Weekly Bull 8/9/23

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL - August 9, 2023
 
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO TAKE THE MECHANICS EXAM
Please use the link below to take this year’s Mechanics Qualification exam.  Each certified member should access the link and follow the instructions to create their login and password (used to resume if needed). 
The online test will allow the test taker to pause at any point, bookmark any question, change their answer to any question previously answered, and print the test after they have completed the test.
 SDCFOA MECHANICS QUALIFICATION – 2023
https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/start/?quiz=3kt64c8a46094ecc
The test will be available online until – 08/07/2023.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Scott Carroll
 
1st and 2nd Year Classes – Meet at La Jolla High School – NOT Mira Mesa – This week you will meet on the football field at La Jolla High School, 750 Nautilus St, La Jolla,. You will be learning how to work with the chains, and go over the basic movements this week.  It’s a fun and important meeting! Your attendance has been outstanding.  Keep it up!
 
Back Judge Clinic!  - This week we feature the work of our Back Judges.  Thank you to Don Carey (NFL) and Mark Halby (SCIAC and WAC) for hosting this clinic which all are invited to Zoom In…hahaha
SCOTT CARROLL is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Back Judge Clinic
Aug 9, 2023, 7:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87467587045?pwd=aDhSTENvOHQzUThUZTNhcG9wZzNkZz09
Meeting ID: 874 6758 7045
Passcode: 108471
One tap mobile
+12133388477
 
Coaches Comments from Conference Meetings – We are all in agreement that coaches and officials want to keep games on Friday nights, but it will take a significant increase in salaries, much better sportsmanship by coaches, and great recruiting by everyone, to get our numbers back up to where we can cover all games on Friday nights.  They were also wanting us to be consistent in addressing uniform and equipment issues.  They do not want to see teams on TV with illegal equipment or adornment issues.  Same thing during the game…consistency between both teams.  We definitely have their attention on this matter, and we will be successful if we ALL do it, every game!
 
Fouls Occurring Within Last Two Minutes – When there is a foul with less than two minutes remaining in either half, the offended team has the option to start the game clock on the snap,  Sometimes the offended team may choose to decline the penalty, wanting the down to count and not replay the down, but still has the option of having the game clock start on the snap.
 
Latest on Girl’s Flag Football – Early assignments are out.  We’re currently adding coaches and ADs for the schools playing flag football to the list of coaches that was shared via google doc earlier this year.  If you do not have a google account, it may be impossible to view it.  Find a person who does have google on your crew and have me share it with them.  We’re doing it this way so that it can be updated during the season if you discover and error. 
 
Aiding the Runner – Coaches have been told that aiding the runner will be enforced if we see planned plays where the running back lines up behind the QB and just runs forward, places hands on the back of the QB and pushes…Like The Philadelphia Eagles did with Jalen Hurts.  They were also told that it is legal to push the pile, and that if the is a question if the teammate is pushing the pile or pushing the QB, we will go with pushing the pile. Remember – be consistent as an Association.  5-yard penalty – Signal 44
 
Communication Between Coaches and Officials – Coaches were told that we greatly respect the work that the head coach puts into preparing, and managing his team.  For that reason we make every effort to communicate with him, answer questions, provide explanations and listen to his complaints in full as long as they are not unsportsmanlike or the coach is on the field and objecting.  CIF wants us to penalize unsportsmanlike outbursts and demonstrations on the field by any coach.  But we have a high tolerance for our head coaches.  CIF has also asked us to inform the head coach if an assistant is questioning the work of the officials and acting unsportsmanlike.  This gives the head coach an opportunity to correct the situation.  If it continues we are to penalize as directed by the Commissioners.
 
Problems with Your Coach – If you have a problem with your coach let your referee know.  One of the biggest complaints I get from coaches is that the flanks do not communicate their coach’s concerns to the referee.  This builds frustration and adds to the original issue.  By the time the referee does get to the sideline he now has to deal with an upset and frustrated coach.  There shall be two officials present for all meetings between the referee and the head coach, but only one speaks – the referee!
 
Game Management – The referee, and both flank officials, should know who the game administration will be for the home team, and hopefully, for both teams.  Find out if they will be stationed somewhere so that, if needed, you can find them.
 
Battlefields to Ballfields – Thank you, Joe Magnuson, for your leadership and dedication to the B2B program which has greatly benefited the SDCFOA and our military veterans in San Diego.  We also owe a great debt to the mentors who volunteer to assist these very special new officials.  Thank You!
 
Hydrate - It continues to be warm.  Don’t forget to hydrate. Does your crew have a person responsible for water and maybe energy bars?  Stay healthy!
 
