While on active duty in the Air Force, I served two years at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea, as the Joint Staff’s Theater Missile Defense Officer. One of the radars we were working to deploy to the peninsula was the Army AN/TPY-2, part of the THAAD missile defense system.
At the unclassified level, the radar used Wide-Area Search Mode to perform a broad scan with a pre-programmed pattern. In this mode, it traded detail for coverage, spending less time on each patch of sky to see the entire sector.
When an object was detected, it shifted to Track-While-Scan — still sweeping the whole sector, but checking back on the object more often to refine its track.
Once the system identified a potential threat (a ballistic missile), it switched to High-Resolution Tracking / “Stare” Mode — narrowing the beam, concentrating energy, and increasing dwell time on that target.
As football officials, we use radar (our eyes) in much the same way.
Wide-Area Search Mode happens in the dead-ball period between downs. We check clock status, track substitutions, count players, signal to our crewmates, make sure the coaches’ area is clear, and observe the formation. We can’t lock in on one thing, or we’ll miss something else.
Track-While-Scan begins as the offense comes to the line and sets. We determine our keys (initial responsibilities) based on formation strength and focus more “energy” on those areas. A wing official watches his tackle and receivers, while other “radars” (other officials) observe their assigned players. We can’t afford to stare at a single player.
At the snap, we go into Stare Mode — locking on our initial key for a second or two to see that first action clearly. We don’t waste radar energy observing another official’s area.
When we read “pass,” we will shift our stare mode to our passing play keys. As a passing play develops, we will probably shift to track-while-scan (zone coverage).
On a running play to the sideline, the wing on that side shifts his radar to blocks at the point of attack, then back to track-while-scan as the runner crosses the line of scrimmge and becomes his responsibility. As defenders approach the runner, the wing tightens radar coverage to rule on the pending tackle.
The opposite wing doesn’t track the runner at all — he stays in wide-area search to cover players behind the play, since every other official’s attention is forward.
When the play ends, all officials reset to wide-area search (dead-ball officiating).
It’s especially important for wing officials not to fixate solely on the line of scrimmage while marking forward progress. Wing officials can advance to the forward progress spot and move onto the field while scanning the area around the ball.
Great officials constantly pivot between wide-area search, track-while-scan, and stare mode as the play develops. Stay locked in stare mode too long and you’ll miss other significant action. We’ve only got five sets of eyes to cover 22 players — we need to efficiently use our radar energy to find and track the significant action on the field.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
4/2 on the B-30. A12 takes the snap and pitches the ball backward to A33, who muffs the ball at the B-32. The ball rolls forward and out of bounds at the B-27.
- Team B will next snap the ball from the B-27
- Team B will next snap the ball from the B-30
- Team B will next snap the ball from the B-32
- Team A will next snap the ball from the B-27
Review Rules 2-18, 2-27, 2-31-5, 2-31-6, 4-2-2b, 4-3-1, 4-3-2, 5-1-3a