Officials,
IHSA has assigned contracts for Round 1 and 2 of the playoffs. Make sure you check the IHSA site and accept your contract. Let me know if you/your crew received a 1st and/or 2nd round assignment.
Contracts for Round 3 will be coming out this week.
Reminder, Final In-Season meeting is next Wednesday 10/26/22 at 7PM at Swansea Moose Lodge 1221 (2425 N. Illinois St, Swansea, IL) food will be provided. Topic will be Recipe for Holding (at the end of this post).
Week #9 training tape has been sent out, please discuss with your crew along with the plays below
Play #1:
It is K’s ball 4/20 from the 50-yard line. R7 is standing on the R 15-YL where he makes an invalid fair catch signal (2-9-3, 2-9-4, 6-5-7) before muffing K10’s punt in flight. The ball is rolling on R’s 12-YL and about to be recovered by gunner K1 when R7 kicks the ball through his own end zone and out the back of the end line.
The officials give K the option of declining both of R’s fouls for the “invalid fair catch signal” and “illegal kicking” (2-24-9, 9-7-1) of the ball and rule a safety (8-5-2) for K or decline the foul for invalid fair catch signal but accept the foul for illegal kicking of the ball and replay the down 4/10 @ R 40-YL. If K declines the fouls by R and is awarded the safety, then R will be next to put the ball in play with a free kick from R’s 20-yard line (6-1-1-b).
Did the officials administer this play correctly?
Ruling:
We have a loose-ball play (2-33-1-a) with K’s punt which at first might suggest previous spot enforcement (10-3-1, 10-4-2-b) with the acceptance of either of R’s fouls. R’s fouls (neither of which were an illegal substitution or illegal participation foul occurring at the snap but both of which R committed prior to the end of the kick) occurred beyond the expanded neutral zone; during a punt that also went beyond the expanded neutral zone; and K will not be next to put the ball in play. This appears to have all the necessary ingredients for a post-scrimmage kick foul(s) (2-16-2h). The basic spot for PSK enforcement is where the kick ends (2-41-6, 10-4-3) but in this situation K’s punt didn’t end (2-24-2) until it broke the plane of R’s goal line resulting in a touchback (6-3-1-a, 8-5-3-a-1). We know by rule the basic spot of enforcement for a play resulting in a touchback is the succeeding spot (10-4-5-d), therefore the basic spot of enforcement for these PSK fouls will be R’s 20-yard line.
What about R7’s illegal kicking of the ball? Isn’t this a new force (2-13-1, 2-13-2, 8-5-1) which put the ball into R’s end zone? Of course, it’s the new force that put the grounded kick into R’s end zone, however we know by rule that force is not a factor on kicks going into R’s end zone (2-13-4-a). Therefore, the illegal kicking of the ball during K’s punt by R7 is nothing more than action (albeit illegal) occurring prior to the end of K’s punt play which ended when K’s punt broke the plane of R’s goal line. Thus, the touchback.
Now that we have determined the basic spot of enforcement for R’s fouls to be the R 20-YL we must consider that both of R’s fouls occurred behind the basic spot. Therefore, it will be necessary to implement the “all-but-one principle” meaning we will administer from the spot of the foul (2-41-6, 10-4-3) and in this scenario K will decline the foul for R7’s invalid fair catch signal at the R 15-YL and accept the foul for R7’s illegal kicking of the ball at the R 12-YL. The 10-yard penalty for illegally kicking the ball which will be administered as a spot foul from the R 12-YL can only halve the distance to R’s goal line (10-1-5).
Therefore, No safety and no previous spot enforcement. It will be R’s ball first and 10 at R’s 6-yard line.
Play #2:
A’s ball 2/G at B’s 8-yard line. B47 intercepts A13’s pass at B 3-YL. During B47’s return offensive tackle A76 and defensive end B91 begin grabbing and shoving one another at the B 6-YL. Seeing this shoving match between A76 and B91 the covering official inadvertently blows his whistle while B47 is at the B 10-YL and: (a) flags both A76 and B91 for unnecessary roughness or, (b) doesn’t flag either player but simply steps in and breaks it up. Obviously, B was last in possession when the whistle was inadvertently blown. What options does B have in scenarios (a) and (b) above?
