SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL – November 20, 2024
7-Person Mechanics Workshop This Wednesday November 20th at 7:00 pm at Mira Mesa High School Library – This is a mandatory meeting for all officials, and alternate officials, who are assigned a 7-man semifinal or 7-man final. Chain crew members and timers do not attend. The Open Division finals crew is expected to attend this meeting and to pick up your passes. The 8-Man finals crew is excused from attending this meeting. Our 7-Person Mechanics Manual is posted on our website. Our presenters include: Referees – Chris Wiggins Umpires – Mike Weseloh Line of Scrimmage – Justin Joseph Deep Flanks and Back Judges – Michael Sparling and Jace Carlson
Playoff Passes & Parking for the Finals Crews – The passes for each of the crews will be handed out to each referee at our Wednesday meeting. Crew chiefs will make arrangements for their chain crew and timer to get their passes from the referee.
Discount Passes for D5-AA and D6 Finals/Championship Games – The CIF has again offered us discount tickets for the finals. Here are the links for purchasing your $8 tickets to this week’s games. No discounts for Snapdragon as that is handled through Ticket Master, not the CIF. Next week’s games at Southwestern will offer these $8 tickets but the links will not be available until early next week via the SDCFOA Weekly Bulletin.
No Discount Tickets for Any Semifinals Games – Sorry but you’re on your own for gaining access to a semifinal game this week. Best bet is to hook up with the crew near the end of the pre-game (Approx. 45-minutes before kickoff) and enter with the crew. Otherwise buy a ticket for $14. Tickets are only sold through GoFan.co. Only CIF Courtesy Passes are acceptable.
D5-AA Championship Game on Thursday and D6 8-man Championship Game on Friday– Tom Ables has a limited number of passes available for these two games only. I will ask Tom to bring them to the 7-Person Workshop on Wednesday at Mira Mesa, or you can make arrangements with Tom to pick them up on your own.
Hospitality Suite for Championship Games – We will again have a hospitality section in the EZs at Southwestern and Snapdragon. Snacks and drinks will be available. Reminder – they do charge for parking at both venues. There will not be a hospitality suite at Palomar College.
Wilson Football – Wilson footballs (any type of Wilson football) must be used every snap of the playoffs.
Uniforms – Continue with the same routine we’ve been using all year long. Survey your teams prior to the start of the game and fill out the game card which your umpire and referee will present to the head coaches explaining that any player wearing illegal equipment, not wearing required equipment, or wearing legal equipment in an illegal manner will be sent out for one play. No warnings.
Play Clock – Even if the college stadium has working play clocks, it is not allowable to use them. The CA State CIF has a regulation prohibiting the use of stadium play clocks.
Goal Posts – Some of our games are being held in college stadiums. Some goal posts will be expanded to the high school length, others will not. Either way is acceptable. Southwestern College will adjust theirs to the high school width. Palomar College will not expand, so we will play it as they are for both teams. I don’t know about Snapdragon.
Hash Marks – In a college stadium, we will place the ball 3-steps outside of the college hash marks so that we have using high school hash marks for our games. Sometimes the colleges provided tick marks on the 5-yard lines to help us determine the H.S. hashes.
Overtime – These are listed on our website at SDCFOA.org under rules, and they are attached to this email. Read them, study them, and review them in your pre-game.
Locker Rooms – Plea no visitors unless your name is Tom Ables. We have a serious job to do and we don’t need any distractions. Thank you.
CIF SDS Playoff Bulletin on Officials – We had a serious incident at Southwestern College last week as a spectator (not even a parent) verbally assault our crew after the Lincoln vs Mission Hills semifinal. This Mission Hills spectator took a half-hearted/awkward swing at one of our officials but did not hit him before the Lincoln principal intervened and separated the man from the crew. This individual, who has been identified, will receive a lifetime ban from all CIF events. Due to this incident, I am reposting the CIF Playoff Bulletin on Officials:
“Coaches and Athletic Directors are asked to continue their efforts to provide professional assistance to officials who work their games. This would include meeting the officials upon arrival and escorting them to their dressing area as well as escorting them off the field at the contest’s conclusion. School personnel other than the head coach should be designated to stand by with a key to the official’s room, or the officials should be given a key. On-site staff should be aware of and observe the privacy of the officials’ locker room/dressing area. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Playoff Film – Thank you for your patience as I was able to get game film from every team that is advancing in the playoffs so the crews have at least one film from their game last Friday. Thank you to all of the winning team coaches!. So far the coaches are being very accommodating at their busiest of times!
Pre-Game Warm Up – Please be alert for teams attempting to intimidate their opponents during the warmup period. We are on the field 45-minutes prior to the kickoff just for that purpose.
Payment of Officials for the 2023 Football Playoffs - Per the CIF Football Championship Bulletin, "The CIF-SDS will pay the officials for all playoff contests." Consequently, schools will not be paying officials in any round of the playoffs. Payment from the CIF - SDS may not be made until the end of the championship tournament as many officials are working multiple games and it is more efficient for the section office to make just one total payment at the first of December.
Ejections – If a player is disqualified during a playoff game, the same reporting requirements exist. Please notify Steve Coover if an ejection occurs during your game.
