In my fourth year I was the line judge on a game with four officials who were arguably the top officials in the association at their respective positions. I was super excited to be on the field with these icons. During the pregame, the referee reminded us to be careful with our ball handling because it was a windy day. I think it took about three plays for me to screw it up. As I tossed the ball to the umpire, the wind caught the ball and it impacted a player’s helmet and bounded about 25 yards away. As I chased the ball, I was mortified. Nothing makes an officiating crew look more inept than sloppy ball handling.
We must be precise with our ball handling. Proper ball handling is critical to game flow. It allows teams to stay in tempo.
Don’t let the ball hit the ground; if you’re unsure of a toss, get closer.
Cut down the distance of the pass, as a rule of thumb, passes should be no longer than 10 yards
Move to create open passing lanes, don’t try to “thread the needle” between players. Don’t throw the ball over players.
Make underhanded passes. Do not throw the ball overhand.
Be aware of stadium lights and sun position. If the wing official is blinded, move closer and make shorter passes.
Have your hands ready to catch the ball, thumbs together and make a target at the sternum
Unless the snap is imminent, don’t chuck the ball off the field. If you are the R or BJ, move closer to the sideline to toss the ball. If you are a wing, move closer to the R or BJ to receive the ball.
Don’t trap the ball with your foot.
The back judge (or referee on a 3- or 4- person crew) is the primary dirty ball official; the umpire should rarely touch the dirty ball.
The referee and back judge can help relay the ball to the umpire.
In a 4-person crew, the referee can step forward to help spot the ball if the umpire must roam to collect the ball following an incomplete pass.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer(s).
Free kick, K-40. K10 attempts an onside kick and the ball rolls out of bounds at the K-48. While the ball is live, K33 blocks R40 above the waist at the R-49 (R40 did not initiate a block). The covering official throws a flag for an illegal block. Team R elects to next snap the ball (Team K will not rekick).
- Team R must decline the foul to take the ball at the K-48
- Penalty enforcement is from the R-49 (spot of the foul)
- Penalty enforcement is from the K-48 (succeeding spot)
- Penalty enforcement is from the K-40 (previous spot)
Review Rules 6-1-9, 9-3-7, 10-4-2 EXCEPTION