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…
If you ask a veteran official to name the top three penalty enforcement principles, I’d bet a dollar one of the three would be “slow down!” Sometimes as the referee, I want to go as fast as possible to spot…
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.…
One of our most important tasks as football officials is game management. A “subset” of this duty is to facilitate spotting the ball to allow teams to remain in their desired rhythm. The team’s ball person is a major participant…
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…
Sports officiating is highly stressful because referees must make numerous split-second decisions, often resulting in significant consequences for both teams. These rulings frequently produce intense disagreement from players, coaches, and spectators. The subsequent emotional strain has contributed to an alarming…
If we don’t have an on-field pregame routine, our actions sometimes devolve into wandering around the field looking for activities to occupy time or mindlessly chatting with crewmates. List of Helpful Pre-game Activities The Field and Markings Depending on the…
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…
