Get Ready for Fall 2024
From: "Rich Kollen" - dayofgame@icloud.com
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, October 14, 2022
We all love this great game of college football, and at times we must reflect on more important life lessons. During last week’s bye week, Citrus College team captain, Luke Pruitt #97, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident near the campus. Head Coach, Brandon Hayashi, said "He was a leader on and off the field, always greeting everyone with a big smile. We are devastated by this loss." I ask you to keep the Pruitt family and the Citrus College football team in your thoughts and prayers at this time.
I attended a game at Golden West College and couldn’t help but remember one of its legendary football coaches, Ray Shackleford (“Shack”). As a young official, I used to work his scrimmages and games. He was one of the nicest individuals with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working over the years. Shack's won-loss record was 175-118-11, but his real claim to fame is that more than 500 players moved on to four-year colleges during his 29-year tenure. One of his finest players was four-time Super Bowl participant, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman, Glenn Parker. Ray is still a Rustler fan, watching games on the college streaming service.
Officials, your job is to administer and manage the game by using the approved rules of the game, good mechanics and your toolbox of game management skills. If a situation rises to the level where a student- athlete needs to be disciplined, this is not a tool in your toolbox. Give all the information to the head coach and your job is done. At no time do we verbally lecture a student-athlete regarding behavior. We have enough other duties.
During the next five Saturdays, five divisional champions will be selected, along with seeding for state playoffs and bowl opportunities. Now is the time for all officials to be at their best, remembering the things we have discussed throughout the year. Communication, communication, communication... with players, coaches and your crew members.
A player disqualified for a targeting foul can now remain on the sidelines for the rest of the game. (Rules 9-1-3 & 4 (PENALTY) and 2-27-12-a) All other disqualifying fouls, such as fighting, two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, flagrant personal fouls, etc., require players to leave the playing enclosure, and they must remain out of view of the field of play, under team supervision. (Rule 2-27-12- b)
The line of scrimmage officials are working very hard to get a good spot for the Umpire to place the ball for the next down. Too often, I see Umpires not looking at spots from these officials, but simply putting the ball down where they think it should be. Football is a game of inches. Good officiating takes teamwork. Flank officials have a much better angle on where the ball should be placed. Don't ignore them. This is their job.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. SCCFOA Officials are encouraged to support this important cause by wearing pink down markers, pink whistles and maybe even a pink flag. You may even see players supporting family members. We encourage such support, provided that the equipment is legal by rule. (See Rule 1-4)
The chains are used to determine if a team has made their line to gain. The chain must have tape or another mark in the middle of the chain, to indicate the 5-yard mark. Officials working the chains should notify the Referee prior to snaps close to that mark. A simple “5 will get you 1” over the O2O works great. What that means is that if the ball is spotted forward of the piece of tape, a 5-yard penalty on Team B will result in a first down, and there is no need to measure. This will speed up the process and make the crew look better organized. O2Os are radios most crews are using to communicate among themselves to speed enforcement and talk to each other during the game.
Our 17 crews of seven officials are working very hard to get more plays right on the field in order to better control this fast game. It was nice to see a crew picture including the wives and significant others at a restaurant before a game last Saturday night. I commend the crew for including them in their avocation of officiating. There are many good crews in the SCCFOA, but few elite ones. Work hard to be one.
By rule, if the quarterback is outside the tackle box, he can throw the ball away without a penalty, provided such pass reaches the line of scrimmage extended. (Rule 7-3-2 Exception) It must be the first person who receives the snap, usually the quarterback. If he were to throw to someone, that player cannot legally ground the ball, even outside the tackle box. Grounding the ball means to conserve yardage by throwing the ball forward into an area where there is no eligible Team A receiver, including out of the back of the end zone. (Rule 7-3-2-h)
This time of the season, we must work very hard at being good dead-ball officials. Anytime a player goes into the opponent's bench area, an official needs to walk that player out. Stay with the players until the colors separate. Don’t worry about getting a ball until all players are out of danger. I can’t explain to coaches if we miss a cheap shot in the team area.
Fouls are reported to the Referee. I would encourage another member of the crew to keep his ears open on the penalty. Another good mechanic is when the Referee has a foul, have him report it to the Umpire before he makes his announcement or marches off a penalty, to ensure proper communication. When reporting your foul to the Referee, he needs to know the result of the play, and the status of the ball when the foul occurs, i.e., pass play, running play, during the kick, etc. As a reminder, a forward pass play starts at the snap and continues until a legal forward pass is complete, incomplete or intercepted. (Rule 2- 30-1) This is important in correct enforcement.
Hudl has become an important tool used to educate and train officials all over the country. It is expected, at a minimum, for you to review your game film on a weekly basis and share your experience with your crew, e.g. things you did right, things that can be improved upon, etc. Hudl also has a new feature that allows us to see how much each official has watched this season. I would like to commend Art Andrade, Gil Rodriguez, Andrew Topps, and Jeff Martin on watching the most film this season across our association. If you need access to Hudl or even a refresher on how to access and view your film, please feel free to reach out to Gregtruex@gmail.com or ryno4life2000@yahoo.com.
"Leadership is more about responsibility than ability” Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, October 14, 2022
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
2022 WEEKLY BULLETIN #6We all love this great game of college football, and at times we must reflect on more important life lessons. During last week’s bye week, Citrus College team captain, Luke Pruitt #97, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident near the campus. Head Coach, Brandon Hayashi, said "He was a leader on and off the field, always greeting everyone with a big smile. We are devastated by this loss." I ask you to keep the Pruitt family and the Citrus College football team in your thoughts and prayers at this time.
I attended a game at Golden West College and couldn’t help but remember one of its legendary football coaches, Ray Shackleford (“Shack”). As a young official, I used to work his scrimmages and games. He was one of the nicest individuals with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working over the years. Shack's won-loss record was 175-118-11, but his real claim to fame is that more than 500 players moved on to four-year colleges during his 29-year tenure. One of his finest players was four-time Super Bowl participant, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman, Glenn Parker. Ray is still a Rustler fan, watching games on the college streaming service.
Officials, your job is to administer and manage the game by using the approved rules of the game, good mechanics and your toolbox of game management skills. If a situation rises to the level where a student- athlete needs to be disciplined, this is not a tool in your toolbox. Give all the information to the head coach and your job is done. At no time do we verbally lecture a student-athlete regarding behavior. We have enough other duties.
During the next five Saturdays, five divisional champions will be selected, along with seeding for state playoffs and bowl opportunities. Now is the time for all officials to be at their best, remembering the things we have discussed throughout the year. Communication, communication, communication... with players, coaches and your crew members.
A player disqualified for a targeting foul can now remain on the sidelines for the rest of the game. (Rules 9-1-3 & 4 (PENALTY) and 2-27-12-a) All other disqualifying fouls, such as fighting, two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, flagrant personal fouls, etc., require players to leave the playing enclosure, and they must remain out of view of the field of play, under team supervision. (Rule 2-27-12- b)
The line of scrimmage officials are working very hard to get a good spot for the Umpire to place the ball for the next down. Too often, I see Umpires not looking at spots from these officials, but simply putting the ball down where they think it should be. Football is a game of inches. Good officiating takes teamwork. Flank officials have a much better angle on where the ball should be placed. Don't ignore them. This is their job.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. SCCFOA Officials are encouraged to support this important cause by wearing pink down markers, pink whistles and maybe even a pink flag. You may even see players supporting family members. We encourage such support, provided that the equipment is legal by rule. (See Rule 1-4)
The chains are used to determine if a team has made their line to gain. The chain must have tape or another mark in the middle of the chain, to indicate the 5-yard mark. Officials working the chains should notify the Referee prior to snaps close to that mark. A simple “5 will get you 1” over the O2O works great. What that means is that if the ball is spotted forward of the piece of tape, a 5-yard penalty on Team B will result in a first down, and there is no need to measure. This will speed up the process and make the crew look better organized. O2Os are radios most crews are using to communicate among themselves to speed enforcement and talk to each other during the game.
Our 17 crews of seven officials are working very hard to get more plays right on the field in order to better control this fast game. It was nice to see a crew picture including the wives and significant others at a restaurant before a game last Saturday night. I commend the crew for including them in their avocation of officiating. There are many good crews in the SCCFOA, but few elite ones. Work hard to be one.
By rule, if the quarterback is outside the tackle box, he can throw the ball away without a penalty, provided such pass reaches the line of scrimmage extended. (Rule 7-3-2 Exception) It must be the first person who receives the snap, usually the quarterback. If he were to throw to someone, that player cannot legally ground the ball, even outside the tackle box. Grounding the ball means to conserve yardage by throwing the ball forward into an area where there is no eligible Team A receiver, including out of the back of the end zone. (Rule 7-3-2-h)
This time of the season, we must work very hard at being good dead-ball officials. Anytime a player goes into the opponent's bench area, an official needs to walk that player out. Stay with the players until the colors separate. Don’t worry about getting a ball until all players are out of danger. I can’t explain to coaches if we miss a cheap shot in the team area.
Fouls are reported to the Referee. I would encourage another member of the crew to keep his ears open on the penalty. Another good mechanic is when the Referee has a foul, have him report it to the Umpire before he makes his announcement or marches off a penalty, to ensure proper communication. When reporting your foul to the Referee, he needs to know the result of the play, and the status of the ball when the foul occurs, i.e., pass play, running play, during the kick, etc. As a reminder, a forward pass play starts at the snap and continues until a legal forward pass is complete, incomplete or intercepted. (Rule 2- 30-1) This is important in correct enforcement.
Hudl has become an important tool used to educate and train officials all over the country. It is expected, at a minimum, for you to review your game film on a weekly basis and share your experience with your crew, e.g. things you did right, things that can be improved upon, etc. Hudl also has a new feature that allows us to see how much each official has watched this season. I would like to commend Art Andrade, Gil Rodriguez, Andrew Topps, and Jeff Martin on watching the most film this season across our association. If you need access to Hudl or even a refresher on how to access and view your film, please feel free to reach out to Gregtruex@gmail.com or ryno4life2000@yahoo.com.
"Leadership is more about responsibility than ability” Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations