roughing foul, but the player is blocked into the kicker or the ball is tipped by the contacting player, the contact is excused. Under NCAA rules, the contact is only excused if the block was illegal.

Counting error

If a team is flagged for too many players in the formation and a recount reveals there were only 11 players, the flag must be picked up. Likewise, if a belated count indicates more than 11 players participated, a late flag should be thrown.

Illegal blocks

Officials should not call a foul when they don’t see the whole play. Examples where an official can get a wrong picture of what transpired include blocks in the back where the player abruptly turns on the blocker and blocks below the waist where the initial contact is high and the blocker slides down on the opponent.

Intentional grounding

The final category includes only one foul. Intentional grounding should only be flagged by the referee and only if it is determined the passer was under duress (the embodiment of intent to conserve yardage).

Referees can rarely make that call without assistance because they will not see where the ball landed. Other members of the crew should immediately volunteer information regarding whether or not the ball was thrown into an area occupied by an eligible offensive receiver. When a referee believes the passer’s intent was to intentionally ground the ball to avoid a sack, it should be flagged. If an eligible receiver was nearby, the flag can be picked up. If the referee does not throw his flag and is told the ball went into an area not occupied by an eligible offensive receiver, it is acceptable to throw a late flag. The debate over whether it is better to pick up a flag is a valid one and is subordinate to getting the play right. There are times when each is appropriate, but in the majority of cases, the pick-up is preferable if for no other reason than a late flag feeds coach paranoia that the officials are plotting against that team.

George Demetriou has been a football official since 1968. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The post When to Throw Flags, When Not to (and When to Pick ’em Up)  appeared first on Referee.com.

Many of the issues with chain crew members are minor and can be addressed politely with good results. Rabble-rousing chain crew members should be asked to zip their lips; if they don’t stifle their vocal cords, they’ll be back in the bleachers at halftime. A more problematic member of a chain crew is one who critiques the officials with the view through partisan glasses. That should spark immediate removal.

The linesman cannot keep turning his back to the field, so he has a limited ability to check on the chain crew. The line judge can help with what’s on the down box, but not with chain placement. The lower the level of play, the greater the likelihood chain problems will occur.

Shortchanged.

The most extreme case of a short chain is probably one that occurred in a youth league. Both teams were on the same sideline and the chains were in front of the offense’s team bench. And yes, the chain crew was comprised of parents of that team’s players. The ball was a few inches short of a first down and the referee called for a measurement. When the chains were brought out, the ball was three yards short. It became obvious the chain crew was not stretching the chain out in order to favor their team.

It is understood such a blatant act would not be expected and specifically checked for, but the linesman cannot simply leave the chain crew to perform completely on its own. As a minimum, the linesman needs to check after a first down to ensure the stake is planted immediately behind the foot. At same time, the linesman should say the line-to-gain and visualize the line on the field. A half-yard scam might work but missing a three-yard short stick is inexcusable.

Crooked lines.

In a prep game, the measurement (that should never have been made) revealed the ball was a few inches short of a first down. When the referee signaled the shortfall, the offensive coach screamed, “Look at where the ball is!” The referee looked to see the ball was halfway between the 30 and 31 yardlines. “So what?” The agitated coach replied, “We started from a touchback!” Indeed, they had. After a very long delay doing the checks that should have been done before the game, it was discovered that while the chains were 10 yards long, the five yardlines on the field were improperly marked — some were correct, but not all (NFHS rules only require lines every five yards).

It ain’t so Joe. In a playoff game on an exquisitely marked turf field, the line judge signaled to the referee a first down had been achieved and the referee gave the official signal. But then, no one moved — the chain crew stood fast as the umpire held the ball. Sensing a problem, the referee went to the line and noted the linesman was marking a forward progress spot six inches short of the stake.

The line judge explained that after the previous change of possession, the ball was spotted on the 30 yardline and was now past the 40 yardline, so it had to be a first down. The linesman agreed with the line judge, so the only explanation was the chains had been established near the 30 yardline but not on the back edge of the line per the approved mechanic.

Coaches and players could see the ball was short and the referee recognized it was untenable to let the first down stand. In an effort to wiggle out of the predicament, he called for a measurement, which provided no relief –— the ball was still short. No one argued when the referee declared the next down to be third down. After a short gain for an indisputable first down, the offense scored and the debacle was quickly forgotten.

Moving chains.

In a regular-season prep game, the kickoff was returned to team R’s 17 yardline. The chain crew, working on their own and not paying attention, set the chains at the 18 yardline. The error was not caught either by the linesman or the line judge. Thus the first play was first and 11. Following an incomplete pass and a false start, the next play was second and 16.

On second down, a completed pass play took the ball to the 25 yardline. The ball became loose and was “recovered” by the defense at the 30 yardline. Both the linesman and the back judge had the runner down at the 25 yardline, but neither sold his call. The linesman raised his hand to indicate third down, but did not pinch in. The back judge nonchalantly pointed at where the runner was down. That created confusion; the defense started to leave the field and the offense was entering before it was made clear that “no fumble” was ruled (video later revealed it was a fumble).

Once the officials recognized there was not a change of possession, they tried to return to the correct placement, but did not know how to reset the chains using the clip and did not seek help. They did know that the clip goes on a five yardline so after they guessed at the correct starting point, they moved the clip.

The home team noted the chain error before the third-down play and protested. To make matters worse, no one on the chain crew would admit to what had occurred. It should have been third and two, but was third and five on the field. No correction was made because no one could figure out what happened until they saw the video. The offense then took the heat off the officials by gaining six yards for a first down.

There were a variety of errors in that scenario. None of them are uncommon. But the root cause was a linesman not controlling the chain crew and allowing them to move independently.

The post No Chain Of Fools appeared first on Referee.com.

Football officials do not enjoy that luxury. Rubbernecking or ball-hawking is a difficult habit to break. However, visual discipline is essential for appropriate play coverage.

Officiating is a team sport. One of the first lessons new officials learn is to trust partners to make correct decisions in their respective coverage areas. In many cases, only one set of eyes will be on the player in possession of the ball. Consequently, crews should very rarely have multiple whistles when the ball is dead by rule. More than two whistles may indicate someone is ball-watching instead of observing his assigned off-ball area.

The following examples will not be a comprehensive mechanics manual review. Instead, they will identify occasions when rubbernecking is most likely.

Free kick.

It’s tempting to watch the ball in flight until the receiver catches the ball, then turn to focus on kick coverage and blockers. Sideline officials will self-identify as rubberneckers when they wind the clock after the ball is touched by the receiving team in the middle of the field. Pregame conversations should include the specific kicking team players each official will track after the ball is kicked and the subsequent coverage areas as officials transition from watching individual players to specific zones. Officials should not watch the ball in flight but sense its location based on player reactions and peripheral vision. Deep sideline officials should quickly shift attention to the ball from kicking team players and blockers only if their pylon is threatened.

Running play away.

The wing official on the side opposite of where the ball is going does not have relevant point-of-attack responsibilities. But his eyes may still be drawn to the ball because he dismisses the players behind the runner as immaterial. While the ball is live, the opposite wing must adopt a dead-ball officiating mindset by scanning the players behind the point of attack for unnecessary activity.

Passing play.

It is a difficult mental transition for new referees to stay with the quarterback after he releases the ball downfield. The excitement is no longer in the backfield and the temptation is to look downfield to witness the result of the throw. Referees must trust their crewmates to correctly observe assigned areas and make appropriate rulings. The crowd noise and the behavior of the players in his line of sight may be the referee’s only indication of the success or failure of the pass.

It’s also tempting for wing officials to stare into the backfield. They can glance quickly back toward the line of scrimmage after a few seconds to determine the quarterback’s status, but it’s imprudent to focus on the quarterback and lose sight of assigned receivers.

Runner in the open field.

When a runner breaks free from pursuers, all eyes are understandably focused on the ensuing footrace to the goalline. In that case, only the deepest official should have eyes on the ball. Unless the sideline or pylon is threatened, all other officials should be looking behind the runner at trailing players. That is a perfect example of dead-ball officiating principles applied while the ball is live, or what old-timers liked to call cleaning up behind the play. The trailing officials (referee following a long pass or run and back judge following an interception or punt return) should not progress beyond any players who lag behind.

Field goal or try.

Even a slight glance at the ball is inappropriate for officials not stationed under the uprights. The ball is clearly the most compelling object for most people in the stadium, especially on a long field goal attempt, but most officials will not witness the kick in flight. The referee is watching the holder and kicker, the umpire is watching the snapper and interior linemen and the officials not under the goalpost are observing blocks and the aftermath of the contact at the line. One important pregame discussion for a crew of five is to determine who is observing the block on the end of the line on the side vacated by the wing positioned under the upright.

Punt.

Sideline officials may be tempted to watch the receiver catch the ball. Only the covering official, typically the back judge, should witness the catch. The sideline officials’ focus should include blocks on kicking team players followed by coverage around and in front of the kick receiver. As with the free kick, there is no need to focus on uncontested players in space. However, officials can foresee potential problems by observing approach angles and the physical relationship between blockers and would-be tacklers. Unlike the field goal or try, sideline officials can momentarily locate the ball in flight to help predict pending action.

Forward progress spot.

When the ball is dead by rule, the official marking the forward progress spot must not approach the spot with head down and eyes on the ground. The ground has never caused a personal foul. The covering official should not immediately look at the referee to signal the down, look at the chains, or turn to the ball helper to receive a clean ball. The covering official should keep his focus on players until they separate and then attend to subsequent actions.

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Field Goal

With a crew of five, there is no “best” way to cover all the possibilities on a field goal attempt or kick try. There are two mechanics commonly used in prep play. One puts the wing official who’s facing the referee in his normal position while the other wing goes under the goalpost with the back judge. That leaves the referee with responsibility for the vacated sideline and goalline. The other option leaves both wings in their normal positions and puts the umpire alone under the post.

When the holder mishandles the snap, many teams use the term “Fire” to alert their teammates of the pending broken play. Officials must ensure whatever follows is legal or does not cause the ball to become dead. Because the rules state a runner is down when his knee (among other parts of his body excluding a hand or foot) touches the ground, there is sometimes confusion over what a place kick holder can do.

In NFHS play, the holder must rise before he may advance, hand the ball to another player, kick or pass (forward or backward). If the holder does any of those things while his knee(s) is on the ground, the ball is immediately dead. The ball remains live if the holder rises to catch or recover an errant snap and immediately returns his knee(s) to the ground and places the ball for a kick, or again rises to advance, hand, kick or pass. If the holder muffs the snap and rises to secure the ball, the ball is dead if he returns his knee to the ground while holding the ball (4-2-2a Exc., Note).

Under NCAA rules, a place kick holder, who at the snap has his knee(s) on the ground while there is a teammate in kicking position at the snap (he doesn’t actually have to kick), need not rise before handing off, running or passing (4-1-3b Exc.).

If the holder rises, he may re-establish his position as a holder as long as:

• There has not been a change of team possession,
• the ball is behind the neutral zone (it doesn’t matter if the ball had or hadn’t been beyond the neutral zone), and
• a teammate is in position to kick.

If the holder muffs the snap or subsequently fumbles the ball, it remains live. Team R may legally bat the ball while it is in the holder’s possession (AR 4-1-3 I).

Officials must also be observant for the illegal kicking of a loose ball. A legal place kick requires the ball be in a fixed position on the ground or on a tee in NFHS only (NFHS 2-24-7; NCAA 2-16-4a). That means the holder must have control of the ball (NFHS 2-24-4; NCAA 2-16-4a). The penalty for an illegal act is 15 yards in NFHS and 10 yards in NCAA and is enforced under the all-but-one principle (NFHS 9-7-1; NCAA 9-4-4).

Punt

The rugby-style punt (the punter runs laterally before kicking) is commonplace. On some teams the kicker has an option to keep the ball and run for first-down yardage. That play requires the referee to make a judgment as to roughing if the kicker is contacted, but otherwise is a straight-forward event.

The greater challenge occurs when the punter muffs the snap or the ball goes over his head. When that happens, no one including the punter knows whether a pass, kick or run will eventually result. A run presents the least unusual possibilities and can be officiated the same as a designed running play.

After a bad snap it is not reasonably certain a kick will be made. That means the defense gets the benefit of any doubt as to whether or not contact with the kicker is avoidable. In some cases, the kick will be made as the kicker is being contacted; that certainly is not a foul. Another scenario is when the kick is touched. When that happens, ensuing contact is likely and should be judged to be unavoidable. However, after the kick is touched, the defensive player may not stop and renew his charge, nor may he change direction and charge into the kicker. Touching a kick is not a license for the defense to declare “open season” on the kicker.

A pass presents the greatest likelihood of a foul. Intentional grounding is a distinct possibility and no slack should be given in regard to the lack of presence of an eligible offensive receiver in the area where the pass lands. The odds are probably 50-50 that an ineligible receiver will go too far downfield before the pass is released. Also, confused linemen are apt to hold.

Fumble

When the ball is knocked loose from a runner and there is a clear and immediate recovery, it’s usually a simple matter for the officials. The “spot” of the fumble is beanbagged and possession is announced. If the defense recovers, the nearest official should signal the change of possession and if the offense retains the ball, the number of the next down is announced. It is not necessary to put the beanbag on the specific blade of grass where possession was lost. All that is needed is the yardline. That spot will be important only if a foul occurred before or during the loose ball. Dropping the bag on the appropriate yardline will yield a more accurate spot than trying to throw it to the exact spot.

The challenge occurs when the rolling prolate spheroid is muffed several times and a melee for recovery ensues. When that happens there are several opportunities for fouls to occur. Players of either team may push or pull in the back when trying to reach a loose ball in NFHS play, but may only push in the back above the waist under NCAA rules (NFHS 9-3-5b; NCAA 9-3-6 Exc. 3). Officials must be on the lookout for holding and other illegal grabbing. Also, in NCAA, pulling or pushing an opponent off a pile is a foul (9-2- 1a1-k).

Inadvertent Whistle

The errant toot is the officiating crew’s version of “fire.” There is no reason to panic. The referee must calmly determine when the whistle was blown, focusing on the status of the ball.

If the whistle was blown while a snap, legal forward pass or legal kick was in flight, the down is replayed and there are no options (NFHS 4-2-3a; NCAA 4-1-2b-3). If the whistle is blown while the ball is loose after a fumble or backward pass, the team last in possession can choose to replay the down or have the down count at the spot where possession was lost (NFHS 4-2-3b; NCAA 4-1-2b2).

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Accommodation also means two requirements for the referee and umpire: being agile and being mobile. In some cases those are large expectations for officials whose customary patterns may be more casual.

The no-huddle is a prominent attack right now and it is likely to become more popular in the future. Psychologically it is the “copy-cat” factor. So many teams are using it, it seems to be contagious. Psychologically, it is also an attempt to intimidate an opponent. Frankly, it has numerous advantages, some of which have propelled teams to use it almost exclusively in college ball. At that sophisticated echelon, teams frequently employ the no-huddle to prevent defenses from changing schemes or making substitutions. In regular-tempo games, defenders often bring in specialists to handle third and long or third and short situations. Often as many as four or five substitutes will filter in to prepare for those game circumstances. High schoolers, on the other hand, are likely to use the no-huddle mainly to run more plays, to increase the odds in their favor. So preventing defenses from adjusting may not be their primary goal.

You read about large linemen being recruited intensely by colleges. To understate it, at the high school level, a 300-pound, 6’4” behemoth will establish a presence. He can knock people down. It is common sense that teams will depend upon such a player to open holes in the line. From another angle, a team may have a spectacular passer or a “glue-fingered” receiver. The no-huddle can readily capitalize on their abilities.

So it’s no mystery why teams will want to adopt the speed-up process. The hard part for them will be to develop signals that will confuse defenses. But that is no matter for officials to decipher.

Here are suggested ways, though, for officials to operate. First, the umpire must get to the pile with a sense of urgency when a run ends between the hashes. He should reach in and extract the ball from the runner whenever possible, all while talking players off the pile: “Watch your legs. I’ll take the ball. Don’t push off opponents to get up.”

When a run ends behind the line of scrimmage, it’s the referee’s obligation to rush to the downed runner, secure the ball and get it to the umpire (or place it himself if a wing official has a progress spot). The referee should be particularly alert for identifying a progress spot on quarterback sacks while he retrieves the ball.

The umpire must then “assume the position” when the ball is placed at the succeeding spot, straddling the ball and waiting for the ready signal or for the referee to determine the substitution process is complete. That position on the ball prevents the no-huddle snapper from putting the ball in play prematurely.

That entire process must be done with some dispatch. Counting players and checking for eligibles, plus noting the legality of the formation (wings), must be done quickly and accurately too.

On runs that end outside the hashes, the umpire should exhibit flexibility, sprinting at least to the middle of the numbers, again extracting the ball and scooting back to the hash for ball placement. When a run goes closer to the sidelines the wing official should get to the downed runner and take the ball. Usually he’ll be able to get the ball and maintain a progress spot as well.

That is where customary practices may differ. In some areas it is fashionable for the referee to withhold his presence in relation to the ball; in fact conducting the entire game without touching the ball, like a master of ceremonies. If he won’t hasten toward the sideline to assist in ball retrieval, the umpire will have to extend his range and go out wide far enough so that the relay will not be overly long (and hence inaccurate at times). In my view the referee should get out there to be the middle man in the relay. I always was determined to be an active referee.

The real problem for helping a team in its no-huddle is if a play gains a considerable distance downfield along the sidelines. In those instances an alert back judge must aid in collecting the ball, with the covering wing official rooted to the progress spot.

A couple of possible difficulties may ensue on long gainers. The chain crew may be desultory, reluctant or unable to move quickly. In an extreme case a linesman can drop a beanbag at the place for the succeeding spot — where the down box will be if team A is lined up ready to run the next play. Other trying issues are runs going out of bounds and incomplete passes that sail past the umpire. In both cases officials should contrive to get a replacement ball from ball persons at the sidelines. If they are unable to do that, the no-huddle procedure will suffer an unfortunate delay. At times there is no remedy for such a slowdown. Eager-to-snap teams will often merge into a huddle after incomplete passes anyway, making their own decision to pause.

A word about the hurry-up offense near the end of either half. Officials can operate under their same protocols as the no-huddle, keeping in mind that team A’s purpose will be to use the clock to its advantage. A caution: In the final stages of a half, wing officials must be conscious of coaches’ desire to request a timeout. No coach should be cheated out of time to which he is legitimately entitled.

Another purpose of the no-huddle, to be sure, is to wear down opponents, and in the course of pulsing along that may also wear down the officials. But if crew members move rapidly to cover game action, synchronize their ballhandling and exercise due diligence to the teams’ preferred tempo, they are likely to come away with a firm sense of being true facilitators. They might not be formally thanked but they can pat each other on the back in the locker room.

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At times, to be sure, we must watch the runner and especially the ball. The wing officials and umpire must know if there’s an illegal snap, player in the neutral zone or false start. We must know if a runner’s body part (other than hand or foot) is down before the ball comes loose, he’s hit late or his facemask is yanked. Ball-watching is needed on close line-to-gain and goalline plays, including when an exuberant runner, thinking he has scored, drops the ball just before crossing the line. And so on.

What’s a no-no is when an official — worse, several — watches a runner when he’s in the wide open with no one near him. Take punt returns. We must look for a fair-catch signal and whether the ball is possessed cleanly. But when the returner starts upfield it can be easy to stay with him and miss takedowns, blocks in the back, and low and blindside blocks just a few feet away.

That can also happen when an H-back runs a sweep around end. Sometimes a wing official may be so focused on the back coming at him that he misses fouls in the immediate vicinity. We must learn to shift our focus from him to the action around him, while sensing where he is and who’s near him, shifting back only when he’s about to be tackled. Too often we become spectators mesmerized by his ability to dart here and there instead of officials who see the larger picture.

Another example is when a quarterback drops back to pass and the referee’s eyes stay on him, although he is not yet pressured by the defense. That accomplishes nothing and is a sure-fire way to allow fouls such as holding, illegal hands to the face and chop blocks to go undetected because no other official is in a position to pick them up. What the referee should do is watch the action around the quarterback while sensing where he is, what he’s doing and when he begins to be pressured so his eyes can transition back to him only when necessary to protect him.

Sometimes, unfortunately, that transition does not occur quickly enough. Early in my time as a college referee my eyes went to my initial key, the right tackle, after the snap and stayed there so long that I missed a hit to the quarterback’s head that put him in la-la land. I failed to sense where he was so my focus could shift to him when he was threatened. After that I vowed that if it’s a toss-up between staying with a tackle who looks like he might hold because, for example, he’s getting beat and going to the quarterback when he’s threatened, I would do the latter. Safety comes first, so it’s better to miss a hold than a foul on the passer.

When we “officiate air” we’re not ball-watching, but our eyes are not in a helpful place. Returning to the H-back end-sweep, if any of the covering officials simply watch the area (or air) in front of the back they’re not doing anything useful. What they must do is recognize (quickly), based on the defenders’ movement and the blockers’ bodies, hands and arms, where the first threat of a foul is and focus on it. If nothing happens there, go to the next threat and so on.

Assume that as a referee I process that the quarterback cleanly takes the snap, so my eyes shift to the tackle. But I continue to stay on him although the play goes the other way, he goes to the second level, or he and a defender “dance” with neither trying to do anything. That is a step removed from officiating air because I am watching something, but it’s equally unproductive. When any of those things happens, my focus should shift to where the next threat may be, which might involve a back, the right guard or center, or possibly players on the center’s other side, depending on how the play develops.

