Crowds Outside the Team Box – This is a good problem! Some of our feature games are attracting huge crowds which can also mean a lot of extra fans standing on the sideline. Remember, these fans are not a part of the team and cannot be penalized, but should any or some of them interfere with the game and our officiating, then they can be removed by the home school administration. Administration is there for a reason so don’t bother the head coach, elicit help from the site admin.
Instant Replay – Instant replay is a fun feature when watching a game. We now have at least one school that is offering a phone app which provides fans in the stadium with instant replays during the game. So far this has been great for the fans and great for the games. My concern is for a time in which an official misses a call. Officials cannot view the same instant replay and change the call. I’m sure the fans will not like the missed call and will voice their disapproval (a missed call would deserve a reaction from the crowd). My concern would be for the safety of the officials during and after the game if their anger is fueled by the replay. Again, no problems so far whatsoever, just looking down the road.
PA System for The Referee – Just to let the schools know, our referees are fully capable of operating a wireless mike for penalty announcements. These systems are costing around $300 now and fans and coaches really like getting explanations on unusual plays. It is also great for resetting the game clock. You may want to consider this in your next budget.
Ball Watching on Punts – I watched a play this week where all the officials seemed to be watching the same thing. In this case it was the ball bouncing on a punt while a player away from the ball was fouled by a vicious block away from the play. The same is true for a play were three of the five officials threw flags for the same foul. This is not good as too many officials are watching the same action. We need to have our areas of responsibility and be disciplined to stay with our keys and our areas.
Forward Progress – When a receiver comes back for the ball and is not contacted by a defender, the receiver gets no forward progress on that play. Only when a receiver is contacted by a defender and is being pushed back by the defender does the receiver get forward progress from where the contact was first made.
Formations – Illegal formations must be cleaned up early! I’ve seen wide-outs covering each other up and linemen in the backfield to pass protect or pull. Get these players in the right position early, inform the coach of the problem immediately, then penalize.
Signals and Clock Awareness – Everyone on the crew should be relaying signals. If one person signals time out, we all signal time out. I’ve seen video where crew members were getting lazy with this and making the crew look sloppy and unprofessional. The clock operator is dependent on good signals from all officials. Let’s make this a crew goal for this week!
The 11th annual SDCFOA Golf Classic benefitting the San Diego Youth Football Fund (SDYFF) will take place on Wednesday, November 13 at beautiful Coronado Golf Course. Golfers of all abilities are welcome and encouraged! First tee-time is at 10:30 a.m. and will be assigned on a first come-first served basis. Entry fee is $110 (payable to SDYFF) and covers golf, cart and lunch. Book your crew as a foursome or enter as a single, twosome, or threesome…we’ll pair you up. Fees can be paid via PayPal at the SDCFOA web site, by mail to Bob Smith at his address in Arbiter, or hand deliver to Bob Smith, Jake Minger, or Ed Blick. Questions? Contact Ed Blick or Jake Minger. Space is limited…book now! Each year our SDYFF provides support to athletes and their families that face financial hardships as a result of a football related injury and provides scholarships to student-athletes at the end of the season. Look for our announcement of the scholarship application.
