These plays are from games officiated in Colorado Springs, so I’ll reference the Colorado 5-person mechanics manual, along with Colorado rules interpretations and modifications. If anything I say doesn’t match what you do in your state, please consult your state’s mechanics manual and rules interpretations.
One quick note before we get started. The Weekly Dozen may not be quite as “weekly” this season as it has been in the past. My dad is currently on hospice, and I expect to make a few trips to South Carolina during the football season to spend time caring for him. I’ll keep putting these together as often as I can, and I appreciate your patience and understanding when I can’t get one out in a particular week.
Finally, if you find these videos helpful, please like the video and subscribe to the Art of Officiating channel. And if you think other officials in your association would benefit from the Weekly Dozen, please share the videos with them. I’d love to reach more officials and get more people involved in these conversations this season.
All right, let’s get into this week’s plays.
1 – Scrimmage kicks can be especially difficult to officiate because all eleven Team K players may be numbered 0–49 or 80–99. As many as six players may be eligible to receive a legal forward pass based on both their number and position, while at least five players will be ineligible because of their position, regardless of their number.
A few years ago, the rules makers added language to Rule 7-2-5b, Exception 2, to make it easier for Team R, as well as the officials, to identify which Team K players are ineligible by position. The rule states: “Once the snapper puts his hands on the ball, players on the line of scrimmage and in between the ends are ineligible and remain ineligible.”
The key is that eligibility becomes established when the snapper puts his hands on the ball. A Team K player who is on the line and between the ends at that moment cannot subsequently become eligible by shifting or changing position before the snap.
(Play the video) At this moment, these six players are eligible to receive a legal forward pass. (Play the video). Two players step backward and are legally backs, but they are ineligible because they were on the line of scrimmage and in between the ends when the snapper placed his hands on the ball. The two players who stepped to the line are now ineligible by position because they are not at the end of the line of scrimmage. So now, we have only four eligible players.
A20 is guilty of two fouls. He is an ineligible player downfield, and he is also guilty of illegal touching. I would not flag the quarterback for an illegal forward pass, because that is not the intent of the rule in this case.
The penalty enforcement would be five yards from the previous spot and loss of down. The ball was snapped from the A-44, so it will be first and ten for Team B from the A-39.
2 – It’s exciting for me to see plays that match unique quiz questions we study but almost never observe on the field. Thanks to the Colorado Football Officials Association leadership for providing this example. Just like the play in the first video, it gives us a chance to see a rarely encountered nuance of the rules actually play out on the field.
A9 steps out of bounds, then reaches onto the field of play to catch the pass. Is this action a foul?
Rule 9-6-1 says, “no player of A shall go out of bounds and return to the field during the down.” A9 goes out of bounds; but what happens next? Let’s keep digging in the rules book.
Rule 2-29-1 says, “…a player remains out of bounds until returning to the field with any body part touching the field and no body part touching out of bounds.”
When A9 touches the pass, his left foot is still out of bounds; he has not returned to the field. So he has not violated 9-6-1. This is not illegal participation.
Let’s add a wrinkle. 9-6-1 does not use the word “accidentally” or “unintentionally” in the rule. Those words are implied. 9-6-1 addresses a Team A or K player who does not intentionally go out of bounds. If A9 HAD intentionally stepped out of bounds, then Rule 9-6-2 would apply. If A9 intentionally steps out of bounds, then he is prohibited from intentionally touching the ball.
So what is the result of the play? A9 is out of bounds when he touches the ball. He has not returned to the field, so he is not guilty of illegal participation.
Rule 2-29-3 says a loose ball is out of bounds when it touches a player who is out of bounds. This is an incomplete pass.
3 – There are two actions in this play I’d like to discuss. The first is the tackle on the runner.
Is this a horsecollar tackle? Rule 9-4-3k describes the foul: grabbing the inside back or side collar, or the nameplate area directly below the back collar, of either the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner, and subsequently pulling the opponent backward or sideward to the ground.
The first question is where B50 grabs A7. Does he grab the inside back or side collar or the nameplate area? Or does he simply wrap his arms around A7’s neck area? It is difficult to tell from the video. We cannot guess. To rule a horsecollar tackle, we need to be certain the required grasp occurred.
The second question is whether B50 subsequently pulls A7 backward or sideward to the ground. On this play, it appears B50 pulls A7 forward rather than backward or sideward.
We have the benefit of slow motion and repeated views, so we can evaluate each component of the tackle over and over. In real time, this is much more difficult.
The second part of this video discusses A52 (the left tackle’s) block on B8.
B8 steps to the outside. So far I don’t have a foul. But then do we see A52 grasp B8’s left arm to restrain him from moving toward A7? And then does is the final action a takedown hold, or is he simply pushing B8 to the ground?
I’m leaning toward a flag for holding on A52. I think I see material restriction at the point of attack that impacts B8’s opportunity to tackle A7.
4 – Here’s a second tackle from the same game that was flagged as a Horsecollar tackle.
B27 grabs the nameplate area and pulls A7 sideward. Note the rule verbiage does not include how the runner contacts the ground. It only identifies the direction of the pull. The covering official determined the pull was sideward and tossed a flag for a Horsecollar tackle.
The visiting team’s head coach was not happy about this flag. He brought up the tackle from the previous clip and said “how can that be a Horsecollar tackle when you didn’t flag their guy for the same tackle?”
That’s where precise knowledge of exactly what the rules book says becomes so important. We need to know the individual elements of the rule and be able to articulate what we saw.
“Coach, in my judgment, your runner was pulled forward to the ground. By rule, a horsecollar tackle requires the runner to be pulled backward or sideward to the ground.”
5 – Again, we’ll discuss two separate actions during this play. Let’s first focus on A54’s block on B17. The referee flagged A54 for an illegal block in the back. He later said he originally thought A54 had disengaged from B17 and then had renewed his effort by blocking B17 in the back.
As we can see, A54 initiates contact at the side, and then continues his contact on B17. Because he didn’t break contact, his push at the end is not a foul. The referee said, after watching the Hudl clip, he would not have flagged A54.
Now let’s look at B8’s contact on A22. (Show video)
Rule 9-2-3d says a defensive player shall not contact an eligible receiver who is no longer a potential blocker. For some strange reason, some coaches think it’s legal to “reroute” receivers. A22 is an eligible receiver; at this point in the video he is not a potential blocker. This is a foul for illegal use of hands. It’s a foul regardless of what happens next. We don’t wait to see if A4 passes the ball or runs upfield.
By the way, this is tough for the officiating crew. The formation is balanced, so the back judge’s initial passing play key is A22. Can you see how the HL is looking downfield at his passing play keys? This is perfect! We don’t want our wings to stare into the backfield at the quarterback. The line judge should be looking at A6 (and it appears he does). So the back judge should see this illegal contact on his primary key.
A22 gets up and catches the pass and goes out of bounds at about the B-38. Hypothetically, if we did have a flag on the play, we would NOT add the 10 yards to the end of the run. The foul happened during a loose ball play, so penalty enforcement would be from the previous spot. It was third and fifteen from the B-36. Following penalty enforcement, it will be third and 5 from the B-26.
6 – This play takes a while to get to the teaching point. (Show video)
Let’s look at A24’s block on B42. Rule 2-5-2 says blocking in the back is a block against an opponent when the initial contact is in the opponent’s back. The initial contact is from the side, so this block is legal. This is a tough call though, and many times we change our minds after seeing the Hudl video in slow motion. We look for chasers; or blockers running directly behind their opponent. I’d say, when in question, a block is legal and not an illegal block in the back.
I’d like to see the back judge move more quickly downfield as A7 approaches. We want to see the back judge maintain a good cushion to the players, and in my judgment, she is a little too close to the action at this moment. She gets caught standing for too long and is on the same yard line as the runner at the B-20, so she obviously won’t beat the runner to the goal line.
The final point in this video. If you are the covering official and you throw a flag on Team A, don’t give the touchdown signal when the runner crosses the goal line. Instead, give the stop-the-clock signal, watch the players separate, then move toward the referee to report the foul.
7 – Here’s another block that may tempt us to throw a flag if we focus only on how the block ends. As I’ve said in previous Weekly Dozen videos, I think an illegal block in the back is one of the fouls we most often flag when a flag isn’t warranted.
We have to see the initial contact. A block that begins legally from the side can end with the defender going to the ground and the blocker appearing to be directly behind him. We cannot look at the aftermath of the block and reconstruct where the initial contact must have occurred.
Judge the block based on what you actually see at the point of initial contact, not what the block looks like when it ends. The line judge correctly rules this was a legal block by A78.
The back judge does a good job getting to the goal line ahead of the runner. Here’s the downside to using a finger whistle. We want to blow the whistle while simultaneously signaling. So we get a one-armed signal. Just take your time. Blow the whistle, take the whistle out of your mouth, and then signal touchdown. Also, make sure you turn your body to face the runner. Don’t stare down the goal line.
Now let’s look at the left tackle, A77. He overpowers his opponent and shoves him to the ground. So far, everything is legal. But then he decides to flop on his opponent. This is a foul. Rule 9-4-3c says it is illegal personal contact to pile on any player who is lying on the ground. The referee and linesman both have flags.
I love that the linesman was not watching the ball; he was looking at the players behind the runner. However, he can’t give up on the play. He should be moving downfield while looking behind the ball. He should be farther downfield than the B-30. After throwing his flag, he should continue to officiate the play and should continue running toward the goal line. After the play ends, and after watching the players separate, he can turn and speak with the referee about his flag.
8 – The formation is unbalanced to the line judge’s side. A10 comes to the line and indicates to the line judge that he is in the backfield. The back judge has A10 as his initial passing play key, and the line judge will key on the tight end at the end of the line.
Umpires, don’t set up beside the linebackers. Take one step backward so you don’t obstruct B0 if he moves to the left.
Let’s watch this matchup between A9 and B6 on the linesman’s side of the field. (Show video)
As A9 runs downfield, the linesman moves to stay connected to the play. He could perhaps move a little quicker because, when possible, we want to stay about 10 yards from our key and bracket these players between the linesman and the back judge.
Do you like the linesman’s defensive pass interference flag?
When I first watched this play, I saw B6 turn his head and look for the ball, so I initially decided the contact was legal. My reasoning was, “The defender has an equal right to attempt to bat or catch the pass.” But I was considering only one component of the play.
Look at where the contact occurs. B6 contacts A9 at approximately the A-39, while the pass comes down near the A-45. That means the contact occurs about five or six yards before the point of catch. By moving into A9’s path, B6 prevents him from continuing toward the pass.
Turning his head and looking for the ball does not give B6 the right to make early contact with A9. B6 turns to look for the ball, but he is not in position to bat or catch the pass.
If B6 turns his head toward the ball and makes contact at the point of catch, this is no foul. But B6 cuts off A9’s route about 5 yards short of the point of catch, so the linesman’s flag is correct.
One final nitpicky comment: give the stop-the-clock signal at the end of the action.
9 – For this clip, we’ll focus on the left tackle. The umpire will toss a flag for ineligible downfield.
The ball is snapped on the B-26. Rule 7-5-12 says ineligible A players may not advance beyond the expanded neutral zone before a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone is in flight. This means the ineligible players cannot move beyond the B-24.
We want the umpire to work much harder to get to the neutral zone. He takes one step forward in the time interval from the snap to the time the pass is released, about 3 seconds.
Now let’s watch the left tackle, A64. He doesn’t have a player to block, so he curls in a little and stops on the A-24. He is then contacted and driven backward by B57. When A28 releases the pass, A64 is between the A-23 and A-24.
Any additional movement by the linemen after the pass is released doesn’t matter. We’ve seen in previous Weekly Dozen videos that athletic linemen can move several yards downfield after the ball leaves the passer’s hand. That subsequent movement is irrelevant. The umpire must take a mental snapshot of the linemen’s locations at the moment the pass is released. That is the picture we use to determine whether an ineligible receiver was illegally downfield.
The umpire sees A64 running downfield and casually drops a flag on the ground. This ruling was incorrect and a touchdown was brought back.
The umpire must take a mental snapshot of the linemen’s locations at the moment the pass is released. He cannot observe the aftermath of the play and then try to reconstruct where a lineman must have been when the pass was thrown. Where the lineman is when the umpire finally notices him does not tell us where he was at the critical moment.
If the umpire doesn’t know where the lineman was when the pass was released, he doesn’t have the information necessary to make the ruling. When in question, the lineman is not ineligible downfield. We can’t guess.
10 – We’ve talked often about eye discipline on the field. Every official has a responsibility to view certain players and areas, and we can’t afford to be ball-watchers.
The formation is balanced, so the line judge’s passing play initial responsibility is A1 in the slot. At the snap, A1 moves four yards downfield and drags across the middle, so the line judge correctly remains on the line of scrimmage. Don’t drift!
A7 throws the ball downfield to the left. It’s hard to notice, but the line judge doesn’t watch the ball in flight. There is nothing he can contribute at the point of catch, so why watch the ball? However, he must be prepared to hustle downfield and officiate action near the runner if the catch is made.
Here’s the goodness of this clip. After the pass is dropped, the line judge doesn’t quickly turn to his ball person for a clean ball. He still must dead-ball officiate. He immediately turns back to the field and notices two players locked up at the A-42. IF he had turned for a clean ball, or if he had looked downfield at the ball on the ground, he would have missed this tussle.
Proximity and voice. That’s typically all it takes. And by the way, this action doesn’t warrant a flag. This contact is unnecessary and excessive, and both coaches will want us to throw a flag, but only on the “other player.” Offsetting personal foul flags are unnecessary unless this action has been persistent throughout the game.
11 – The ball is snapped on the B-6. The back judge should be on the end line, and the wings are responsible to rule on the goal line.
The umpire must not set up on the goal line. He should never be on the goal line or cross the goal line when the ball is live. Set up in the end zone and remain there.
At the snap, when the wings read “run,” they must book to the goal line and try to beat the runner to that money line.
As we can see, the line judge is late getting started, and the linesman moves and then stops. For some reason, the back judge moves forward to the goal line. He ends up side-by-side with the umpire, and then runs behind him to get to the other side. So he is not in position to watch blocks ahead of the runner.
The runner lands with the ball just across the goal line. We can’t see the line judge, but he didn’t get there first. The linesman is standing on the B-1.
The line judge signals touchdown. We have four officials on the goal line, so we’re not bracketing any players. We’re completely straight-lined. And the linesman is reaching down to pick up the pylon. The pylon has never committed a personal foul. We need to keep our eyes on the players. The other housekeeping actions can wait.
The back judge should be on the end line, the umpire should be deeper in the end zone, and the wings need to work harder to get to the goal line to be stationary when the runner arrives.
12 – It’s second down and three from the A-47. How should the linesman move at the snap?
Perfect! He moves immediately to the line to gain. The line judge must do the same. Remember, the line to gain and the goal line are important money lines; when they are close, we need to work hard to get there before the ball arrives.
A4 runs toward the sideline, which puts the linesman in a quandary. Which is more important, remaining on the money line or protecting himself? Obviously, personal safety takes priority, so the linesman correctly backs away. We can’t officiate football with two broken legs.
If the ball had been snapped between the 25-yard line and the goal line, the linesman might have been able to back straight up along the line to gain and maintain his position on the money line. But with the team box directly behind him, he has nowhere to go. His only practical option is to retreat diagonally.
The person manning the front stake must drop and run! That’s too close to remain at midfield.
Notice how the linesman smoothly and deliberately moves to the forward progress spot. He doesn’t rush. He gives the stop the clock signal while facing out of bounds at the players.
I’d like to see the umpire hustle to the sideline. He’s still at midfield when the quarterback runs out of bounds. Umpires should not walk on the field. Sprint to the sideline to help separate the players. I don’t see the back judge or referee either. When players go out of bounds, especially between the 25 yard lines, we need more than one official in the vicinity.
That’s your Preseason Weekly Dozen for games through August 30, 2026. Thanks for watching!
If you find these videos helpful, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and share the link with other officials who may benefit. I also invite you to visit artofofficiating.com for more high school football officiating content.
And if you encounter an interesting or unusual play during your season, I’d love to see it. You can send it to me at contact@artofofficiating.com.