The bottom line is that just as officials don’t help the crew if they watch the runner when he’s in the wide open, they’re derelict if their eyes stay where action is neither happening nor likely to happen. Even in smaller crews each official has keys to watch pre-snap, at the snap and post-snap, but sometimes we forget that they are our initial keys and we can’t lock in on them forever. We must learn how to quickly shift our focus to some place useful, all the while sensing where the runner is so we can get back to him when necessary. If we watch him when no one’s around, focus on areas occupied only by air, or linger too long on our key or other players who aren’t presenting a threat of a foul, we may miss something that even a blind person could see.

I believe in visualization in officiating. I study rules by seeing plays in my mind’s eye and applying the relevant rules. Same here. No matter what position you work, imagine plays developing in all kinds of ways. Where are you focused? Where should you focus? If you practice keeping your eyes off the runner until there’s a reason to put them there and transitioning from where no action is taking place to where something important might happen, you’ll become more adept at doing that in games. If everyone on the crew does that, they will likely turn in one heckuva performance.

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Fouls in and around the neutral zone are not usually thought of as requiring much discretion. After all, a false start is a false start. However, it is not quite that simple. When there is movement before the snap, officials must not only determine if the act was a foul, but they may also have to decide which team violated the rules. Unless otherwise noted, the material applies to both NFHS and NCAA rules.

Encroachment/offside

In NFHS play, after the ball is ready, it is encroachment if any team B player breaks the plane of the neutral zone. The ball remains dead. In NCAA, defenders may break the plane before the snap as long as they don’t touch the ball or an opponent and are back on their side of the line at the snap. Getting “caught” in the neutral zone at the snap is a five-yard, liveball, offside foul simultaneous with the snap. “Interference” with an opponent or the ball is a five-yard, dead-ball foul.

Play 1: Nose tackle B1 anticipates the snap count and (a) charges into center A2, or (b) touches the ball before it is snapped. Ruling 1: A dead-ball foul, five yards, succeeding spot, hands-on-hips signal.

Play 2: Same as play 1 except B1 enters the neutral zone, stops just short of contact with A2 and (a) does, or (b) does not get back to his side of the zone before the snap. Ruling 2: In NFHS, in both cases, the ball remains dead. B1 encroached as soon as he entered the zone. Under NCAA rules, in (a), no foul. In (b), it is a live-ball, offside foul. Team A will get to choose the result of the play or have a five yard penalty marked off from the previous spot. When a team A lineman moves after a defender breaks the plane of the neutral zone, the wing officials in an NCAA game must determine whether a false start has occurred. If a player on the line moves as a reaction to a team B player moving in the neutral zone, regardless of whether he makes contact or enters the neutral zone, it is not a false start. The player who moves must be in the vicinity of the violating team B player, meaning head-on or on either side of him.

Play 3: Team A breaks its huddle and comes to the line. All players are set for at least a second as A1 barks signals. Suddenly, lineman B2, who is directly opposite A3, breaks into the neutral zone. After B2 enters the neutral zone, A3 (a) remains still as B2 returns to his side of the neutral zone, or (b) lifts his hand from the ground in anticipation of contact. Ruling 3: In NFHS play, in all cases, B2 encroaches when he breaks the plane of the neutral zone and the ball remains dead. Under NCAA rules, in (a), there is no foul and play proceeds. In (b), B2 is guilty of a dead-ball, offside foul. For the offense, any player other than the snapper who lines up in the neutral zone following the ready and after the snapper has touched (or simulated touching in NCAA) the ball, is guilty of encroachment; a five-yard, dead-ball foul. Both codes allow the snapper to be in the neutral zone. NCAA prohibits any part of the snapper’s body to be beyond the neutral zone, while NFHS permits the snapper’s hands to be beyond the foremost point of the ball if they are touching the ball (NFHS 7-1-7c; NCAA 7-1-3a4).

Play 4: Tackle A1 breaks from the huddle, lumbers up to his position and plants himself in the middle of the neutral zone. At the time A1 took his position, the snapper (a) had, or (b) had not placed his hands on the ball. Ruling 4: In (a), the whistle is blown immediately, A1 has encroached. In (b), encroachment does not occur until the snapper touches the ball. If A1 gets back to his side of the neutral zone before the snapper touches the ball, there is no foul.

False starts

The false start is likely the most often called foul in football. After the ball is marked ready and before the snap, it is a false start by any team A player if a charge is feigned or there is any shift or movement which simulates action at the snap or if any team A lineman, other than an end, moves his hand(s) after having placed a hand on or near the ground. The latter refers to a “restricted” lineman and there is a subtle rules difference which would most likely be a factor in a scrimmage kick formation.

Play 5: Linebacker B1 fakes a blitz without entering the neutral zone which causes interior lineman A2 to prematurely lift up from his threepoint stance. Ruling 5: A false start by A2, a five-yard dead-ball foul. Other examples of prohibited movement include: a lineman moving his foot, shoulder, arm, body or head in a quick, jerky movement; the snapper shifting or moving the ball or moving his thumb or fingers, flexing elbows, jerking his head or dipping shoulders or buttocks; the quarterback chucking hands at the snapper, flexing elbows under the snapper or dropping shoulders quickly just before the snap; any player starting in motion before the snap simulating receiving the ball by chucking his hands toward the snapper or the quarterback or making any other quick, jerky movement.

Snap infractions

A snap is the legal passing or handing of the ball backward from its position on the ground with a quick and continuous motion with the ball immediately leaving the hand(s) of the snapper. Restrictions on the snapper begin with the referee’s ready. The snapper may adjust the ball, but may not move it forward, fail to keep the long axis of the ball at a right angle to the line of scrimmage or simulate a snap.

Play 6: In a punt or shotgun formation, after adjusting the ball, snapper A1 slowly rises and turns to communicate with the quarterback. In the process, he removes both hands from the ball. Ruling 6: In NFHS play, that is a dead-ball snap infraction, which carries a five-yard penalty. Under NCAA rules, that’s a legal play.

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An important lesson I learned that day is never to go into a game with the attitude we had that morning. The two teams had only two or three wins between them. All through breakfast and the pregame we were thinking about how long, tedious and boring the contest was going to be. As luck would have it, however, the teams played lights out right from the start. They executed well, played solid offensively and defensively and kept the score close.

The problem was that, at least at the start, we did not officiate up to their level  — in fact, far from it. The opening kickoff was an onside kick that was recovered by the kickers. One of the covering officials, however, was unsure whether the kick had gone 10 yards and another one pointed the wrong way, as if the receivers had recovered. We got things sorted out, but it made us look bad from the start. A few minutes later, one of the wing officials lost his focus, got tricked on a play and blew an inadvertent whistle after the runner had broken through the line and was running virtually unmolested toward the goalline.

Eventually the offense scored on that drive and after the try we went into a timeout. The referee called the crew together and read us the riot act. I don’t remember his exact words, but it was something like, “Get your (deleted) heads out of your rears! We’ve got a game to work and we look like (deleted). If anyone else (deleted) up again, I’ll whip his ass after the game.” From that instant on, we worked a solid game.

That is what a good referee will do. It’s part of being a crew chief, not just a penalty-announcer, to recognize that the crew is in a funk and do what he thinks needs doing to get them out it. That said, it’s still up to each crew member to respond by getting his head on straight.

What did I do differently? First, I told myself to block out all outside influences and focus on my keys and engaging in my regular pre-snap routine. I went back to basics, in other words. Doing that makes it much less likely I will be aware of, much less bothered by, the skill level of the teams involved. I also reminded myself not to get in a hurry  — take my time, work in cruise control, process what I see and see the football. When you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off, you’re far more likely not to be able to put together what you see happening.

Sometimes, when you’re facing a dismal afternoon of four seventh- and eighth-grade games, with players who can barely line up properly much less execute well and coaches so young they hardly know if the ball is pumped or stuffed, you need to be able to do that.

The key is to come to the experience properly equipped. By that I mean know your keys, depending on the play about to be run, have a consistent pre-snap routine and know what it means to work in cruise control and not to get into too much of a hurry. Younger officials may have trouble doing the latter, because a lot of that comes with experience, but even a first-year official should be able to have the first two issues nailed down. Then, when the game turns out to be more intense than you thought it would be — or, conversely, you thought it was going to be close and it turns out to be a runaway — or outside influences like bad weather mess with your head, you can get back into the proper frame of mind by thinking, “Go back to basics.” Then, on each play, concentrate on executing your pre-snap routine and focusing on your keys.

That long-ago experience served me well when I became a college referee. The referee in that game was the first to take the blame for allowing us to get into the kind of negative, down-in-the-dumps mind-set that caused us to screw up more than once from the get-go. I know it’s trite to assert that we can’t take games for granted, but knowing it and doing it are two different things.

Referees have to ensure their crews are properly focused before each game and are not dwelling on things like how lopsided the score might be. More than once, when I’ve sensed that my crew (perhaps including me) was on the verge of taking a game for granted, I’ve said, “Boys, we’ve got to work hard for 60 minutes or we’re going to get bitten in the backside.” Usually that’s all it takes to snap us back to reality.

Another quick war story from my younger days. I was on a crew with a referee who did not get along with the league office and the supervisor. Nearly every pregame turned into a gripe session with some people bemoaning how things should be done. As the year progressed, our collective performance became worse. A couple of us talked about how to get us into a different pattern, but we knew we wouldn’t get anywhere with the veterans. At the end of the year our rating was so bad that the league threatened to take us off a big game. That didn’t happen, but the experience convinced me that no good can come of sitting around complaining about supervisors, fellow officials, the game we didn’t get but should have, whatever. All that will come of it is letting your chin drag so much that you’re not mentally prepared to work when the time comes and that will set in motion a vicious cycle that will cause your performance to continually get worse.

I once heard a veteran official say that his stock statement was, “Take each game as it comes. Work each as if it’s the Super Bowl.” Easy to say, not always easy to do, but something to strive for. And that applies to every game from Pop Warner to the NFL. If we take that approach, we’re far more likely to be able to go into games equipped to handle things when they turn out to be much more (or less) intense than we expected. And if for some reason our minds are not right at the outset of such a game, we can turn things around if we take one play at a time, focus on our keys and pre-snap routine and work in cruise control.

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That phrase — that triangle, if you will — contains the ingredients to the best game you’ll ever have. And there is no reason why almost all your games cannot be like that. You have complete control over the first two items. Only you can allow an unsafe or biased game to be played. The third item is by no means a certainty, but is also well within your control. Unfortunately, there will be days when, despite your best efforts, joy will evaporate due to factors outside your control.

Safety

That is clearly the number-one priority for any game at any level, professional or amateur. The protection and welfare of players are paramount; there can be no compromise on that point. Never let an unsafe act take place.

What we can debate is what constitutes an unsafe act. A local official once caused a game to be cancelled because many of the players of the visiting team had wrestling pads on their knees. The oversized cushions were securely fastened, but partially exposed outside the pants. The rules require knee pads to be covered by the pants. In other situations, missing goalpost pads can be worked around; missing mouthpieces cannot.

“Err on the side of safety.” No one would dare attack that vaunted cliché. Well, I at least propose another viewpoint. While that certainly is sound advice, it sometimes becomes an excuse for justifying poor decision-making. Safety is embodied in many of the “when in doubt” principles. Those include: The contact is below the waist for blocking below the waist and blocks in the back; the contact is at the knees or below for chop blocks; and it is twisting, turning or pulling the facemask rather than merely a grasp.

For illustrative purposes, let’s focus on the last item. The defender starts an arm tackle; the runner spins and turns as he lowers his head, surprising his opponent. The defender suddenly finds his hand on the runner’s facemask and immediately recognizes he cannot tackle with that hand. He slides his hand to the runner’s arm and is able to complete the tackle. Out comes the flag. The explanation, “He may not have twisted the facemask, but I erred on the side of safety.”

Twisted? Get serious; he didn’t even grab the facemask; the hand and the facemask weren’t in contact long enough for a grab to occur, but the official who anticipated a foul had an impulsive reaction and went for his flag. He probably recognized his mistake before the flag hit the ground, but now he is going to defend his inexcusable mistake by presenting himself as an avid protector of players.

Fairness

Officials are hired to assure equity in games. Arbiters disinterested in who wins and who loses are necessary to ensure the game is played fairly according to the rules and that neither team gains an unfair advantage.

The average high school game has about 11 accepted penalties. There will be games with triple that number of fouls. Either the players don’t want to follow the rules or their physical limitations prevent them from doing so. When that happens, all the officials can do is call what they see. When the fouls are excessively high, it won’t be a perfect game; it’s virtually impossible to catch everything when the transgressions are rampant. The accusation that the officials are one-sided is likely to follow. There might even be accusations of cheating.

One of the traps coaches try to draw officials into is an imbalanced foul count. “You’ve flagged us 10 times and them only once.” So what? More important is: Were the fouls legitimate? The losing team might foul more because it is outmanned, but perhaps the winning team is fouling more because it is playing aggressively and succeeding. Coaches often view the foul count in the latter case as an effort by the officials to keep the game competitive.

Fun

Working prep games is both a business endeavor and a social club. Those who do it only for “beer” money, or those who use game income as a second job to support their livelihood, are bound to cause problems because their goals as well as their needs will conflict with the core model of high school officiating. Officiating prep games is purposefully designed as an avocation.

Part of having fun is the knowledge the job is being done right and doing it right means being properly prepared; that requires an effort. The camaraderie needs to take place mostly after the game. Perhaps the true enjoyment of officiating is making a significant contribution to a large group. Simply being on the field should be an enjoyable experience, but there are many detractors such as lopsided scores, bickering players and whining coaches. Those must be managed; officials must be aware of brooding confrontations and act to deter them.

Many associations have officials with a misplaced sense of humor. Any acts or commentary that detract from officiating the game should not be tolerated. Here’s an example: A referee threw his flag and while he was announcing the penalty, the umpire picked up the flag and put it in his pocket. The referee held up the game while checking with both benches to see who had picked up his flag. It was not returned to him until after the game.

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With intense media interest and a fan frenzy surrounding the “Game of the Century,” Jerry Markbreit recalls the point when the anticipation reached its peak.

“The crowd was stunned,” Markbreit said. “There was absolute silence. When we (the officiating crew) ran out of the stadium, you could hear a pin drop. We got back to the student union and the fans had not moved. They were still in the stadium … waiting for something.”

There was no need for Markbreit and the rest of the crew to hustle out of Michigan State University’s Spartan Stadium to beat the crowd on Nov. 19, 1966. Many of the 77,000 fans in attendance were stapled to their seats after witnessing a 10-10 tie.

The atmosphere surrounding the game between top-ranked Notre Dame and second-ranked Michigan State had been decidedly different leading up to that moment of silence. Before the BCS and the “Game of the Century” became a part of college football’s landscape, the Fighting Irish and Spartans slugged it out.

“Back in those days, we dressed at the hotel,” said Markbreit, who served as the back judge. “The teams were one-two and it was like a national championship.”

