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From: "Rich Kollen" - dayofgame@aol.com
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 13:07:13
Two conferences have byes this weekend. If you are off, please enjoy
the time with your family.
I have noticed that many of the problems that we are experiencing on
the field are the result of a loss of concentration, communication,
common sense and focus. Work every play like it will decide the game. It
just might.
Flanks-Make sure that you cover cross-field mechanics in your next
pregame. This past week, a flank official who trailed the play and missed
the correct spot by three yards. The opposite flank official had the
correct spot, but when the referee questioned the covering official,
that official insisted on staying with the incorrect spot. This is a
situation in which we must leave our egos in the locker room. Don't be
embarrassed, just be correct.
Communication continues to be an issue. Last week, there was a game
that turned ugly due to a miscommunication of the correct number of
timeouts remaining in the first half. B was told that A was out of timeouts
(due to an incorrect timeout signal). When the next play ended at the
two yard line, the officials granted A another timeout with two seconds
on the clock. Of course, A scored on the next play. Although the
timeout situation was ultimately correct, the lack of communication made
things look bad. All officials must know the correct number of timeouts
remaining for each team and the deep flanks must communicate this with
the coaches.
In the same game, due to a lack of concentration, the officials missed
"12 on the field" for B during a punt. If we have three officials
counting the defense, we must be able to count to 12. Every official must
count their team on every play. This is especially true on fourth
down. This is impossible to defend to coaches and there is no excuse,
especially with 7 officials.
Flanks-Make sure to keep your sidelines clear. Remember, in college,
before the down begins, the coaches and team personnel MUST be out of
the six foot area between the sideline and team box. This is for the
officials' use only. Don't be afraid to use sideline warnings to manage
the sidelines. Use the following procedure:
1. Try to choose a point in the game where the flow of the game is not
significantly altered.
2. The deep official on the offending team's sideline throws a flag
high in the air while the ball is dead. Note, do not throw a flag for
sideline warning while the ball is live.
3. The deep official informs the coach that he is being assessed a
sideline warning.
4. The flank official informs the referee, who faces the press box and
gives the signal.
5. The flank official on the offending team's side of the field records
the warning on his foul card.
6. The deep official on the other sideline makes sure to communicate to
the opposing coach that the opponent is being assessed a sideline
warning.
Finally, but possibly most important, too many penalties have been
enforced incorrectly. This is not just a referee task, but a crew task.
The downgrade is assessed against the entire crew. If you believe an
enforcement is incorrect, STEP UP and save the crew. To help the crew,
do what you can to make the enforcement simple. For example, this past
weekend there was a scrimmage kick play in which R was awaiting for the
ball to come to rest. K committed a personal foul for unnecessary
roughness on R when the ball was nearly dead. The officials determined
that because the ball was not yet at rest, it was a live ball foul and had
to be enforced from the previous spot. Use common sense and keep it
simple. Make that foul a dead ball foul assessed from the succeeding
spot. R should keep the ball.
-Rich Kollen
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