Weekly Bull 9/7/16

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, INC.

A Federal Non Profit Tax Exempt Corporation – www.sdcfoa.org

THE WEEKLY BULL – September 7, 2016

San Diego County Sports Officials Hall of Fame 2016 Induction Ceremony - will take place Tuesday, September 13th at 6:00 pm.  That’s next week!  So get your tickets and enjoy the comradery and the induction of football officials Bob Hood and Mike Weseloh.  Let’s all welcome these two into the Hall of Fame and recognize their contributions to the SDCFOAfootball officiating.  You may purchase tickets on the website at www.sandiegosportsofficialshof.com/2016-induction-dinner.  Credit cards will be accepted on the website. 

Game Check Weekend for SD Youth Football Fund - October 21 and 22. Last year we had 14 crews participate, and 75 total officials contribute during this fund raising weekend.  The Fund raised a total of $3,883, which was used to fund the two $2,500 scholarships we provided at our General Meeting to Jacob Kitten and Luqman Barcoo.  I think you could tell both recipients were extremely honored to have received this award, and their families who attended the presentation were appreciative and proud of their son.  Great young men, and we want to do it again, and again, and again!!  We have set a fund raising goal for this weekend of $5000, with at least 20 of our 37 crews participating, 150 total members being a part of our efforts.. As you know, we have two events to raise funds, this and the golf tournament, that is it. We have donated to the football youth in our community more than $25,000 over the past 5 years. While $5,000 sounds like a lot, if 200 members donated $25 each, not even half of a Pop Warner game, we would get there. Crew chiefs, please get involved, work with your crew to achieve a minimum $25 contribution per man, if we can get the crews to do that, we are at our goal.  

The SDYFF will buy the crew who contributes the most during this weekend a full crew dinner after your game on November 4th, up to $30/official! That’s more than the $25/official we are requesting, so drive the bus to be the best, and we’ll take care of your dinner that night!! Last year’s winning crew came from Bob Hood with a total crew donation of $506, a mighty fine goal for your crew in 2016!! Officials not on crews are also being begged to participate, even add more than the $25, it is our Associations gift back to the football community, and we all need to be a part of that effort. We need maximum participation this year to get it done. We will be providing you with instructions on how to donate before our fund raising weekend, but save your dollars and tell your crew chief you are in!! Let’s make this work.

BJ’s Fundraiser is Back and It Earns Us More! – BJ’s is now going to credit 20% of our food bill to our Charity Fund!  The flyer is attached to this Bull but I believe you can just take a picture of it on your phone and have it in the “wallet” of you IPhone.  Thank you Bob Hood for setting this up and thank you BJ’s management for the support!

Targeting, Spearing and Excessive Contact – After watching the first 2 weeks of  NCAA games and seeing the confusion by officials, coaches, players and fans regarding targeting fouls, I offer you the following:

There are three different types of personal fouls where the opponent takes aim and initiates contact:

Targeting - hits to the head and neck area 

Spearing - using the crown of your helmet to deliver blow below the head and neck area

Excessive Contact to a Defenseless Player - Blind-Side Blocks and Defenseless Receivers.

* Targeting was adopted 3 years ago (as you know) and the others were adopted two years ago.  All 3 are in effect.

* If any one of them is considered flagrant, it is an ejection.  Most times they are not considered flagrant.

* Flagrant = "a foul so severe or extreme that it places an opponent in danger of serious injury."

Coaches can teach their athletes to avoid targeting, and spearing in many effective ways.  Avoiding excessive contact to a defenseless player is a newer concept and many coaches have been teaching their players to identify those situations where they have an opponent who does not see them coming and where they could "blow him up" or deliver the “big hit”.  In those cases changing the blocking strategy from using their helmet or shoulder to deliver a crushing blow to the unsuspecting opponent, needs to occur. Initiating the block with the hands and extending the arms, or using their body to "shield" or "screen" the opponent can both be very successful blocks yet have safe consequences for the defenseless player.  I hope this is not new information and we're thinking the same about these fouls. 

Officiating Targeting, Spearing and Excessive Contact – We are still working to get proficient and consistent in calling these fouls.  If the NCAA is struggling, we must be as well…and we are.  We get many, but miss some obvious and big ones.  We will never be perfect but we must get better each week!  Selected plays are in each and every weekly instructional video to our crews.  The good and the bad must be examined and improvement made each week, each play - on behalf of our game and the safety of our players.

9/11 Remembrances or Special Ceremonies – If there is something organized this Friday in remembrance of 9/11 we will work with the home team coach and administration to make every effort to adjust the kick off time accordingly.  Once a kick off time is agree upon the officiating crew is responsible for seeing that the kick off occurs on time!  Again, we will work with the teams and game management on this please.  Thank you! 

Officials Using Communication Devices – We now have approximately 12 crews using walkie-talkies and ear pieces to communicate on the field.  The use has exploded and I predict by next year every crew will be using them.  Their biggest asset is the ability of the flank officials to relay information to and from coaches to all officials immediately!  There are many more positives to their use but communication with coaches is at the top of the list.

Forward/Backward and Complete/Incomplete Passes – We continue to be challenged with these new offensive schemes.  Properly ruling on quick and delayed passes to the flanks from shotgun creates a situation where the line of scrimmage officials must immediately judge forward or backward.  We are now signaling with our arm the direction of the pass but we continue to find examples of incorrect rulings.  We will continue to work at consistency in this area.

Complete/Incomplete Passes – We do not have the same issues with catch/incomplete as the NFL but one of the same concepts does apply to our game.  If a receiver is going to the ground as he begins the catch process, the receiver must control and complete the catch after striking the ground.  He must produce the ball and the ball cannot move during the contact with the ground.  We will continue to be slow with this call to make sure the catch is completed.

Mercy Rule Before the 4th Quarter – The CIF Mercy Rule begins at the start of the 4th quarter but, if both coaches agree, they may begin the mercy rule before the beginning of the 4th quarter.  If they make that decision, then their decision is final even if the score closes to within 35 points. The running clock will continue.  Remember – 8-man football has the same CIF Mercy Rule as 11-man.

September 7 2015
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