Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from October 13, 2011 (Edited and amplified for clarity)
I have had the opportunity to watch some game film from other crews this week. Several things struck me, but none more than how they use their Back Judges on punts.
Crew after crew has their Back Judge nearly on the sideline when the kick returner is in the middle of the field. If the kick or the return goes in the opposite direction away from the BJ, he is effectively useless on the play. By putting our BJ inside the hash marks and 5-8 yards deeper and 5-yards wider than the receiver we have more effective coverage no matter which direction the return goes.
Remember, the fair catch signal gives the returner protection, not the BJ’s whistle. This is one of the more embarrassing inadvertent whistles we can commit. We want to make sure the catch is made before sounding the whistle.
Protect the goal line during scrimmage kicks. I saw two examples of where the football got into the end zone without the BJ being on the goal line. If the goal line can be even remotely challenged by the kick, the BJ should start on the goal line, then move forward to cover the play when appropriate.
The BJ should carry at least two different colored bean bags. Use one bean bag to mark the spot of first touching by Team K on a scrimmage kick and the other bean bag to mark the end of the kick (for penalty enforcement).
I saw a sequence where the game was held up after a long return while the BJ went back behind the Referee about thirty yards to look for his bean bag. Leave it there if it isn’t convenient to pick it up and get it later.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
Airborne B33 intercepts a pass at the B-1 and then contacts the ground in the end zone and is downed. B will next snap the ball from the _______.
- B-1
- B-20
Review Rules 2-4-1, 8-5-2-a EXCEPTION, and 8-5-3d