Video from Scrimmage – Most everyone should receive video from their scrimmage.  Please let me know if your scrimmage didn’t show up.  I’m sure it’s my fault somehow!
 
Clean Up Locker Rooms – Please remember to clean up after you finish using the locker room.  We are guests of the school and always want to leave a good impression of our professionalism!
 
George Schutte – George Schutte was the designer of our instructional program and always taught us that the instructional program does not begin nor end in the classroom.  You must study outside the classroom each week. Have you opened your rule book or case book this week?  You need to read a small section each week!  Then you continue your learning during the halftime and post-game meetings on Friday nights!  Post games are critical!  Then you continue your learning and teaching on Saturdays as you work with other officials including our new ones.  Finally, we attend our classes and participate in the sessions with questions and note taking.  This was George’s design and it works, if you engage with discipline!
 
Kits Not Picked Up – I still have kits for the following: Alei, Gunzelman, Garces, Harmon, Hallman, Warner, Walker, Sargent, Quroz, Powell, Lewis, Lindsay, Knutzen, Isida
 
2023 Ejection/Disqualification Procedure
Steve Coover will coordinate ejections for all levels of high school football games (but NOT Youth Football).  
These procedures apply to all levels of San Diego Section, CIF Sanctioned high school games.   
Please refer to your applicable youth assigner for ejection procedures for youth games. 
Make sure that your ejection call can be supported by rule.
In addition to the above rule book ejections, the CIF has indicated other actions that require ejection:
If in the opinion of the officials, a player leaves the bench area and enters the field to begin or participate in a confrontation, he is ejected, and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty is assessed.  If in the opinion of the officials, a player leaves the bench area and does not begin or participate in a confrontation, he is not subject to ejection.
If two players from the same team leave the bench area and enter the field for the same reason, they are both ejected and a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty is assessed.
If three or more players from the same team leave the bench area and enter the field for the same reason, all the players that left the bench are ejected and the game is forfeited. (Try to get the numbers of all the players that began to or participated in a confrontation.)  If three or more players leave the bench from both teams, it is a double forfeit with both teams recording a loss.

Calling an ejection.
Flag the play.
Do not immediately eject the player.
Discuss the foul with the crew-chief/referee and any other officials that saw the action.
If the general consensus is that the foul should result in an ejection, the crew-chief and the official that called the foul should notify the offender’s head coach that the player has been ejected and the reason for the ejection.  If the official that made the call is the crew-chief, he should be accompanied by the flank official on the side of the offending team.
Do not discuss the consequences of the ejection or the number of suspended games. The number of games the ejected player has to sit out and other consequences are totally within the jurisdiction of the CIF and may vary from player to player.  
Do not prolong the explanation for the ejection and do not argue with the offender or the offender’s coach.  Don’t get into an argument you can’t win.
The referee then returns to the field, makes the appropriate signal for the penalty followed by the disqualification signal, (#47) and the umpire steps off the applicable yardage.
If a member of the coaching staff is ejected, including the head coach, he “shall be removed from the stadium area…” per 9-8 Penalty.
Although permitted by rule, do not eject a fan, parent, administrator or others that are not in the team box.  Refer this ejection to the site administrator, or in the absence of a site administrator, to the home team head coach for removal of this individual.    

Reporting ejections:
Call Steve Coover the next day, (619-921-3006), with the ejection. 
Go to the San Diego CIF website at www.cifsds.org
Hover your curser over OFFICIALS and select EJECTION MANAGER
On the next screen it requires your password which is: 123
Complete the form.  When finished, select Steve Coover as the Liaison.  Then press SAVE.  You’re done.            

Weekly Bull 8 9 23
Word – 29.5 KB 140 downloads

Reminders:

All 1st Year officials are meeting at La Jolla High School at 5:30 pm

All 2nd Year officials are meeting at Mira Mesa High School at 7:00 pm

Back Judge Clinic Tonight for All Certified Officials

Time: Aug 9, 2023 07:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87467587045?pwd=aDhSTENvOHQzUThUZTNhcG9wZzNkZz09
Meeting ID: 874 6758 7045
Passcode: 108471

One tap mobile
+12133388477

Also attached are the flag football rules for CIF plus another document titled "Mechanics".  You will see a lot of duplication, but both documents should be read and understood.  Thanks - Steve

2023 CIF FLAG FOOTBALL RULES
PDF – 951.1 KB 141 downloads
2023 CIF Flag Football Officials Manual
PDF – 1.1 MB 139 downloads
SDCFOA Information Update 8 9 23
Word – 20.4 KB 138 downloads