Get Ready for Fall 2024
From: Rich Kollen
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
The BYU Cougars are now 6-0, led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff. He started his college career at Golden West College, then moved to Riverside City College and is now at BYU. He is one of three Jewish student-athletes playing Division I football. He is proud of his Jewish heritage and wears the Star at David at all times around his neck. After receiving no Division I offers out of Corona Centennial High School, he had the desire and felt he had all the tools to play at the Division I level. The California Community College system is where student-athletes like Jake are able to fulfill their athletic dreams.
Forward Progress: the point on the field where the forward momentum of a player who is in possession of the football is stopped by a defender or by going out of bounds. A player is awarded the most forward position of the ball when the ball carrier’s advancement is ended and the ball becomes dead by rule, even if he is pushed backwards. (Rule 2-9-2) These are very tough calls. We developed a new standard for line of scrimmage officials. On 3rd down and 4th down with 3 yards or less to the line to gain, your first move should be to immediately go to the line to gain. This will put you in excellent position and give you a better chance of properly locating the ball to get a correct ruling.
When we have under one minute to go in either half and an obvious field goal attempt is coming up, DO NOT hold the offense to give the defense the opportunity to substitute. The rule is designed to prevent Team A from “rushing quickly to the line of scrimmage with the obvious attempt of creating a defensive disadvantage.” (Rule 3-5-2-e) If Team A is not delaying bringing its field goal unit onto the field, there is no attempt to create a disadvantage. Team B should reasonably expect that Team A will attempt a field goal in this situation and should have its field-goal defense unit ready. Do not hold up the snap as Team B should not be uncertain about the next play.
After any change of possession, the quarterback is automatically defenseless. (Rule 2-27-14-i) That does NOT mean he cannot be blocked. It does mean that an opponent is prohibited from targeting and making forcible contact to the head or neck area of the quarterback with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. (Rule 9-1-4) Same applies to a kicker throughout a kick down.
When the quarterback is in a passing posture with one or both feet on the ground, a defensive player may not hit the quarterback with force at the knee area or below. (Rule 9-1-9-b) Remember, however, that it is not a foul if (1) the offensive player is a runner not in a passing posture, (2) the defender grabs or wraps up the opponent in an attempt to make a conventional tackle without making forcible contact with the head or shoulders, or (3) the defender is not rushing unabated or is blocked or fouled into the opponent. This is a safety foul, but let’s make sure it meets the definition of a foul.
This past Saturday, ESPN Gameday had a segment on feigning injuries to slow down the tempo of the game. We have had this happen in SCFA games over the last few years, and according to ESPN, that will be the number one thing the rules committee will consider next year. As of now, there is no way of addressing the issue. For officials, it is a Catch-22 because they have no way of determining if it’s a legitimate injury. It is up to the coach's ethics, and according to Nick Saban, many times there are signals by a sideline coach. For officials, however, if you see a player who appears to be injured (even if you believe him to be faking), all you can do is stop the clock and treat him as an actually injured player.
We all know that it is a foul for a player to throw a forward pass when his entire body is beyond the neutral zone when the ball is released. (Rule 7-3-2-a) Again, the ENTIRE BODY. Unfortunately, without replay, we are typically not good enough to see this if it is close. When it is close, make it a legal pass.
When ruling on a catch in the air on the sidelines, officials should first see a body part down, and then go to the ball to complete the catch. Video demonstrates that some of you are watching the catch first and missing a body part down inbound. For help with this, remember the name of the game. It is foot—ball. When ruling on these plays, watch the feet first, and then move up to the ball. As you watch the feet, you should be able to recognize that the ball is coming in to know when to look up to the hands. If you watch the hands first, you’ll never get a good look at the feet or another body part down.
There is a new violent gesture going on in the NFL and college football where a player pulls up his shirt as if to show a gun when he makes a good play. This must be flagged immediately pursuant to the 3C2A decorum policy. It is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed against that player. (Rule 9-2-1-a-1)
A big story recently is the explosion of girls' flag football. The CIF approved the sport last year, and participation is skyrocketing, even without postseason competition last year. All reports indicate that schools have doubled the number of teams. Instead of just fielding varsity teams, schools are now rostering JV and freshman teams. There will be a playoff this season and a championship crown. I understand that the Orange Empire Conference in Orange County will be competing at the community college level in flag football starting January 2025. It will be an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in 2028.
***NEW INTERPRETATION*** For those of you who have not seen it yet, there is a new rule interpretation after the OSU/Oregon game last weekend. After the Two-Minute Timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap. The game clock will then restart on the next snap. If the 12th defender was attempting to exit but was still on the field at the snap and had no influence on the play, then the normal substitution penalty would be enforced with no clock adjustment. Coaches are reminded of the Sportsmanship section of The Football Code: “The football player or coach who intentionally violates a rule is guilty of unfair play and unsportsmanlike conduct; and whether or not they escape being penalized, these actions discredit to the good name of the game, which is their duty as a player or coach to uphold.” Officials, don’t try to judge intent of a coach. Just officiate the game by the rules, including this new interpretation.
