Meeting This Week - We will be meeting tomorrow Wednesday 9/28 at Santana – Crew Chiefs and Instructors will meet at 6:15 with the regular meeting beginning at 7:00 pm.  Check your attendance this week to make sure you’re meeting the 9 required meetings (including your position Clinic and the banquet!)  Also – Retests and make ups of mechanics and rules tests will also be offered at this week’s meeting!

Golf Tournament – This year’s golf tournament will take place on November 16 at Riverwalk GC on November 16.  Shotgun start at 11:30am.  $125 covers golf, cart, and lunch.  $145 gets you all that plus drink tickets and a chance to win lots of great prizes at the 19^th hole raffle.  Go to www.sandiegoyouthfootballfund.org and register your crew, foursome, or play as an individual.  Golfers of all abilities and guests are welcome.  Once again, the top three teams will earn a spot in the Randy Jones Invitational Championship.  Contact Ed Blick, Mike Downing, or Jake Minger with questions or go on-line to check out the details.

Ball Boys/Gilrs Can Help the Crew and the Umpire!  - We are doing a great job of getting the ball to the umpire so he can spot the ball on every snap.  We’re observing our flanks back into the relay process as we’ve always done in the past – Great job flank officials!!!  Referees are staying back and observing both teams, both sidelines and no longer spotting the ball and running back to their position before whistling the play ready.  This is actually speeding up our tempo thanks to all – especially our umpires who are hustling their butts off!!!  Now, we’ve begun to revisit the importance of Ball Boys/Girls.  If you recruit or carefully instruct those who are available to you, they can help get balls spotted even more efficiently.  Rather than waiting for the BJ and flanks to relay that ball back down the field on long incompletions, we now have ball persons who can immediately bring in the new ball through the flank official on the offensive’s side of the field.  Another old technique that is resurrecting itself!!!

Blocking Below the Waist Made Simple – In most cases, if the QB is under center, the low block will be found to be legal (ball will most likely be in the zone).  If the QB is in shotgun, the low block will be found to be illegal (ball most likely out of the zone).  **Assuming both players were on the LOS at the snap and the block is in the zone.

Coach Appeals to Us to Save the Game – I found it profound that a well-respected and honored head coach in San Diego appealed to one of our crews to penalize illegal hits that not only jeopardize the safety of our players but that jeopardize the existence of the game itself!  I found his comments to be right on point.  The game is in the hands of the coaches and officials to be saved or lost.  I believe strongly that we’re heading in the right direction and our coaches are teaching safe and legal techniques while our officials are penalizing illegal contact.  Please, for the sake of the game (according to this honored coach) keep our game legal and safe!

Thank You Coaches - Without your support and generous sharing of your game video our association would not be able to benefit from the weekly instructional videos and each crew's self-analysis.  Sometimes we hate what we see, but it provides us with an opportunity to fix it! Again, thank you for making this happen.  If you haven't shared you can do so by exchanging with San Diego County Football Officials.  We are listed as if we were a team in the HUDL system.  Just exchange without requiring something in return. Thank you!

The Regular Season Begins - Teams are now playing conference opponents and league championships are at stake.  We need to "up our game" in response to this unique part of the schedule.  Teams are more familiar with each other and that can be a good thing or a bad thing.  Be aware of rivalries.  

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.

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!

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.

Bands – The following is taken from the 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 violation of this CIF policy can be directed to the game administration for immediate correction.  Continued violations would be considered an 'unfair act' under NFHS Football Rule 9-10-1 and could result in a 15-yard penalty being assessed to the head football coach of the offending school for unsportsmanlike conduct.

National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers (NASPAA) - Code of Conduct -

The following principles and expectations underscore the NASPAA’s P.A. announcing philosophy. P.A. announcers must utilize these guidelines.

1. Announcers shall understand that their role is to provide pertinent information in a timely manner and to do so professionally and not attempt to be bigger than the game or event by doing play-by-play or by providing commentary in an effort to entertain or to draw attention to himself or herself.

   2.Announcers shall understand that because they have a tremendous influence on the crowd and that cheerleading or antics designed to incite the crowd for the purpose of gaining an advantage for their team is inappropriate.

   3. Announcers shall promote good sportsmanship and a positive environment by what they say and how they act.

   4. Announcers shall treat the opponents and their fans as guests, not the enemy.

   5. Announcers shall respect the individuals who are responsible for the conduct and administration of athletic games and events, such as coaches, officials and administrators, and avoid making any comments that reflect positively or negatively on them.

   6. Announcers shall respect the participants of all teams and remain neutral when introducing the starting participants, announcing substitutions and the outcome of plays or performances of the participants.

   7. Announcers shall be competent. This means following approved announcing guidelines, expectations and policies, such as emergency procedures, provided by the administration or the host facility.

   8. Announcers shall be prepared, such as being familiar with the correct pronunciations of the participants’ names, knowing the rules of the sport, the officials’ signals and how the game is played.

   9. Announcers shall exhibit professional behavior and represent their school, organization or association with respect and dignity at all times by what they say, how they act and how they appear.

   10. Announcers shall avoid using alcohol and tobacco products at the venue.