Photo Finish: “A race or finish in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them as they cross the finish line has to be examined to determine the winner.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary To properly adjudicate a race where competitors…
It’s interesting how we can sometimes review a play’s description on paper and quickly and confidently decide how we’d officiate the action, but when we see the same play on the football field, it takes us by surprise and we…
Officials give the “wind the clock” clock signal to inform the clock operator to 1) start the clock or 2) keep the clock running. For example, the R will give a “silent wind” after a runner is downed inbounds beyond…
Maintaining a 3-5 yard cushion between officials and players is an important officiating precept, especially for the wings. Some circumstances require us to close down to the players (forward progress stopped and players in a big pile continue to push…
Before examining specific fumble mechanics, it’s worth reviewing two “When in Doubt” axioms. When in doubt, the runner was down by rule and did not fumble and when in doubt, a forward pass is incomplete rather than caught and fumbled.…
We do not blow our whistles to protect players. It’s human nature to get on our whistle quickly when a receiver signals for a fair catch and the kicking team is sprinting down the field hell-bent on destroying the receiver…
A notable difference between the Linesman and Line Judge positions is the Linesman must work with the chains to his back, which makes it difficult to determine when the ball has reached or passed the line-to-gain (LTG). The Linesman should…
We had an interesting situation in a game. Opposing players went to the ground and as they stood up, one player inadvertently (no foul) dislodged the other player’s helmet and it came off. Rule 3-5-10d states “…the player shall be…
I’ve watched quite a bit of video in the past 2 weeks and have noticed some officials are not signaling “stop the clock” when required. All five officials should signal “stop the clock,” not just one or two. Here are…
Most football officials are familiar with the term “momentum exception,” but when pressed to articulate the rule’s components, many are confounded by the nuances, both in description and application. Rules that contain multiple “and” and “or” statements, where several variables…