That reality was not lost upon the late Howard Wirtz, who headed that Big Ten crew, which included Bob Hepler (umpire), Bill Makepeace (head linesman) and Ed Bronson (field judge), all of whom are deceased.

In a 1985 interview, Hepler, who spent 12 years in the Big Ten and Mid-American conferences before retiring in 1974, commented on the crew’s mentality for the game.

“Early in the season we had some difficulty coordinating our coverage,” Hepler explained. “This was the first year we were assigned as teams (crews) and for some reason we were hesitant in our calls and coverage. I guess each of us was so intent on impressing the other crewmembers, we became overly cautious. I felt we were improving though, for at the Minnesota-Purdue game in Minneapolis the week before we seemed much more comfortable. I knew the game the following week would really test our mettle and be the ultimate criterion on which our performance as a skilled crew would be judged.”

According to Markbreit, the crew had the right referee leading them into the big game. “Howard was a great leader,” Markbreit said. “He knew how important it was. When he walked out, everyone knew it would be done well. He’s the reason our crew got that game. In the pregame meetings, he said, ‘We have to represent all officials in this league and the country.’”

There was no shortage of talent representing the universities. Four players from 9-0 Michigan State were later selected within the first eight picks of the 1967 NFL draft. All-American defensive lineman Bubba Smith and running back Clint Jones went as the first two picks. Linebacker George Webster went fifth and receiver Gene Washington eighth.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame brought its own collection of skill to East Lansing. However, the Irish ranks were depleted both before and during the game. Notre Dame running back Nick Eddy aggravated a shoulder injury when he slipped on ice while stepping off the train in Michigan.

When the teams took the field, the crowd noise was intense, according to Hepler.

“The roar that came down from that upper deck was deafening,” he said. “It reminded me of a combination of wind and thunder in a gigantic storm.”

During the game, a tackle by the Spartans’ Smith sent Notre Dame star quarterback Terry Hanratty out of the contest. While players were pushing for every inch of position in a low-scoring struggle, Wirtz’s crew moved step for step with the action.

“I was too young to get caught up in the hype,” said Markbreit, who was 31 years old at the time. “I was with a wonderful crew and I didn’t realize until later how big the game was. I don’t think I was more nervous than any other game. I was excited. I was a second-year guy in the Big Ten and in the biggest game in 50 years and I was ready for it.”

Both defenses made sure there wasn’t much offensive firepower in the cold environment. Michigan State managed to build a 10-0 advantage, but Notre Dame closed the gap with a 34-yard touchdown pass by backup quarterback Coley O’Brien.

The Irish evened the score when Joe Azzaro made a field goal early in the fourth quarter. When Azzaro later lined up for another field goal attempt to possibly push Notre Dame to a lead, the margin between success and failure was paper thin. “It was just wide,” Markbreit said. “Those days, there was one guy under the goalpost instead of two.”

Later, Notre Dame took possession at its own 30 with a little more than a minute remaining. The Irish elected to run down the clock and preserve a tie.

“The fans felt like they should go for it, but Ara (Parseghian, the Irish’s coach) was a good coach. He knew what he was doing,” Markbreit said.
When the clock expired, the roar of the crowd — the fans who had banners that read “Bubba for Pope” — was replaced by stunned silence.

“The teams were so good and somebody had to win, but nobody won and that’s what makes sports wonderful,” Markbreit said.

One of Markbreit’s great satisfactions was the lack of noise directed at the game officials.

“Both teams played great and a lot of games back then ended in ties. I felt exhilaration. There were a myriad of great players on both teams and not a peep about the officiating. We had no effect on the outcome.”

Personally, Markbreit calls the “Game of the Century” a great cornerstone. “Games like that give you the experience and wherewithal to do anything,” he said.

Wirtz’s watchful eye played a big part in the smooth flow of the game. “Howard had us ready like a fighter,” Markbreit said. “He paid so much attention to me. If I had made mistakes, guys would have said, ‘Why put a second-year guy on that game?’ Howard Wirtz was the Tommy Bell of college officiating.”

Markbreit felt exhilaration at game’s end, but the teams were hit by exhaustion and pain. In his book, Fighting Back, Notre Dame halfback Rocky Bleier described the postgame. “Almost everybody was crying. The emotion of the game, the hitting and violent contact, was converted into the emotion of the locker room,” Bleier related.

The Irish bounced back and went on to defeat USC the following week and claimed a national championship.

Many on the field at Spartan Stadium went on to pro careers. Smith played with the Baltimore Colts and later forged an acting career, starring in TV roles and in the Police Academy movies. Notre Dame defensive lineman Alan Page was a member of the Minnesota Vikings and went on to a Hall of Fame career. His legal career has also had success. Page is a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Markbreit is now retired. He worked 23 years in the NFL, including four Super Bowls. He now trains officials and also speaks to various groups.

“I speak at a lot of organizations and they always mention the 1966 Notre Dame and Michigan State game when they introduce me, but nobody is old enough in the audience to remember,” Markbreit said.

When Markbreit sees footage of the game that was a predecessor to the BCS and launched so many careers, he has a brief reaction.

“Geez, I look 15 years old. I looked young,” he said.

CAPTION: Michigan State quarterback Jim Raye throws a pass as Notre Dame’s Pete Duranko closes in. Michigan State built a 10-0 lead in the classic 1966 match-up, but Notre Dame came back to even the score late in the fourth quarter.

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Holding

Judging the legality of blocking is arguably the most difficult aspect of officiating a football game. On any given play there are six to 10 blocks and some of them go unobserved by a crew of five. Consequently, holding and illegal use of hands may be the most problematic of all fouls in football because there are so many forms of hand contact between players during constant personal collisions. Complicating the matter is the rules allow defensive players more freedom (push, pull and grasp to get at the runner) in how they use their hands.

For a holding foul to be called, a player must prevent an opponent from possibly making a play by using an illegal technique. In other words, there must be a demonstrated restriction. If an opponent is taken to the ground, that is an obvious restriction. That could occur either through an outright tackle, a takedown or, less frequently, the pull-over in which the blocker pulls the opponent down over himself to make it look like he has been run over.

An upright restriction can occur if the opponent is grabbed and prevented from moving to participate in the play (grab and restrict). The opponent can also be grabbed and physically manhandled to a different position (jerk and restrict) or be hooked with an outstretched arm to alter his path to the runner (hook and restrict).

None of the preceding restrictions are likely to have an impact on the play unless they occur at or near the point of attack — an area in close proximity to where the play is intended to go. Since that isn’t really a “point,” some prefer to call it the “attack zone.”

By examining the logic trail an official must follow, we can begin to understand why that foul is inconsistently called. First is the judgment on the legality of how the hands are used. Often the hands are hidden from the observing official and the decision must be made on the effect of the apparent grip. If the hands are deemed to be used illegally, the official must decide if the technical indiscretion actually restricted the opponent. Did the jersey pluck slow him down? Did an arm bar change his path sufficiently to prevent a tackle? Sometimes opponents will hold onto one another while they are moving — the so-called “dance.” Who is holding who? In actions such as that, it is hard for an official to make an accurate distinction.

The next step is to assess the impact of restriction on the play. A block may begin legally and then progress to an illegal restriction. In passing situations, that may happen after the quarterback has released the ball. Or it may happen far enough away from the quarterback that an impact on the play is highly unlikely. Some officials will call that; others won’t. Additionally, because the point of attack is not a precisely defined term and is not addressed in the rulebook, there are officials who do not take that into account when ruling on holding. Whether an act does or does not prevent a play may not be taken into consideration.

Takedowns by offensive players who are well away from or behind the play pose a particular problem for officials, especially when they are out in the open for all to see. Some officials believe the takedowns should always be called while others make exceptions especially when a touchdown would be negated. Similarly, there is a school of thought that holding should not be called when a defender is double-teamed. The theory is that if the offense is committing two players to one opponent, any advantage gained by holding is negated because a different defender has gone unblocked.

Other variations include calling unnecessary roughness instead of holding and declaring a dead-ball foul when the act began while the ball was live.

Without taking all those notions into consideration, a simple grab of a jersey — and a relatively quick release — may look like a foul, but it isn’t necessarily so. Consequently, making judgments on holding requires a thorough knowledge of what is legal, plus long study and experience to detect the actual behavior and to determine if an advantage has been gained.

Pass Interference

The inequities in the calling of pass interference appear to emanate from two elements. The first of those is an apparent lack of understanding on the part of the officials that both receiver and defender have a right to the ball and that “incidental contact” is a legitimate option if both players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach the ball. Some officials are unconsciously biased in favor of the offensive player. When you think about it, any favoritism should be for the defender; he doesn’t know what’s happening, while the receiver is following a planned route that has been decided in the huddle.

The words “not playing the ball” often enter the discussion by officials on pass interference and although the phrase is not mentioned in the rulebook, it is a legitimate factor — to a point. A player who is not playing the ball is responsible for any contact with an opponent, while a player who is playing the ball — making a bona fide attempt to reach the ball and looking back at it — may be absolved from unintentional contact.

The second source of inconsistency is “catchability.” Under NCAA rules, a pass must be catchable for there to be defensive pass interference. However, an uncatchable pass does not excuse offensive interference (7-3-8c). In NFHS play, it is not interference if the contact by team B is obviously away from the direction of the pass (7-5-11c). However, if such contact interferes with an eligible opponent’s opportunity to move toward, catch or bat the ball, catchability is not a factor. The spirit of pass interference restrictions is to apply them to intended receivers and their defenders and not to other players who go downfield.

Some prep officials will avoid calling an interference foul when the pass is not catchable and they can be very creative in explaining their rationale, such as, “The play was over when the contact occurred.” That discretion is frequently applied when the ball is past both players when the contact occurs or when both players are or nearly are out of bounds and no catch is possible. Other officials will strictly follow the rule and call a foul.

Blocks In The Back

The challenge in calling blocks in the back is that contact from the side is legal. If the player who is blocked saw or could have seen the blocker, there is probably not a foul. A block from the side, even though violent and even though it results in a player being put on the ground in vigorous fashion, is not a foul unless for some other reason it is also a personal foul. Frequently blocks from the side are erroneously flagged.

The placement of the hands or shoulder during the block is a good indicator. If an official can see both jersey numbers, unobstructed, on the back of the player being blocked when the initial contact occurs, it’s difficult to rule such contact a foul. To be called a foul, a block in the back should clearly meet the definition of contact on or near the numbers of the player being hit.

Another guideline is to note how the player who is blocked falls. If the blocked player falls forward, he almost certainly was blocked in the back. That is the type of fall that is most prone to cause injury and a player would not go down like that unless it was unavoidable. If he falls to side, it is a sign he was most likely blocked from the opposite side, but it is not an absolute indicator because in some cases players who are blocked in the back are able to turn to their side to lessen the impact.

Another aspect of those blocks that is subject to varying philosophies is whether the blocked player is knocked to the ground. Those should be called as a safety foul and they usually are (if observed). Contact that merely puts a player off stride is subject to advantage/disadvantage. Not every bump in the back should be flagged. A slight brush that does not cause the contacted player to tip off-stride is not a foul. Some contact of that sort is incidental, because the player making the contact may himself have been jostled into another individual. However, slight contact that causes a defender to stumble and to perhaps miss an opportunity to make a tackle is deserving of a flag.

Additionally, location is a factor. That type of block may take place far from where a play can be made. If an opponent is tipped off balance far from where the ball is in play, such action may be judged incidental, as having no effect on the play. If the contact occurs away from the point of attack and does not affect the outcome of the play, a verbal reminder.

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For NFHS, a backward pass is one thrown with its initial direction parallel with or toward the runner’s end line (2-31-5). In NCAA, a pass is ruled backward when the ball first strikes the ground, any player or an official behind the spot where the ball is released (2-19-2a).

When in question, it is a forward pass rather than a backward pass if thrown in or behind the neutral zone. In the PlayPic on the next page, if the receiver were to mishandle the pass, it should be ruled incomplete.

A backward pass (released overhanded or underhanded) can be thrown by any player possessing the ball anywhere on the field. Unlike a forward pass, it does not matter if an offensive player throwing a backward pass is behind, in or beyond the neutral zone.
Such a pass is possible after a change of possession, such as during a return of any kick or an advance after an interception or fumble recovery.

A snap is also considered a backward pass by rule (NFHS 2-40-1; NCAA 2-23-1).
The ball remains live if a backward pass initially hits the ground or is muffed and then lands inbounds. Officials should not blow their whistle when a backward pass is not caught. Either team can recover the loose ball and advance.

Play 1: At team A’s 40 yardline, A1 throws a pass into a strong wind. The initial direction of the pass is forward, but the wind blows the ball back to team A’s 35 yardline, where it hits the ground. Ruling 1: An incomplete forward pass in NFHS as the original direction was forward. A backward pass in NCAA as the pass first struck the ground behind the spot where the pass is released. Anyone can recover the loose ball and advance.

Play 2: A1 takes the snap and moves parallel to the line of scrimmage. At team B’s 10 yardline, he throws a backward pass to A2, the right tackle, who was trailing the play. A2 catches the ball at team B’s 15 yardline and runs across the goalline. Ruling 2: Six points

for team A.
In general, it can be said that fouls applicable to legal forward passes do not apply to backward pass plays. If a backward pass was the only pass thrown during the down, there cannot be a foul for pass interference, illegal touching, ineligible receiver downfield or roughing the passer.

An in-flight backward pass can be batted backward by either team but may not be batted forward by the passing team (NFHS 9-7-3; NCAA 9-4-2). That is a 10-yard penalty enforced from the basic spot.

In NCAA, a backward pass cannot be intentionally thrown out of bounds to conserve time (7-2-1). That foul typically occurs near the end of either half when a team is trying to stop the clock. The penalty is five yards from the spot of the foul and loss of down.
Judson Howard, Los Angeles, is a replay official in the Pac-12 Conference. He officiated more than 20 years, many at the NCAA Division I level.

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Momentum is not involved because the pass was intercepted outside team B’s five yardline and B1 ran into his end zone on his own volition. The fumble means the related run ended in team B’s end zone. Since the team in possession was responsible for the force (NFHS) or impetus (NCAA) that put the ball into the end zone, the basic spot for enforcing the penalty is team B’s goalline (NFHS 10-5-2; NCAA 10-2-2d-2b).
Once team B accepts the penalty, it will start a new series from its own 15 yardline.

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Snap infractions.

Restrictions on the snapper begin when the ball is ready. The snapper may adjust the ball, but may not move it forward, fail to keep the long axis of the ball at a right angle to the line of scrimmage or simulate a snap. Once he touches the ball, he may remove both hands in NCAA. In NFHS, only one hand may be removed slowly (NFHS 7-1-6b; NCAA 7-1-5a-1).