Ruling:
In (a), B must decline the unnecessary roughness foul against A76 to keep the ball (B gained possession with “clean hands”) as these two live-ball fouls don’t automatically offset (4-2-3-d, 10-2-2). A will then undoubtedly accept the UNR foul against B91. Because the inadvertent whistle caused the play to become dead during a running play while the ball was in player possession and the UNR fouls occurred during this running play (B47’s interception return), the basic spot of enforcement is the end of the run which was at the B 10-YL. However, B 91’s foul occurred at the B 6-YL behind the basic spot. Therefore, we would administer the foul from the B 6-YL half the distance back to the B 3-YL where B would be in possession 1/10. An unlikely option would be for B to accept the foul on A76 which would then offset the fouls and result in a replay of the down. DON’T LET TEAM B DO THAT!!! In the (b) scenario Team B has the option of taking the result of the play or replay the down because they were the last team in possession when the inadvertent whistle caused the ball to become dead. Certainly, B will take the result of the play and take possession 1/10 @ B 10-YL.
Comment:
In the above Play #2, let’s consider at the snap Team A was flagged for an illegal formation and Team B’s nose guard grasped the face mask of the center immediately after the ball was snapped. These two loose-ball play fouls occur prior to the change of possession and result in a double foul. There is no option for Team B to decline fouls committed by Team A (10-2-1-b) to retain possession of the ball because Team B’s face mask foul occurred prior to the change of possession. In this scenario we will want to make sure both teams accept the fouls committed by their opponent that occurred during the loose-ball play (illegal formation & face mask). This will result in off-setting fouls and a replay of the down. It is imperative we know the difference in administering fouls occurring during loose-ball plays as opposed to running plays and when the fouls occurred relative to possession when a change of possession occurs during a down.
Play #3:
What if in Play #2………….on the return B47 changes directions after his interception and circles back into his own end zone to allude would be tacklers and appears to be headed for a huge gain but is still in his end zone rather than on B’s 10-yard line when the inadvertent whistle occurs in both (a) & (b) above? What options would B have in these two scenarios?
Ruling:
In (a), B would have to accept the penalty for A76’s UNR to offset B91’s foul in order to replay the down. If not, B would retain possession of the ball but unfortunately it was B47 that put the ball behind their own goal line when the inadvertent whistle sounded which would result in a safety. In situation (b), B has the option of taking the result of the play or replaying of the down as they were last in possession when the inadvertent whistle sounded. They will obviously choose to replay the down in order to avoid the safety.
Questions/Results of this Play:
Does the momentum rule (8-5-2 Safety Exception) apply? The inadvertent whistle adds a twist as to how the play is ruled upon (4-2-3c, 8-5-2a, 4.2.3 Situation D). RULING: Because team B is in possession, B has the option of accepting the results of the play at the time of the whistle or asking for a replay of the down. Since the result of the play would result in a safety. Team B would normally choose to replay the down.
See you on Wednesday,
Blake Ohren
RECIPE FOR A HOLDING FOUL
The ingredients for this recipe include, but are not limited to; definition, categorization, material effect and “Spirit of the Rule”. The following consists of accepted philosophies, basic principles and shared axioms/thoughts/comments related to what should and what should not be a FOUL for holding.
Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1c states:
An offensive player (except the runner) shall not: Use his hands, arms, or legs to hook, lock, clamp, grasp, encircle or hold in an effort to restrain an opponent.
Rule 9, Section 2, Article 3c states:
A defensive player shall not: Use his hands or arms to hook, lock, clamp, grasp, encircle or hold in an effort to restrain an opponent other than the runner.
The rule references above describe potential tactics a player may utilize in the act of holding an opponent. These descriptions are but a single ingredient in the recipe for a FOUL for holding. Remember, as officials we must understand the intent of the rule as well as the definition of the rule. Just because a player violates a rule by definition, doesn’t necessarily constitute a FOUL be called.
Another essential ingredient in this recipe is categorization. An accepted basic principle for consideration of a holding FOUL is being able to identify and classify the type of hold into one of five “buckets”.
