SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, INC.
A Federal Non Profit Tax Exempt Corporation – www.sdcfoa.org
THE WEEKLY BULL - August 28, 2013
Thank You From the First Year Instructors – Every year our first year officials work their very first scrimmages with the outstanding guidance of some of our best crew members. This year was no different! Our regular crew members did another amazing job of educating, supporting, and helping to develop the 1st year officials’ skills this past week. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the Association and its membership! – Andy Casagnola, Jeff Phillips, and Dick Brockett
Screen/Draw/Spin – At this week’s scrimmages I noticed most umpires moving much better. They are moving up on passes in a controlled manner while being alert for screen and draw plays. I’ve also noticed umpires with good spin techniques but I suggest we need to have a bit more urgency when we spin. As the ball goes by, we must spin quickly!
Communication with Head Coach – This is the biggest area where we can get into trouble!!! Head coaches want an explanation when some plays are over. And it is not unusual for the flank official to not have the information that’s being requested. I have one report of a referee threatening a coach with a penalty when he’s requesting an explanation. I have another report of a referee indicating that it will cost a timeout for the explanation. This is all unnecessary. Just take the time to give the info from the referee spot…it will only pause the game for a few seconds. If the coach wants to formally challenge the application of the rule, then he can request a time out. But an explanation is not a request to challenge the application of a rule. Coaches, on the other hand, cannot use the request for an explanation as an opportunity to chastise the officials’ decision or judgment. Let’s be reasonable on both sides of this need for communication.
No Use of Video or Pictures – The CIF Green Book requires no use of video of contests in progress. The rule does not cover still pictures so those will be allowable under the new NFHS rule. From the Green Book:
“Coaching staffs, or competitors of competing schools, may not view video tapes of contests in progress or have any information from the tapes relayed to them, until the completion of the contest. Violation of this rule will result in forfeiture of the contest. There are no other restrictions regarding the filming or videotaping of any CIF competition by any school personnel or other spectator.”
Penalty or "Good Play"? - Player led with the shoulder to the upper body and did not necessarily make contact with the head...BUT, the block was clearly with the intent of punishing the trailing defender who was not going to make a play as the runner is going out of bounds. This is a foul under 9-4-3b “charging into….an opponent …after he is obviously out of the play..” We must call these…they are not legal…they are not “good plays”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaZYjSd4DQk – High School Football Player Gets Rocked
Agenda This Week – Weekly Bulletin, video study, and finish up rules review.
Special Referee “Bonus Meeting” – Wednesday, September 4th at 7:00pm – Meet On the Football Field at West Hills. Chris Wiggins will take us through positioning of the referee position (approx. 30 min.) followed by classroom challenges with penalty enforcements led by myself.
Drop Kicks – Did you know that a drop kick can be used for a free kick? A drop kick can be used for a free kick, a scrimmage kick (which includes punts, field goals or trys, or a free kick following a safety.
More Fun With Free Kicks - Following a fair catch, or an awarded fair catch, the receiving team can choose to put the ball in play via a snap (scrimmage play) or by a free kick, which if successful (goes between the goal posts) scores a field goal (3 points) for the offense. If the free kick option is chosen, the ball is placed anywhere the kicking team wants as long as it’s between the hash marks. Once designated, the ball must be free kicked from that spot. The defense will be 10 yards back of the free kick line (whatever that yard line is). In other words, it looks like a kickoff from where the fair catch or awarded fair catch was made. The free kick can be either a place kick (on a kicking tee or held on the ground or a “block” by holder, or by a drop kick (there it is again!!)
