Get Ready for Fall 2024
From: "Rich Kollen" - dayofgame@icloud.com
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, Septermber 15, 2023
This week, a football player at Sacramento City College collapsed during practice and passed away. Wins and losses mean nothing compared to a life lost so early. Please keep his family, friends, and teammates in your thoughts and prayers.
Week two is now in the books. Some very competitive games were played last weekend, with temperatures in the upper 90s. Our trainers did an excellent job hydrating players and officials. Trainers monitor the heat during practices and games. Our turf fields are beautiful, and they save water and maintenance costs, but they heat up quickly. Trainers continually check the heat coming off the surface and they have their standards for the safety of athletes. Thank you to each of them!
I think officials in the SCCFOA have done an excellent job evaluating targeting calls. You should be aware that on Monday, any second half targeting calls are evaluated by the Commissioner and me related to that student-athlete’s eligibility for the first half of their game the next week.
There are a few takeaways from last week that can be turned into teachable moments:
Towels can be no smaller than 4" by 12”, solid white, with no words, symbols, letters, or numbers. They may bear the team logo. They may also contain a single manufacturer’s or distributor’s normal label or trademark not to exceed 2-1/4 square inches in area. No streamers are allowed. (Rule 1-4-6-a)
The officials on the flanks are working very hard to get a good spot for the Umpire. Too often, I see Umpires not looking for their spots, but simply putting the ball down where they think it should be. Football is a game of inches. Officiating is teamwork. Wing officials have a much better angle on where the ball should be placed. Don't ignore them.
Our observers have recommended flank officials should close in after a play with more purpose and intensity on scoring, and/or line-to-gain calls. Your urgency on these situations helps sell the accuracy of the spot and greatly increases the teams’ and spectators’ confidence in the crew.
We had our first reported inadvertent whistle (IW). It came during a fumble. Fortunately, it happened late and did not affect the outcome of the game. It is a good learning experience. Blow the whistle only when you’re 100% certain that the play is over. Our standard is to blow the whistle at the end of each play.
The officiating crew needs to be on the field at least 45 minutes prior to kickoff. If, for some reason, there’s going to be a delay, send at least two or three of the crew out onto the field to supervise the warm-ups.
Clock management is a big part of our job as football officials. I appreciate those of you who take it seriously and stop the game to add time when needed. Just a word to remind you that common sense needs to prevail at all times. Some games are begging to be over. Recognize the situation in which there is no need to adjust the clock for a few seconds.
Officials need to do a better job ensuring the clock starts when it should, specifically after a penalty enforcement and other delays. It was reported in one situation that the game clock started when the ball was kicked. Be sure to spend time with the clock operators before the game, as some are veterans, but it might be the first time for others. We need to spend extra time with all of them, especially with the new timing rules related to first downs.
A coach asked one of our officials if a team has to have seven players on the line of scrimmage. The official correctly told him you do not need seven on the line of scrimmage. A legal offensive formation requires: (i) all players to be inbounds, (ii) all players be linemen or backs, (iii) at least five linemen wearing 50-79 (except in a scrimmage kick formation), and (iv) no more than four players may be backs. So, theoretically, you can play with six players on offense (five on the line of scrimmage numbered 50-79 and one to receive the snap). (Rule 7-1-4-a)
We continue to be challenged with these new offensive schemes. Properly ruling on quick and delayed passes to the flanks from shotgun creates a situation where the line of scrimmage officials must immediately judge whether a pass is forward or backward. We are now signaling with our arm the direction of the pass. The off official is responsible for signaling forward or backward. If the near official does not get help, he/she must make the call and signal accordingly. When in question, the ball is passed forward.
We had a situation last weekend with a team lining up for a game-winning field goal with three seconds on the clock. In this situation, the Referee must do everything he can to give them the opportunity to snap the ball. Unfortunately, in this situation, the ball was snapped before it was whistled ready for play, and the kick was good. The crew reset the clock to 0:03 and replayed the down with no penalty (properly). When kicked again, the field goal was no good. In order to avoid this, the Umpire needs to stay with the center and not allow the snap until the Referee blows the whistle for the ready-for-play. Referee, wave off your Umpire, blow the whistle and then wind the clock, to avoid the clock running out prior to the snap.
I saw a play last week in which the offensive team attempted a field goal from the 30-yard line. The field goal was blocked, and the ball rolled down to the goal line, where it bounced a yard in the end zone. The defensive player picked up the ball and ran 101 yards for an apparent touchdown. The crew eventually got it right, but we need to know the rules. If the ball touches in the end zone on a scrimmage kick, and the defense has not touched the ball beyond the line of scrimmage, the ball is dead. (Rule 6-3-9) Let’s not put the players (or officials) in danger of injury by having to play or run extra yards during what should be a dead ball period. All of us need to know the rules, and step up to save the crew.
“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, Septermber 15, 2023
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
2023 WEEKLY BULLETIN #3This week, a football player at Sacramento City College collapsed during practice and passed away. Wins and losses mean nothing compared to a life lost so early. Please keep his family, friends, and teammates in your thoughts and prayers.
Week two is now in the books. Some very competitive games were played last weekend, with temperatures in the upper 90s. Our trainers did an excellent job hydrating players and officials. Trainers monitor the heat during practices and games. Our turf fields are beautiful, and they save water and maintenance costs, but they heat up quickly. Trainers continually check the heat coming off the surface and they have their standards for the safety of athletes. Thank you to each of them!
I think officials in the SCCFOA have done an excellent job evaluating targeting calls. You should be aware that on Monday, any second half targeting calls are evaluated by the Commissioner and me related to that student-athlete’s eligibility for the first half of their game the next week.
There are a few takeaways from last week that can be turned into teachable moments:
Towels can be no smaller than 4" by 12”, solid white, with no words, symbols, letters, or numbers. They may bear the team logo. They may also contain a single manufacturer’s or distributor’s normal label or trademark not to exceed 2-1/4 square inches in area. No streamers are allowed. (Rule 1-4-6-a)
The officials on the flanks are working very hard to get a good spot for the Umpire. Too often, I see Umpires not looking for their spots, but simply putting the ball down where they think it should be. Football is a game of inches. Officiating is teamwork. Wing officials have a much better angle on where the ball should be placed. Don't ignore them.
Our observers have recommended flank officials should close in after a play with more purpose and intensity on scoring, and/or line-to-gain calls. Your urgency on these situations helps sell the accuracy of the spot and greatly increases the teams’ and spectators’ confidence in the crew.
We had our first reported inadvertent whistle (IW). It came during a fumble. Fortunately, it happened late and did not affect the outcome of the game. It is a good learning experience. Blow the whistle only when you’re 100% certain that the play is over. Our standard is to blow the whistle at the end of each play.
The officiating crew needs to be on the field at least 45 minutes prior to kickoff. If, for some reason, there’s going to be a delay, send at least two or three of the crew out onto the field to supervise the warm-ups.
Clock management is a big part of our job as football officials. I appreciate those of you who take it seriously and stop the game to add time when needed. Just a word to remind you that common sense needs to prevail at all times. Some games are begging to be over. Recognize the situation in which there is no need to adjust the clock for a few seconds.
Officials need to do a better job ensuring the clock starts when it should, specifically after a penalty enforcement and other delays. It was reported in one situation that the game clock started when the ball was kicked. Be sure to spend time with the clock operators before the game, as some are veterans, but it might be the first time for others. We need to spend extra time with all of them, especially with the new timing rules related to first downs.
A coach asked one of our officials if a team has to have seven players on the line of scrimmage. The official correctly told him you do not need seven on the line of scrimmage. A legal offensive formation requires: (i) all players to be inbounds, (ii) all players be linemen or backs, (iii) at least five linemen wearing 50-79 (except in a scrimmage kick formation), and (iv) no more than four players may be backs. So, theoretically, you can play with six players on offense (five on the line of scrimmage numbered 50-79 and one to receive the snap). (Rule 7-1-4-a)
We continue to be challenged with these new offensive schemes. Properly ruling on quick and delayed passes to the flanks from shotgun creates a situation where the line of scrimmage officials must immediately judge whether a pass is forward or backward. We are now signaling with our arm the direction of the pass. The off official is responsible for signaling forward or backward. If the near official does not get help, he/she must make the call and signal accordingly. When in question, the ball is passed forward.
We had a situation last weekend with a team lining up for a game-winning field goal with three seconds on the clock. In this situation, the Referee must do everything he can to give them the opportunity to snap the ball. Unfortunately, in this situation, the ball was snapped before it was whistled ready for play, and the kick was good. The crew reset the clock to 0:03 and replayed the down with no penalty (properly). When kicked again, the field goal was no good. In order to avoid this, the Umpire needs to stay with the center and not allow the snap until the Referee blows the whistle for the ready-for-play. Referee, wave off your Umpire, blow the whistle and then wind the clock, to avoid the clock running out prior to the snap.
I saw a play last week in which the offensive team attempted a field goal from the 30-yard line. The field goal was blocked, and the ball rolled down to the goal line, where it bounced a yard in the end zone. The defensive player picked up the ball and ran 101 yards for an apparent touchdown. The crew eventually got it right, but we need to know the rules. If the ball touches in the end zone on a scrimmage kick, and the defense has not touched the ball beyond the line of scrimmage, the ball is dead. (Rule 6-3-9) Let’s not put the players (or officials) in danger of injury by having to play or run extra yards during what should be a dead ball period. All of us need to know the rules, and step up to save the crew.
“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations