Weekly Bull 9/22/21

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL - September 22, 2021
 
YES We Have a Meeting This Week – We are meeting this Wednesday 9/22 at 7:00 pm.  After this Wednesday we will not meet again until October 13th.  This adjustment is due to Mira Mesa HS holding their back-to-school night next week. 
 
Meeting Agenda –

1. Attendance (confirm your attendance and test score records are complete and accurate);

   Bull;

   Calibration

   Instructional Video;

   Sharing of Plays and Situations. 

Update on Nathan Weiss – Well, bad news and now good news…Nathan went in for some tests and they found irregularities in the functioning of his heart.  No jokes about it being too big or too small.  Anyway, he underwent an angiogram and an angioplasty through a vein in his wrist which allowed them to place one stint near his heart.  He is doing fantastic and has been released and will be back on the field this week!  Amazing!
 
Recruiting Year Round Now – The board has authorized the recruiting and retention committee to recruit and sign up new members for the 2022 season starting immediately.  If they pay the $99 fee, then they will get the Weekly Bull, full access to instructional materials via our website, and can receive paid chain crew assignments.  Plus, they will be all set for the 2022 season.  Only thing is they won’t receive any assignments during this current year.  You can also expect to hear public service announcements at your youth games announcing the need for new officials.  Be prepared if you have anyone come up to you after the announcement asking questions.  Great job Recruiting and Retention Committee and Gary Gittelson.
 
ASB Music at Games – The music needs to stop when the offense is at the ball.  They may not play music when an offense might wish to make audible pre-snap adjustments.  So, when the offense is in formation, the music stops. CIF Green Book - Bands are not allowed to play during the course of the actual contest.  In the sport of football, bands may play during timeouts, halftime or in between plays. Bands must stop playing when a team breaks the huddle or in the case of a no huddle offense, when the quarterback lines up in position to take a snap.  Any band that plays or continues to produce sound on instruments would be considered an 'unfair act' under NFHS Football Rule 9-9-1 and could result in a 15-yard penalty being assessed to the head football coach of the offending school for unsportsmanlike conduct.  When bands want to warm-up prior to half-time, directors should arrange this so that it is done in an area that is not a distraction to the contest.  NOTE:  No whistles may be used while the game is in progress.

Holding – An offensive player shall not use his hands, arms or legs to hook, lock, clamp, grasp. Encircle or hold in an effort to restrain an opponent.  When we view action that shows signs/indicators of holding as described above, then we check to make sure the restraint is a significant restrain (a material restriction).  Once the action rises to a level considered/judged to be “significant” we pause for a third and final step which is to determine if an advantage has been gained by viewing the play itself.  If the runner is tackled for no gain, then we’d have an example of holding action that would not be penalized.  Same thing if the pass had already been thrown or it were on the opposite side of the field from the direction of the point of attack.  We are currently see more “throw down” type blocks which at the point of attack must be penalized as holding 10-yards.  “Throw down” blocks away from the play must be penalized as a personal foul which is a 15-yard penalty. 
 
Flags and Free Kicks Out of Bounds - We are in the habit of throwing a high flag for a free kick out of bounds untouched by the receiving team.  That is fine as the spot where ball crossed out of bounds is generally not a concern, most teams will take the option of putting the ball in play 25-yards in advance of the free kick line (Receiver’s 35-yard line.  On occasion, the receiving team may choose to have a re-kick from a spot 5-yards back from the previous spot.  But the best option for the receiving team, on a free kick out of bounds at the receiver’s 31-yard line (assuming the kick was from the K-30) or farther upfield, would be to take the ball at the out of bounds spot plus the 5-yard “tack-on” penalty.  For that kick, we must not throw our flags high into the air, but rather at the spot where the ball went out of bounds.
 
More From the Observers -
 - Referees start the game clock quicker following a new series that ended inbounds.  Recommended sequence:  Stop the clock, first down signal which releases the HL, as the chains are moving wind the clock. 
 - More purposeful progress spots.  Three purposeful steps under normal circumstances is all that is needed.  (If you want video of this, Joe Greene in the LCC-Tesoro game – ask, I’ll send it to you).
 - Have a strategic warm up period.  After the perfunctory responsibilities are finished, watch each team's warmups and team offense. Watch blocking techniques of linemen, visualize goal line plays, practice feet-then-ball while watching receivers and running back catch passes, identify best players and their various positions, observe punters.  For a position-by-position list see our mechanics manual pages 7-11.
 
Food For Thought –

1. On a free kick, R1 signals for a fair catch at team R's seven yardline. R2 catches the kick at team R's three yardline. As R2 starts to run, the covering official blows the whistle and action stops. (6-5-3)

   1. Inadvertent whistle. Replay the kick.

      Team R's ball at its own 25 yardline.

      Team R's ball at its own three yardline.

      Team R's ball at its own seven yardline.

Second and 10 on team A's 30 yardline. A1 runs to his 33 yardline, then retreats to his 27 yardline, from where he throws a forward pass. A2 catches the pass at team A's 40 yardline and advances to his 45 yardline. (7-5-1)

1. 1. Legal play.

      Foul; penalize five yards from the previous spot and loss of down. 

      Foul; penalize five yards from the spot of A1 's pass and loss of down.

      Foul; the penalty is loss of down with no yardage assessed.