SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, INC.
A Federal Non Profit Tax Exempt Corporation – www.sdcfoa.org
THE WEEKLY BULL - October 7, 2015
Meeting This Week - We will all be meeting Wednesday at West Hills - All officials including 1st year and 2nd year and transfers. We will meet in our regular classrooms first then adjourn to the Theater at 7:50 for voting for the Board. Important: All 1st year, 2nd year and transfers will stay in their classrooms. They do not vote. These instructors will vote when a ballot is brought to your classroom.
Crew Chiefs, the Weekly Bulletin, and Video - Crew chiefs are expected to have some form of communication prior to the next game regarding the contents of the Weekly Bulletin and the Weekly Instructional Video. On top of that, someone on your crew, or several members of your crew should be cutting up your own crew's game from that week. This is a huge time commitment so delegate. Get your crew more involved and active in each of these areas. We must get better each week!
Game Clock – Reminder, at the beginning of our dead ball routine we must all check the game clock for accuracy. When we are questioned about game time (maybe the clock continued to run when it wasn’t supposed to) and we don’t have an answer we lose our credibility with fans, players and coaches. Much of this happens inside of 5 minutes in the half or the game, but you can’t just turn on and off this responsibility. You have to do it each and every snap. Finish observing the action of the players at the end of each play, then a quick look at the clock to check its status. Have a plan each week on how you will communicate with the clock operator so we can quickly reset the game clock if necessary. Resetting the game clock can demonstrate our thoroughness and our professionalism.
Bands - We had an issue last year with a band playing during the opponent's offensive series, and now we've had another this year. If the opponent complains about the band interfering with the cadence, the referee shall inform the opposite coach and game administration. My experience is that those two people can do the most to remedy the situation. If it happens again, stop the game and get game administration involved again. After that, we would need to penalize but I'm personally praying that we don't get to that point!!!
Silence is Golden – The PPR approached an official Friday night before the game and asked for him to comment on the fighting that took place last Saturday after the youth game at Otay Ranch. The reporter was told “No comment”, but they wanted to talk to someone he should contact our association leadership. Well done!
The Use of the Whistle – It is our local, state and national mechanic to not blow our whistles unless we see the ball in possession, and progress stopped or the player down by rule. I saw a play this week where the ball carrier is stopped in the backfield and the sight of the ball is obvious. Had we blown our whistle there is a chance that a late hit on the runner may not have occurred. I do not want inadvertent whistles, but when the player is down and you see it, please blow your whistles – loud – and not staccato!
Use of Video Equipment and I Pads – If you do find yourself in a situation where the number of the next down or the proper yard line is in question, please use all available measures to get the situation resolved – including info on video or IPad. We cannot use this equipment to review plays or fouls, but we can use this info to confirm game administration information. It’s the same as getting information from a statistician or a head coach, we take in all of the information and then, as a crew, decide what is the correct answer to the problem.
Locker Rooms – Some locker rooms have equipment stored in the shower area. Remember, to put the equipment back in the shower when you’re done. We are visitors, so please leave the PE area neat and clean. Thank you.
Communication with Players and Coaches – Communicating with players is like communicating with the coaching staffs. What you say to players is going to be repeated to the coaches. So comments like, “you’re not getting held, you’re getting beat” or “it was a 5 yard loss anyway we’re not going to call holding” or “I'm not calling that unless my grandma can see the foul” does nothing for the game and makes us look quite bad. I have no defense for these types of comments to players or even coaches. Please respond with facts, or the rule, or “I saw the block and it was close but legal.” “I was focused on other action on that play, I’ll watch for that foul.” “Coach we just saw the play differently.” “I hear you, I understand.” “What did you see?” Remember, positive and proper communication starts as we arrive at the school. If we get to a difficult situation and then want to establish strong, positive responses, it’s too late. Be professional from the time you park your car – through the entire JV game – pregame of the varsity contest – at all times during the game – and post-game. Be a Mike Weseloh when it comes to communication!!!
Communication Within the Crew – Feedback from the observers has been very complimentary in this area. Not only are we communicating consistently and accurately with our supplemental hand signals, we have been very loud and vocal in our communication. Each individual on the crew can do enormous good for the crew as a whole by participating vocally on every play…down, distance, my goal line, your goal line, the status of the ball relative to the 5-yard mark on the chains, double stakes, wind, no wind, the clock is hot, when to hack relative to the final 25 seconds of the half or game, …the list goes on and on. Keep yourself and the crew alert on each and every play by communicating loudly and consistently.
