Get Ready for Fall 2024
From: "Rich Kollen" - dayofgame@icloud.com
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, Septermber 16, 2022
Anytime I meet with coaches, or talk to them on the phone, one of their biggest concerns is lack of communication by the officials. I was fortunate enough to officiate two sports at a high level. I may not have been the best, but I always had the ability to communicate with coaches. I have noticed over the years that officials who move up to the highest level are always those who can communicate with coaches. Officials need to work on this skill if you’re going to survive as a college football official. All coaches have the right to receive an explanation about a play or call, delivered by an official, professionally, with no ego. It is not a sign of weakness if an official admits to a coach that he could’ve been wrong. This game is fast, and we can only see so much. Given that, at this level, we always have to be able to give the coach the number of the player committing a penalty, and especially any 15-yard penalties. Even if this takes two or three plays, get that information back to the head coach as soon as possible. We have a lot of newer officials who lack this skill, and we need leaders to coach them on this important and learned skill. Last week, a coach questioned an official on why he didn’t call a foul. The coach reported the official’s answer as, “I usually miss two of those a game.” This is not a professional response. If you cannot give a coach a professional answer, please remain silent. You can’t quote silence. However, be professional, and give honest answers to legitimate questions from coaches.
Each week, Fox Sports puts out a short video intended to train their TV announcers on rules with excellent insight into college football officiating. I will include the link for those of you who might enjoy watching it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10GiVtuKmPwqDhIIR63Y708QpoSdZdTOf/view?usp=sharing
Years ago, trainers lobbied the NCAA to make a rule prohibiting the tinted eye shields that attached to players’ helmets. The rationale was that trainers do not want to have to remove the helmet to be able to examine eyes for concussion protocol. We are starting to see more and more players wearing tinted shields. The rule is clear. Only clear eye shields are permitted at our level of football. (Rule 1-4-6-c) Coaches, please do not make the officials look for this. Start with practice and see who's wearing them, and remind them they could never wear those in a game. There are no medical exceptions allowed, and the rule also applies to eyeglasses and goggles.
Be careful what we tell coaches. I received a call from a coach who said the official told him he needed 7 players on the line of scrimmage. The rule that addresses this says you need no more than 4 in the backfield, but does not stipulate how many are needed at the line of scrimmage. (Rule 7-1-4-a-4) Obviously, you can never have more than 11 on the field at any one time, but you can play with 10, including with 6 on the line of scrimmage and 4 in the backfield. Note, however, that a non-scrimmage kick formation does require at least 5 linemen with jerseys numbered 50-79. (Rule 7-1-4-a-3)
We all watch on Sundays where incredibly talented professional receivers make catches near the sideline and get two feet in bounds to complete the catch. Under our rules, a receiver only needs one foot inbounds to complete the catch. (Rule 2-4-3-a-2)
There is an old saying that holding could be called on every play. We must develop a new philosophy to prevent this from happening. When you call holding, make it big. What effect did it have on the play? Was it at the point of attack? When the offense uses a double-team block, the chances of a holding foul are greatly reduced (unless a takedown). Please put that in your thought process when evaluating holding. Let’s make sure it has an impact on the play.
There was a situation last weekend when the official questioned arm bracelets that players have been wearing. Unless it involves a safety issue, or brings discredit to your opponents, let’s not go after these types of actions. It’s difficult to find in the rule book where these types of bracelets would be illegal, unless such bracelets could clearly endanger others (not likely). (Rule 1-4-7-a)
A question came up last weekend regarding allowing teams go to the sidelines during an injury time-out. It’s not really addressed in the rulebook, but it’s the Referee’s discretion whether the injury time-out will be long enough for the teams to meet with their coach. I’m going to instruct the Referees that, if they believe the time will be more than a minute, it should not be a problem for teams to go to the sidelines. Let’s use common sense.
Disconcerting signals by the defense to draw a reaction from the offense has always been a tricky call. Any words or signals by the defense that simulate the sound or cadence of, or otherwise interfere with, offensive signals (including clapping when teams are using that for the snap), are a few examples of this illegal act. (Rule 7-1-5-a- 5) Please warn defensive players and relay the warning to the coaches before you call this foul, unless the action causes a false start or other penalty by the offense.
When an offensive or defensive player is leaving the field during the substitution process, it is not a foul if the next step takes the player off the field. I believe some of you have been involved in replay training sessions, and in replay, there is no rule…it’s wherever the video shows the location of the player at the snap. We don’t have replay, and it is a quick game. Let’s give them a step.
SCFA utilizes NCAA rules. Steve Shaw, the NCAA coordinator of officials, releases a weekly video to over 2,000 college football officials who pay to be on the website. Officials take an annual national test and review weekly videos to be eligible for postseason play at all NCAA levels. You never know who is going to be watching you on the field. We had a scrimmage at Moorpark College in August, and the coach sent a clip asking to get interpretation of the new blocking rule. The clip was excellent quality, had a lot of learning potential, so I sent it to Steve, who surprisingly used it on the week one national training video.
If a forward pass is touched near the line of scrimmage, it negates any defensive pass interference foul. If the touching occurs anywhere near the receiver, and the illegal contact is prior to the ball reaching the vicinity of the receiver, this action does not negate DPI.
