Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from August 15, 2010 (edited for clarity).
There is an old officiating maxim that says, “Don’t flag ants; always flag elephants, and never make ants into elephants.” This old saw abounds with great officiating philosophy.
Ants, of course, are insignificant, technical infractions or infractions not so technical but ones that create no advantage and put no one at an advantage.
So never call Ants. John Carricato (Ray’s referee for many years) is so fond of saying big-time officials make big-time calls. Ants are not big and don’t make them big like an Elephant.
Elephants are big. They make a difference. They involve safety issues. Elephants most often occur at the point of attack. They give a team an advantage or put the opponent at a disadvantage. Elephants affect the game. Elephants involve taunting or other unsporting actions. Elephants can happen when the ball is “live” or “dead.”
Elephants are sometimes technical but are so obvious, happening right in front of God and everybody, that they cannot be ignored.
Always call Elephants, and never try and pass off an Elephant as an Ant. People will notice.
Where you really make your money though, where your challenge really lies, is with the Greyhounds. Greyhounds are not as big as Elephants but are much bigger than Ants. Greyhounds are “gray.” They require you to use your very best judgment. They might be dangerous. They might be close to the point of attack but not right at it, and there might have been an advantage gained, and there might not have been any advantage.
The Greyhounds are often going to be disputed or be interpreted as controversial. One team will never be in love with your decision when adjudicating Greyhounds. But ruling on Greyhounds correctly separates the Elephant officials and the Ant officials.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
4/10 from the K-40. After the snap and before the kick, K55 holds R33 at the K-38. While the kick is in flight, R20 blocks K66 below the waist at midfield. R18 fair-catches the ball at the R-37.
- K55’s and R33’s fouls automatically offset. Replay the down
- Enforce R20’s foul from midfield
- Enforce R20’s foul from the R-37
Review Rules 2-16-2h, 10-2-3, 10-4-3