SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL - August 21, 2024
Everyone Meets at Mira Mesa This Week! – All classes will meet this week.
Agenda
Attendance – Check for accuracy & add your clinics
Share from Scrimmages
Review the Bull
Calibration
Everyone But the First Year Officials - Rules Exam On-Line – You received the link to the test on Friday and the window stays open until Sunday 8/25 at 12:00 midnight. It is a challenging test so answer all the questions on your own but DO NOT HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON. Just SAVE IT. Then meet, phone call, zoom with crew or other officials to review answers to the exam before submitting. Good Luck!
Missing Mechanics Test Scores – Carter, Christensen, Gillenberg, Halkyard, Hollingsworth, Parks, Peterman Jr., Shropshire, White, and Wright. Contact Scott Carroll at (858) 822-9903 or sacarroll@cox.net
It’s game week! Are you ready for Friday Night Lights! We must be ready from the opening kickoff and work our butts off through the final whistle. Everyone is undefeated so the energy level will be extremely high. Our energy level and concentration routines must match the game’s level. You’ve all worked so hard in preparation. Have a great night!
Send Foul Reports to Bezverkov – Send the tabulated fouls from your game to Robert so he can enter into the data base. This will help us in our work so please have someone do this for your crew! Thank you.
From Our Assignor – Accept your assignments. Do so as soon as you get the notice from Arbiter. Also, have your uniform with you at all times so you can be prepared to accept an emergency assignment from Tom!
Video from Scrimmages – This is the most challenging week of the season for obtaining video. Most everyone should have received video from their scrimmage. Please let me know if you think you should have received a game and it didn’t show up. The coaches were the best they’ve ever been this year in sharing their scrimmage video with us. Outstanding and much appreciated. Now use it to get even better!
SDCFOA Officer Positions – Association Officers are elected every year. If you are interested in running for Secretary, Treasurer, Assignment Secretary, or Instructional Chair, please inform our President, Bob Flavin and our Executive Secretary, Ed Zapolski by August 31st.
Equipment from the Scrimmages – Some coaches requested that we enforce the rules for legal equipment during the scrimmages. Other scrimmages were more casual, and equipment issues were just pointed out by our officials. Either way, here are some of the reported issues: Knee braces worn over the pants. Knee braces with pants not covering the knees. Extra dangling mouthpiece. Tinted visor. Back pad not covered. And of course, pants not covering the knees. The coaches are well aware of the procedure by now and we can begin the season with consistency. Many reports were that the kids were well-uniformed and compliant.
Food for Thought –
QB is scrambling in the backfield when a defender attempts to tackle the QB but grabs and twists the QB’s facemask, but the QB escapes and later throws a completion for a 30-yard gain. What are the offensive team’s options? ANSWER – The best option would be to decline the penalty and take the result of the play (30-yard gain). If they accept the foul, it will be enforced as a loose ball play from the previous spot and only gain 15-yards.
Same play but after the QB escapes the attempted tackle by the facemask, he runs for a 30-yard gain. Now what are the offensive team’s options. ANSWER - Now we have a running play, with a live ball foul by the defense behind the line of scrimmage. The offense will accept the penalty as it will be enforced from the end of the run. The difference is that one is a loose ball play, and the other is a running play with different enforcement spots.
When does a passer become a passer? When does a passer cease to be a passer? ANSWERS – A passer is a player who throws a legal forward pass. He continues to be a passer until the legal forward pass ends or until he moves to participate in the play.
Same for kickers? ANSWER – A kicker is any player who legally punts, drop kicks or place kicks the ball. A player becomes a kicker when his knee, lower leg or foot makes contact with the ball. He continues to be the kicker until he has had reasonable opportunity to regain his balance or until after a free kick, he has advanced 5-yrads beyond his free-kick line, or the kick has touched the ground or any other player.