The five classifications of holding are:
Grab & Restrict – the grabbing is considered inconsequential up until the restriction
Hook & Restrict – usually hooking under an arm or shoulder pad
Jerk & Restrict – grabbing & quickly jerking or pulling in a downward direction
Pull Down – also referred to as a takedown or tackle
Grab & Turn – a technique whereas the offender will grab and twist the opponent
It is imperative you be able to categorize the type of hold you witnessed (as defined above) and place it into one of the five “holding buckets”, so you are able to describe exactly what you saw when you throw the flag. If you cannot categorize the type of hold, then don’t throw the flag; it’s just that simple!
Some shared officiating philosophies are:
- If you “THINK” it’s a hold; then it’s NOT. You should have to say to yourself “it’s a hold, it’s a hold, and it’s a hold”. If you can say that to yourself three times then drop the rag only if the hold has material effect on the play.
- You must see the END (the act that restricted the opponent from making a play) of a HOLD.
- A double-team block almost never results in a FOUL for holding.
The main ingredient in this recipe is “material effect”. Although a player may have committed an act of holding as defined in the above rule references and you as an official can categorize that act by placing it into one of the five “holding buckets”, it still may not be enough to warrant a FOUL for holding. This is where “material effect” becomes a consideration. This particular component cannot be omitted when considering whether or not to call a FOUL for holding. This main ingredient is why as officials we get the big bucks! It’s at this exact moment we must use our best judgment in determining whether the hold (Yes, I said it; the hold) is worthy of a FOUL. A FOUL must affect the outcome of a play or “eat the flag” and talk with the player in question. Doing so invokes yet another officiating philosophy known as “Preventive Officiating”. When making such a determination, it is imperative we are aware of where the potential hold takes place relative to the point of attack. If the hold in your judgment had no material effect on the outcome of the play then you do not have a FOUL for holding. As officials, we must understand there is a difference between holding and a holding FOUL.
Earlier we briefly talked about the intent of the rule or one might say the “Spirit of the Rule”. I must admit, understanding this concept was the hardest for me to wrap my head around as an official. It is definitely not a black or white concept. The “Spirit of the Rules” is a concept intended to ensure that violation of a rule does not put the offended TEAM at an unfair disadvantage; or in other words give the TEAM whose player committed a rule violation an unfair advantage. With regard to holding, a player guilty of holding undoubtedly has gained an unfair advantage against his opponent in that specific one-on-one matchup. However, that specific unfair advantage does not necessarily equate to the TEAM as a whole gaining an unfair advantage if the specific act is judged not to have any “material effect” on the play. On the other hand, if the specific act described in the one-on-one matchup is judged to have indeed put the opposing TEAM at an unfair disadvantage then a FOUL for holding has been committed and must be penalized.
There you have it; a recipe for a holding FOUL. There is definitely a lot to process before dropping a rag for holding. Good mechanics (positioning) and focusing on your specific keys are also essential to the thought process. I mentioned earlier the ingredients include but are not limited to definition, categorization, material effect and “Spirit of the Rule”. Other considerations include score and time remaining. It is certainly acceptable to pass on a hold that has met all the aforementioned criteria for a FOUL if the guilty party is behind in the score late in a lopsided contest. It’s a page out of a philosophy known as “Game Management” and while knowing when to use it may not always look good on film it quite often is the best way to manage one-sided contests in the waning minutes.
A much respected official once made a statement I will never forget with regard to holding. He stressed the importance of understanding the difference between holding and a FOUL for holding. It was a statement that made the lights come on for me and allows me to confidently share this information I’ve accumulated over the years. Furthermore, he stated that the exact thought process an official should go through when determining whether a FOUL for holding should or should not be called transcends all levels of football from the JFL to the NFL; and he should know because he has worked at every level. Understanding and applying these basic principles and philosophies related to holding and setting the bar for your tolerance level neither too high nor too low is the key to making the right call regardless what level of football you are officiating.
Some other notable officiating philosophies and comments are:
- MIBT – “make it be there”. Know beyond any reasonable doubt the flag you’re about to throw will make you proud for throwing it when it shows up on film.
- GTBO – “get the big ones”. If you set your level of tolerance too low and are consistent with your calls (coaches expect consistency), then you run the risk of over-officiating. No one on the sidelines or in the stands came just to watch you officiate. Be in control but inconspicuous.
- DON’T BE A BALL WATCHER – focus on the action around the ball and watch for the guy with the “brick in his hand”.
- Keep in mind all Friday night games are filmed. Don’t be the main attraction!
(9-14-2021)