Play 1:

In a shotgun formation, after adjusting the ball, snapper A1 slowly rises and turns to communicate with the quarterback. In the process, he slowly removes both hands from the ball. Ruling 1: In NFHS, that’s a dead-ball snap infraction, which carries a five-yard penalty (7-1-3a). Legal in NCAA (7-1-3a-3).

Play 2:

Center A1 snaps the ball to A2. The ball touches A2’s hands, but never leaves A1’s hands. A2 fakes having the ball and A3 cuts in, grabs the ball from A2 and runs. Ruling 2: Illegal snap, a dead-ball foul. A snap must leave the snapper’s hands immediately. The penalty is five yards (NFHS 2-40-2; NCAA 2-23-1a).

Play 3:

When center A1 moves the ball, nose guard B2 slaps the ball out of A1’s hand, causing a loose ball. B3 recovers. A1’s movement of the ball was (a) forward, or (b) backward. Ruling 3: In both cases, the ball remains dead. It is an illegal snap in (a). In a legal snap, the ball must be moved backward. The penalty is five yards. In (b), B2 is guilty of encroachment (NFHS) or offside (NCAA).

Blocking zones.

In order to correctly judge the legality of the blocking they observe, umpires must be cognizant of blocking zones and where players are at the snap with respect to the zones. In NFHS, the free-blocking zone is a rectangular area extending laterally four yards on either side of the snap and three yards behind each scrimmage line (2-17-1). The NCAA blocking zone is a rectangle centered on the middle lineman of the offensive formation and extending five yards laterally and three yards longitudinally in each direction (2-3-6a). For the rest of this column, those will be referred to simply as the “zone.”

In NFHS, blocking below the waist is permitted within the zone when all players involved in the blocking are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap, the contact is in the zone and the block is an immediate, initial action following the snap.

In NCAA, offensive players who are on the line of scrimmage at the snap within the zone legally may clip in the zone, as long as the force of the initial contact is not at or below the knee. Linemen with initial position completely inside the tackle box (the rectangular area enclosed by the neutral zone, the two lines parallel to the sidelines five yards from the snapper and team A’s endline) may block below the waist inside the tackle box until the ball leaves the tackle box. All other team A players are allowed to block below the waist only if the force of the initial contact is directed from the front. “Directed from the front” is defined as within the clock face region between “10 o’clock and 2 o’clock” forward of the area of concentration of the player being blocked. Team A players may not block below the waist when the block occurs five yards or more beyond the neutral zone. Players outside the tackle box at the snap, or any time after the snap, or in motion at the snap may not block below the waist toward the original position of the ball at the snap. Once the ball has left the tackle box, a player may not block below the waist toward his own endline.

Roughing the snapper.

When the offense uses a scrimmage-kick formation, the snapper cannot be contacted until he has had a reasonable opportunity to regain his balance and protect himself (NFHS), or one second has elapsed after the snap (NCAA). The penalty is 15 yards and an automatic first down (NFHS 9-4-6; NCAA 9-1-14).

Holding.

Entire books have been devoted to the rules and philosophies regarding holding. In a nutshell, umpires need to recognize the six types of holding: the pullover, tackle, takedown, hook and restrict, grab and restrict, and jerk and restrict. If any of those acts occur at the point of attack or have a material affect on the play, they should result in a 10-yard penalty.

Other illegal blocks.

Several blocking techniques are always illegal, regardless of the situation. A chop block is a delayed block at the knees or below (NFHS) or at the thighs and below (NCAA) against an opponent already in contact with a teammate of the blocker. In NCAA, it is not a foul if the blockers’ opponent initiates contact. The block is illegal when the opponent is first blocked high and, with or without a delay, a teammate’s block is made below the waist.

In NFHS, illegal helmet contact is an act of initiating contact with the helmet against an opponent. Butt blocking, face tackling and spearing are examples of illegal helmet contact. A blindside block is a block against an opponent other than the runner. A blindside block inside the free-blocking zone is legal, but it is a foul if the block is outside the free-blocking zone with forceful contact not initiated with open hands. Interlocked blocking is grasping a teammate while blocking. In NFHS, all of those blocks carry 15-yard penalties except for interlocked blocking, which is 10 yards. In NCAA, the penalties are 15 yards and include an automatic first down if committed by team B. Interlocked interference results in a five-yard penalty.

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Then there are judgments and knowing where to be once the ball is live. Wing officials need to be reminded of rulings and mechanics once a down is in progress. Here are suggestions and mechanical reminders for common live-ball situations.

Give a timeout signal while running downfield to get to a dead-ball location. Do that instead of waiting to call timeout after getting to the line-to-gain spot or where the ball or runner went out of bounds. The reason is that time could be lost, especially in critical situations like near the end of either half.

Here is an illustrative scenario. On second and 10 at team B’s 12 yardline, team A trails by four points. The clock shows 14 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. A1 catches a pass, runs and steps on the sideline at team B’s four yardline with two seconds on the clock. But the line judge did not signal the clock to stop until getting to the dead-ball spot. While the official was running, the clock ran down to zeroes, nobody corrected it and the referee declared the game over. Had the clock properly stopped, time would remain for team A to get an additional play to go for a touchdown to win the game.

Use good mechanics and signals at the goalline. Come in hard while running in the end zone when signaling touchdown near the goalline. That sells your call as you are displaying positive posture by rapidly moving in with your body in the end zone. Your position implies forward progress past the goalline.

No “me too” touchdown signal should be given just because you see the other wing go up with that signal. Only signal touchdown if you clearly see the ball breaking the goalline plane in player possession.When the ball is snapped inside team B’s five yardline, your first move should be to the goalline after the snap. Then you are in perfect position to rule on the ball penetrating the goalline in ballcarrier control. It is advantageous to make rulings while standing still. Come back to get the spot if the play ends in the field of play. Your local mechanics may dictate a yardline other than the five for the use of that mechanic, especially for NCAA games.

When the ball is snapped inside team A’s five yardline, an initial move back to the goalline will help you rule safety or not should a team A player be judged down in or near his own end zone.

Practice good dead-ball mechanics. Your duties are not over when a kick try or field goal is airborne near the goalposts. Come hard into the field to help monitor dead-ball action until teams separate and head toward their sidelines.

Other mechanics. Some associations may want wing officials to signal if a pass is forward or backward. That will help you and your wing partner determine a live or dead ball if it hits the ground.

An important ruling is if the passer is behind or beyond the line when the ball is released. If either of the passer’s feet (NFHS) or his entire body and the ball (NCAA) are past the line, throw a flag and note the foul spot for penalty enforcement purposes.

Your local mechanics may call for specific movements should a snap go over the punter’s head. One wing may stay at the line while the other moves into the offensive backfield to help the referee cover the play. For example, remain at the line if the referee’s back is to you or go back if you’re facing the referee.

For crews of four or five, you must know which wing official should be under the goalpost for a kick try or field-goal attempt. That is based on the referee’s location relative to the kicker and holder.

Now that NFHS also has a 40-second play clock, you must know when to give the 40-second clock signal at the end of certain plays. In crews of four or less, a wing may be required to keep the 40-second count if there is no visible play clock.
The pregame meeting is vital so the above mechanics and variances can be covered and all crew members are clear on their duties and positioning.

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