Why Were You Looking Over There?

Occasionally, I will share a play in which I made a mistake. This is a “fun” story to tell 15 years later, but it wasn’t fun for my crewmate at the time.

In my second year, I worked as the head linesman on an 8-man varsity game. The 8-man football field in Colorado is 40 yards wide (13 1/3 yards narrower than the 53 1/3-yard 11-man field).  

In this play, the quarterback pitched the ball to the runner who raced to the line judge’s side. He gained about 6 yards and was downed right along the sideline.

From my vantage point 40 yards away, I clearly saw a heinous facemask foul. It was so bad it looked like the scene in the Exorcist movie where Regan’s head spins 360 degrees. Well, maybe not that bad, but I could swear I saw the facemask facing directly backward from the runner’s body.

So what did young Jedi apprentice Mark do? I grabbed my flag and threw it as far as I could across the field. I may have run onto the field, picked up the flag where it landed, and thrown it again!

When I reported the facemask foul to the referee, he gave me a quizzical look and then went to the line judge to confirm my story. When the line judge heard my flag was related to the tackle, he was “extremely unhappy.” To add insult to the LJ’s injury, the referee enforced the facemask foul.

One of the teams called a timeout, and the crew huddled to discuss the previous play. Except it wasn’t the entire crew. The line judge was so ticked off that he stood alone about 20 yards away. If looks could kill, I wouldn’t be writing this article…

I was convinced I was correct! I was 100% sure the runner’s facemask was twisted backward. And I was so proud of myself for observing the safety foul.

When I got home from the game, I rushed to my computer to Email our crew chief to explain the play. I was sure I would receive a reply full of effusive praise. I was sure he would side with me and provide encouragement. “Great job Mark! It sounds like you did the right thing based on your explanation!”

Here was his six-word reply: “Why were you looking over there?”

And his feedback was spot-on. I had no right to “rule” on a perceived foul.

  1. The action was 40 yards away in proximity to the line judge
  2. More importantly, I should have been looking at the players behind the play. I had no business looking at the runner. My testimony was not admissible in court! For more information about rubbernecking, read this article: https://artofofficiating.com/rubberneck-remedy/

We have a primary coverage area on each play. We shouldn’t look into a partner’s coverage area or throw a flag on his side of the field. Don’t get into the habit of “saving the day” by throwing a flag in front of a crewmate. We need to trust our crewmates.


Quiz

Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer(s).

B20 executes an illegal blindside block on A10 and the covering official throws a flag. B20 contacts A10 in the rib area. He does not contact A10’s helmet. A10 hits the ground and his helmet comes off.

  1. A10 must leave the field for one play
  2. A10 may remain on the field

Review Rule 3-5-10d

Click below to reveal the Quiz answer and accompanying explanations.