Officials,

Week 1 is tomorrow. Newer officials go back to the last years training tapes (in Hudl) and review that information. If you don’t have access to Hudl please let me know. We removed members who haven’t paid their dues and we could have accidentally purged you. Good luck to all!

Clarification to Week #0 Newsletter – POE #4:

It was brought to my attention there could be some confusion with the Point of Emphasis, item #4, regarding player equipment and flagging the head coach for his player(s) not wearing or being properly equipped. The newsletter reads, “Keep in mind under rules 1-5-3 and 1-5-4 in which the coach has verified all his players are legally equipped, the use of illegal equipment is an Unsportsmanlike penalty assessed to the head coach (should have read 9-8-1h). Improperly worn or missing equipment requires us to direct the player to the sideline to get his equipment legal before being allowed to play. Rule 1-5-5 provides us with directions on how to handle legal equipment issues that do not delay the ready-for-play for more than 25 seconds, such repairs may be made on the field without replacing the player for at least one down. This is another reason why we MUST do a thorough inspection of the players prior to the start of the game to make certain the coach understands it is his responsibility to ensure his players are properly and legally equipped.

There are times when a coach will earn a flag for an Unsportsmanlike equipment act. An example for a coach to be penalized might involve a player who has put sticky substance on his hands or the towel he is wearing, or a player who you informed the coach about during the pregame that had a tinted helmet shield, and yet the player comes onto the field to play. Should you encounter a situation in which several players are illegally equipped and are attempting to enter the game to play, then you have a situation that needs to be addressed with a flag on the head coach.

Good officiating uses preventive officiating whenever possible to manage their game. Most situations we encounter direct us by rule to send the player(s) off until he is legal, thus avoiding a need for a flag against a coach.

Game Management:

Game management is not about seeing how many flags you can throw at a game!

A good crew throws only necessary flags. Yes, we are going to have an ugly game every now and then where we are going to have to throw more flags than we want. This may require us to talk to the coaches to help us restore order to the game (often this approach will work, and other times it does not). In a properly managed game the coaches, players and fans will not know you were there! What does this mean? The players, coaches and fans did not come to watch or wait for your next call. Everyone recognizes when the game has a good flow to it and the players decide the outcome of the game, not the officials. Sounds easy doesn’t it? Too often we approach a game with good intentions only to take it over by nit-picking every little infraction.

You have heard or should have heard from your clinician only to call the obvious, meaning an infraction that affects the play, or is a player safety foul which we will ALWAYS call.

I was once told of a game in which a crew threw only one flag during the entire game. No one said the crew did not call enough fouls.

Talking with players and coaches throughout the game usually will keep your game running smoothly. I know there are times or situations in which a team is overmatched, and it is difficult to keep your flag in your pocket. I would almost bet the team that is over-matched is losing badly. Once again, call the obvious and leave the insignificant fouls alone so everyone can leave early.

Mechanics:

Quick Review: Remember on kickoff to get your two deep officials as deep as the kicker can kick the ball or as deep as the receiver. Officials should be looking forward to the kicking team, so that the ball is in front of them. Should the ball be kicked out of bounds they will be able to better see where the ball went out, see a block in the back, a blindside block, or see a holding foul as they were observing the players coming at them as opposed to looking over their shoulder.

Pass Plays: read your keys. We have learned from game film that most pass plays are 6-8 yards. After the snap, move downfield from LOS about three yards to cover this play as you will get a better look at the offensive and defensive players. This position will often keep you from being straight-lined. Should the receivers leave your zone you will need to move downfield to cover the action. You MUST know the down, distance and time on the game clock to properly position yourself. Coverage of running plays requires the wings to mark forward progress. This will require the affected wing(s) to pinch in to get the correct spot. No longer can we place our feet in concrete and stay on the sideline. Staying off the sideline during a running play is one thing, coming in for a proper spot when required is another. Once again, make yourself and your crew look good by hustling when the play requires you to be moving.

Punt Coverage, we know the back judge has coverage on most situations and the line judge must release on the snap to move downfield to assist the back judge. The linesman MUST stay on the LOS to observe if the ball has crossed the LOS before, or after a flag is thrown as this information will be needed by the referee to rule properly on the play.

Properly Handling the Ball is critical for making your crew look good. Throwing the ball around and/or chasing a loose ball improperly thrown is not a good look for the crew. Close your distance down and relay the ball into the umpire or referee. Make a good underhanded pass when relaying the ball.

Rules:

Disqualifications/Ejections: Based on numerous conversations with Sam Knox, we (meaning officials) are disqualifying way too many players and coaches. If a disqualification is warranted, so be it. Unfortunately, players and coaches are being disqualified/ejected too often using incorrect rules.

Know the Rules!

If you have a crew member that does not understand your crew’s philosophy or foul tolerance as to what merits a disqualification, you may need to sit down with him or her and discuss your crew’s philosophy and concerns. The worst thing any official can do is go into a game with a preconceived attitude of looking to disqualify someone. Work to avoid this type of situation. Respectful communication with players and coaches can be your best friend when dealing with a disqualification situation.

Closing:

I hope next week’s newsletter will have some rules and play questions for us to review and discuss. The questions and plays submitted are always the best way for us to learn.