On an onside kick, the kicking team is prohibited from blocking until the ball goes 10 yards or is touched by the receiving team. (Rule 6-1-3-a) There is no rule prohibiting the receiving team from blocking during the kickoff. REMEMBER, there is never blocking below the waist on any kick play or after a change of position. (Rule 9-1-6-c)
" I challenge officials to look at every play in every game as another opportunity to excel." - Rogers Redding, Former National Coordinator of NCAA Football Officials
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, Septermber 16, 2022
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
2022 WEEKLY BULLETIN #3Anytime I meet with coaches, or talk to them on the phone, one of their biggest concerns is lack of communication by the officials. I was fortunate enough to officiate two sports at a high level. I may not have been the best, but I always had the ability to communicate with coaches. I have noticed over the years that officials who move up to the highest level are always those who can communicate with coaches. Officials need to work on this skill if you’re going to survive as a college football official. All coaches have the right to receive an explanation about a play or call, delivered by an official, professionally, with no ego. It is not a sign of weakness if an official admits to a coach that he could’ve been wrong. This game is fast, and we can only see so much. Given that, at this level, we always have to be able to give the coach the number of the player committing a penalty, and especially any 15-yard penalties. Even if this takes two or three plays, get that information back to the head coach as soon as possible. We have a lot of newer officials who lack this skill, and we need leaders to coach them on this important and learned skill. Last week, a coach questioned an official on why he didn’t call a foul. The coach reported the official’s answer as, “I usually miss two of those a game.” This is not a professional response. If you cannot give a coach a professional answer, please remain silent. You can’t quote silence. However, be professional, and give honest answers to legitimate questions from coaches.
Each week, Fox Sports puts out a short video intended to train their TV announcers on rules with excellent insight into college football officiating. I will include the link for those of you who might enjoy watching it. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10GiVtuKmPwqDhIIR63Y708QpoSdZdTOf/view?usp=sharing
Years ago, trainers lobbied the NCAA to make a rule prohibiting the tinted eye shields that attached to players’ helmets. The rationale was that trainers do not want to have to remove the helmet to be able to examine eyes for concussion protocol. We are starting to see more and more players wearing tinted shields. The rule is clear. Only clear eye shields are permitted at our level of football. (Rule 1-4-6-c) Coaches, please do not make the officials look for this. Start with practice and see who's wearing them, and remind them they could never wear those in a game. There are no medical exceptions allowed, and the rule also applies to eyeglasses and goggles.
Be careful what we tell coaches. I received a call from a coach who said the official told him he needed 7 players on the line of scrimmage. The rule that addresses this says you need no more than 4 in the backfield, but does not stipulate how many are needed at the line of scrimmage. (Rule 7-1-4-a-4) Obviously, you can never have more than 11 on the field at any one time, but you can play with 10, including with 6 on the line of scrimmage and 4 in the backfield. Note, however, that a non-scrimmage kick formation does require at least 5 linemen with jerseys numbered 50-79. (Rule 7-1-4-a-3)
We all watch on Sundays where incredibly talented professional receivers make catches near the sideline and get two feet in bounds to complete the catch. Under our rules, a receiver only needs one foot inbounds to complete the catch. (Rule 2-4-3-a-2)
There is an old saying that holding could be called on every play. We must develop a new philosophy to prevent this from happening. When you call holding, make it big. What effect did it have on the play? Was it at the point of attack? When the offense uses a double-team block, the chances of a holding foul are greatly reduced (unless a takedown). Please put that in your thought process when evaluating holding. Let’s make sure it has an impact on the play.
There was a situation last weekend when the official questioned arm bracelets that players have been wearing. Unless it involves a safety issue, or brings discredit to your opponents, let’s not go after these types of actions. It’s difficult to find in the rule book where these types of bracelets would be illegal, unless such bracelets could clearly endanger others (not likely). (Rule 1-4-7-a)
A question came up last weekend regarding allowing teams go to the sidelines during an injury time-out. It’s not really addressed in the rulebook, but it’s the Referee’s discretion whether the injury time-out will be long enough for the teams to meet with their coach. I’m going to instruct the Referees that, if they believe the time will be more than a minute, it should not be a problem for teams to go to the sidelines. Let’s use common sense.
Disconcerting signals by the defense to draw a reaction from the offense has always been a tricky call. Any words or signals by the defense that simulate the sound or cadence of, or otherwise interfere with, offensive signals (including clapping when teams are using that for the snap), are a few examples of this illegal act. (Rule 7-1-5-a- 5) Please warn defensive players and relay the warning to the coaches before you call this foul, unless the action causes a false start or other penalty by the offense.
When an offensive or defensive player is leaving the field during the substitution process, it is not a foul if the next step takes the player off the field. I believe some of you have been involved in replay training sessions, and in replay, there is no rule…it’s wherever the video shows the location of the player at the snap. We don’t have replay, and it is a quick game. Let’s give them a step.
SCFA utilizes NCAA rules. Steve Shaw, the NCAA coordinator of officials, releases a weekly video to over 2,000 college football officials who pay to be on the website. Officials take an annual national test and review weekly videos to be eligible for postseason play at all NCAA levels. You never know who is going to be watching you on the field. We had a scrimmage at Moorpark College in August, and the coach sent a clip asking to get interpretation of the new blocking rule. The clip was excellent quality, had a lot of learning potential, so I sent it to Steve, who surprisingly used it on the week one national training video.
If a forward pass is touched near the line of scrimmage, it negates any defensive pass interference foul. If the touching occurs anywhere near the receiver, and the illegal contact is prior to the ball reaching the vicinity of the receiver, this action does not negate DPI.
On an onside kick, the kicking team is prohibited from blocking until the ball goes 10 yards or is touched by the receiving team. (Rule 6-1-3-a) There is no rule prohibiting the receiving team from blocking during the kickoff. REMEMBER, there is never blocking below the waist on any kick play or after a change of position. (Rule 9-1-6-c)
" I challenge officials to look at every play in every game as another opportunity to excel." - Rogers Redding, Former National Coordinator of NCAA Football Officials
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations