One of the bad habits newer wing officials develop is staring straight down the line once they’ve reached the forward progress spot and squared off. For some reason, they have tunnel vision and they ignore everything else that is not directly in front of them.
We train officials to mark forward progress, square off, and step onto the field, and that’s how it works for many scrimmage plays.
But that’s not always the correct mechanic. Forward progress is actually a plane, not a spot, so to mark forward progress, you may have to step onto the field, step out of bounds, or even delay moving forward if a pile develops.
If your eyes are staring down the line, you’re missing the action that still matters—players who are not on the forward progress yard line who haven’t separated and returned to their huddles.
This is especially important when a runner is driven backward. You’ll mark forward progress at the end of the advancement of the ball, but the runner, blockers, and tacklers will not be on that yard line.
Or maybe blockers continue to shove defenders beyond the yard line where the runner was downed. The runner is on the line, but there are multiple players of two different colors beyond that line.
Or maybe the runner has gone out of bounds, and you have multiple players scattered over a wide area.
Move to the forward progress plane, but keep scanning the players. Keep your chin up and your eyes moving. Identify where the colors are mixed and stay with that action until the players separate. If players are beside or behind you, turn your body to best observe the players.
The key is to keep a wide field of view (the opposite of tunnel vision) to observe the players until they separate and return to their huddles.
It’s also tempting to immediately look at the referee to communicate the down. Resist that urge. Stay locked on players until they’re clear, then turn to the referee.
If you are the head linesman, don’t immediately look back at the chains. Keep your eyes on the players until they separate.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
4/5 from the R-20. Team K is in a scrimmage kick formation with K33 standing 3 yards behind the holder. The umpire notices K33 is not wearing thigh or knee pads.
- Team K’s coach is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct
- K33 must be replaced for at least one down
- Team K can call a timeout to allow K33 to equip thigh and knee pads and reenter the game
- If K33 can equip thigh and knee pads within 25 seconds, he can remain in the game
Review Rules 3-5-2b and 3-5-10e