I track a few high school football officiating social media sites. Recently, an official posted a play about a “questionable hurdle.” He said he was standing on the end line, saw it as a hurdle, and didn’t throw his flag because the action was right in front of a wing who had the “best view.”
Here were some of the responses:
“As my white hat always states, he can wave a flag off.”
“Always best to throw it. You can always come together and pick it up.”
“Better to throw it and pick it up later if necessary.”
“If you see what you interpret as a foul, throw the flag. You can always discuss it and wave it off if necessary.”
“Flag it, talk to others that saw it. You can always wave it off.”
“Throw it then talk.”
“Flag it. If you’re unsure, ask for help to confirm it or pick it up.”
You can probably notice the theme here. These respondents implied if you’re not sure, throw the flag. We can always pick it up.
We should never throw a flag because we THINK it was a foul. We need to KNOW it was a foul because: 1) We fully understand the rule, 2) We saw the beginning, middle, and end of the play, and 3) We worked hard to be in the correct position (proximity and angle) to accurately view the action.
If the official on the end line was responsible for viewing the runner, and if he unequivocally saw a foul, he should throw a flag. If his view was obstructed or if he couldn’t clearly see the defender’s position, he shouldn’t throw a flag.
With five-person mechanics, we shouldn’t have multiple eyes on the same action. If you are counting on a teammate to bail you out or confirm a foul, he may not (correctly) be looking in your area.
We need to flag fouls we observe and know they are fouls “by rule.” We should never throw a “maybe” flag. If officials start throwing flags thinking, “We can always pick it up,” there will be too many plays with flags and discussions, which is a bad optic.
Don’t throw a flag “just in case.” KNOW the rule and then make a judgment based on the rule. If it’s not a slam dunk foul, then leave it alone.
Yes, we can have discussions and wave off a flag. If an official judges an action that occurred and another official says, “I clearly saw it differently,” then you must decide who was correct. Sometimes the most forceful or most senior official gets his way. That’s not good.
If you THINK it’s a foul, it’s not. See it, know it, then you can throw it.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer(s). (Choose all that apply.)
3/5 at the A-40. A12 takes the snap, takes two steps backward, and hands the ball forward to A33 (who was in the backfield at the snap) at the A-38. Pulling guard A53 pivots to his left, runs three steps parallel to the line of scrimmage in front of A33, and blocks B70 below the waist at the A-38. B70 was a lineman in the free blocking zone at the snap. The contact was in the free blocking zone. The ball was in the free blocking zone when A53 blocked B70.
- Legal play
- A12’s forward handing is a foul
- A53’s block is a foul
Review Rules 2-17-2 and 7-3-2b