SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL - July 24, 2024
We All Meet This Wednesday at Mira Mesa – All classes meet this week at Mira Mesa. The Crew Chief Meeting will start at 6:00 pm in room 714. All other meetings will begin in your regular classrooms at 7:00 pm. “Average attendance makes for an average official.” – Jim Sibbet Don’t we all want to be great officials? It starts with great classroom attendance and participation.
Agenda – Attendance, The Bull, Instructional Video, Calibration Video, SDCFOA Rules Summer Study (1-20)
Instructional Video and Calibration Video – These videos usually come out on Monday. Take the time to view each of them at a deliberate pace. You will see things that may be important and not noticed by others including Coover (myself). Only by previewing the video will you get the full benefit of its contents. You may find the Calibration plays quite challenging. They are meant to be! When you view them remember the three steps to determining if there is a foul. 1) See an indicator of a possible foul (catches our attention). 2) See the indicator elevate into a clear restriction or advantage gained. 3) Check to see if the restriction or advantage gained has a material effect on the outcome of the play. Each time, Dave Garza will post the results on the website. www.sdcfoa.org
Film from Scrimmages – These are a real challenge for me to get. Again, I’ll do my very best to get you your film so you can conduct a self-evaluation of your crew’s work and your individual work. And please forward the film to anyone who was in attendance. All 2nd year and transfers have been added to all five conferences.
Equipment Card – In San Diego we use an Equipment Card for pre-game inspection of player equipment. The Equipment Card can be found on the website www.sdcfoa.org under Instructional tab. Look for Game Cards. Each flank notes any player equipment that is illegal or currently being worn illegally during the warmup period. When the flank completes their card for their team, the completed card is presented to the umpire who gathers both cards for the referee. The Referee and Umpire will then present the card to the head coach. This serves as the warning. Finally, the first series for each team, including kick off, make sure to send out any player not properly equipped. After that, any equipment issue will jump out at you, as the bulk of your work in this area has been completed. If we discover a coach and team which is completely defiant and uncooperative, we must report that situation to the CIF Section Office. So far, that number is a very small number in each of our sections and our Section Offices will be of assistance if we are being consistent and from the very start of the season.
Latest Fad With Pants – Watch for players, especially linemen, who put their knee pads in backwards while their pants are off, then pull on the pants and fold the pants up underneath so that the pants are above the knee and stay there but the knee pad is now cupped in the right direction. When you discover this the player explains that they’ll have to pull down their pants to correct it. Clearly best to observe for correction during the warm up.
Q Collar and Guardian Caps – These two safety items have been ruled legal by the NFHS and may be worn in games. The Q Collar is worn around the neck and is meant to lessen the risk of concussions. The Guardian Cap has the same purpose but is a cap worn over the shell of the helmet. Both are legal to be worn in a game.
Fitness - Scrimmages are two weeks away! You want to look good out there so update your uniform, tailor those pants, and keep up your fitness routine. Don’t forget to hydrate in this heat starting the day before the scrimmage and provide time for your stretching routine to prevent injury.
San Diego County Sports Officials Hall of Fame – There will not be a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony this year. The committee has decided to hold an Induction Dinner every other year. So, the meeting schedule is incorrect, there is no Dinner on September 24. See you next year!
San Diego CIF 25-Yardline Overtime Procedures – Overtime is mandatory for all varsity games in San Diego County CIF (varsity level only!). There are no options. Any varsity game for any sized division, must use the 25-yardline tiebreaker when the game ends in a tie score at the end of regulation. The result will be a win or a loss. The procedure can be found on our website under RULES. No changes to the procedure.
Out-of-Town Teams – When a team from out-of-town comes to San Diego to play, they are playing by the CIDSDS rules. That includes mandatory overtime. If a team were to refuse to play overtime it would simply be reported to me and I would inform CIF who would award a “win” to the SD team (I assume). Teams from out of CA may also be surprised that we have a Mercy Rule in CA, and that a player who exhibits signs or symptoms consistent with a concussion is disqualified for the remainder of the game. Those are the 1- SD and 2 - CA possible differences. They may be included in your pre-game meeting with the coach.
When Does a Team Get to Choose Where the Ball is Placed? – Prior to the ready-for-play, the offense may designate the spot between the hash marks: For a try; kickoff; following a safety; following a fair catch or awarded fair catch; touchback, and start of each new series in overtime.
New Shirt Being Offered – Smitty and Honigs are offering a new-look football officiating jersey that features the CIF logo embossed over the pocket. This is becoming a popular topic of discussion throughout the State and the CFOA group north of us is transitioning to it by the 2026 season. I suggest the Board take a look at the shirt to determine if we’d like to transition as well starting in 2025? Do not buy the current shirt as it has the CFOA Logo on the sleeve. We’d need to sew on our own patch over it, or get Smitty and/or Honigs to emboss the SDCFOA Logo on the sleeve. Don’t buy this shirt at this time.
Nonplayers and the Team Box – Rule 9-8-3 states, “A nonplayer shall not be outside his team box unless to become a player or to return as a replaced player. A maximum of three coaches may be in the restricted area. No player, nonplayer or coach shall be in the restricted area when the ball is live.” It was clarified in the 2024 rule book that the first offense is a warning, second offense is a 5-yard penalty, and each subsequent offense is a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty charged to the Head Coach. If this were to be the second Unsportsmanlike penalty on the head coach he must be disqualified.
Quick Tips for Communicating with Head Coaches: Never, never, never ignore a coach’s request. You may have to inform the coach that you will have to wait a play or two to get the information to the other officials, but never ignore! Make eye contact. A coach wants to be assured that he has you attention. Avoid “squaring off with the coach” rather, turn your body slightly at an angle. Refer to the coach as “Coach” or “Coach Jones”. Keep your communication brief and formal. Avoid joking and sarcasm. Adopt a neutral tone and avoiding any personal remarks. Stick to the issue at hand in a straightforward way. Ask them to help with problem players. Be sure to identify the problem in explicit terms, without making the player to be an evil person. Sometimes it’s hard to do, but it can be accomplished with a careful choice of language. Remember: get used to the coach having the last say. This will most likely end the conversation. Remain calm under all circumstances. Let coaches have their say. When a coach approaches to protest or argue, adopt an instant “listening mode” and let the aggrieved individual finish his remarks. Don’t interrupt. Use non-confrontational body language. To be aware of body posture, facial expression, head tilt and arm position, one must say, “I am going to appear receptive and contemplative. I can think best and measure my words that way. I am determined to not escalate the problem.” If you make a mistake, admit it. A simple apology is sufficient; do not elaborate or rationalize (i.e. make excuses) When a coach raises their voice, lower yours. A soft voice has a way of triggering a reciprocal soft reply. Support fellow officials. Never betray partners by showing that you doubt their judgment. Instead indicate faith in someone else’s decision by saying the partner had a better view of a more favorable angle than the responding official or partner. Give praises to promote sportsmanship. When a coach makes a gesture of consideration for the opponents or towards the official, be sure to acknowledge it. Sometimes a smile and nod of the head are enough. Keep your ego under control. Often a mere glance will carry a significant message, whether it’s negative or positive, whether it is meant to curtail dialogue or to encourage it. A quizzical expression can signal a desire for additional input, whereas a frown may denote closure. Don’t use your hands when talking to a coach. Your gestures will reveal more than you’ll want to convey.