“A football game is kept under control when officials properly enforce the rules and accomplish it with no impression of military supervision.” – NCAA Football Officiating Manual 2024
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
2024 WEEKLY BULLETIN #8The BYU Cougars are now 6-0, led by quarterback Jake Retzlaff. He started his college career at Golden West College, then moved to Riverside City College and is now at BYU. He is one of three Jewish student-athletes playing Division I football. He is proud of his Jewish heritage and wears the Star at David at all times around his neck. After receiving no Division I offers out of Corona Centennial High School, he had the desire and felt he had all the tools to play at the Division I level. The California Community College system is where student-athletes like Jake are able to fulfill their athletic dreams.
Forward Progress: the point on the field where the forward momentum of a player who is in possession of the football is stopped by a defender or by going out of bounds. A player is awarded the most forward position of the ball when the ball carrier’s advancement is ended and the ball becomes dead by rule, even if he is pushed backwards. (Rule 2-9-2) These are very tough calls. We developed a new standard for line of scrimmage officials. On 3rd down and 4th down with 3 yards or less to the line to gain, your first move should be to immediately go to the line to gain. This will put you in excellent position and give you a better chance of properly locating the ball to get a correct ruling.
When we have under one minute to go in either half and an obvious field goal attempt is coming up, DO NOT hold the offense to give the defense the opportunity to substitute. The rule is designed to prevent Team A from “rushing quickly to the line of scrimmage with the obvious attempt of creating a defensive disadvantage.” (Rule 3-5-2-e) If Team A is not delaying bringing its field goal unit onto the field, there is no attempt to create a disadvantage. Team B should reasonably expect that Team A will attempt a field goal in this situation and should have its field-goal defense unit ready. Do not hold up the snap as Team B should not be uncertain about the next play.
After any change of possession, the quarterback is automatically defenseless. (Rule 2-27-14-i) That does NOT mean he cannot be blocked. It does mean that an opponent is prohibited from targeting and making forcible contact to the head or neck area of the quarterback with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder. (Rule 9-1-4) Same applies to a kicker throughout a kick down.
When the quarterback is in a passing posture with one or both feet on the ground, a defensive player may not hit the quarterback with force at the knee area or below. (Rule 9-1-9-b) Remember, however, that it is not a foul if (1) the offensive player is a runner not in a passing posture, (2) the defender grabs or wraps up the opponent in an attempt to make a conventional tackle without making forcible contact with the head or shoulders, or (3) the defender is not rushing unabated or is blocked or fouled into the opponent. This is a safety foul, but let’s make sure it meets the definition of a foul.
This past Saturday, ESPN Gameday had a segment on feigning injuries to slow down the tempo of the game. We have had this happen in SCFA games over the last few years, and according to ESPN, that will be the number one thing the rules committee will consider next year. As of now, there is no way of addressing the issue. For officials, it is a Catch-22 because they have no way of determining if it’s a legitimate injury. It is up to the coach's ethics, and according to Nick Saban, many times there are signals by a sideline coach. For officials, however, if you see a player who appears to be injured (even if you believe him to be faking), all you can do is stop the clock and treat him as an actually injured player.
We all know that it is a foul for a player to throw a forward pass when his entire body is beyond the neutral zone when the ball is released. (Rule 7-3-2-a) Again, the ENTIRE BODY. Unfortunately, without replay, we are typically not good enough to see this if it is close. When it is close, make it a legal pass.
When ruling on a catch in the air on the sidelines, officials should first see a body part down, and then go to the ball to complete the catch. Video demonstrates that some of you are watching the catch first and missing a body part down inbound. For help with this, remember the name of the game. It is foot—ball. When ruling on these plays, watch the feet first, and then move up to the ball. As you watch the feet, you should be able to recognize that the ball is coming in to know when to look up to the hands. If you watch the hands first, you’ll never get a good look at the feet or another body part down.
There is a new violent gesture going on in the NFL and college football where a player pulls up his shirt as if to show a gun when he makes a good play. This must be flagged immediately pursuant to the 3C2A decorum policy. It is an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed against that player. (Rule 9-2-1-a-1)
A big story recently is the explosion of girls' flag football. The CIF approved the sport last year, and participation is skyrocketing, even without postseason competition last year. All reports indicate that schools have doubled the number of teams. Instead of just fielding varsity teams, schools are now rostering JV and freshman teams. There will be a playoff this season and a championship crown. I understand that the Orange Empire Conference in Orange County will be competing at the community college level in flag football starting January 2025. It will be an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in 2028.
***NEW INTERPRETATION*** For those of you who have not seen it yet, there is a new rule interpretation after the OSU/Oregon game last weekend. After the Two-Minute Timeout in either half, if the defense commits a substitution foul and 12 or more players are on the field and participate in a down, officials will penalize the defense for the foul and at the option of the offended team, reset the game clock back to the time displayed at the snap. The game clock will then restart on the next snap. If the 12th defender was attempting to exit but was still on the field at the snap and had no influence on the play, then the normal substitution penalty would be enforced with no clock adjustment. Coaches are reminded of the Sportsmanship section of The Football Code: “The football player or coach who intentionally violates a rule is guilty of unfair play and unsportsmanlike conduct; and whether or not they escape being penalized, these actions discredit to the good name of the game, which is their duty as a player or coach to uphold.” Officials, don’t try to judge intent of a coach. Just officiate the game by the rules, including this new interpretation.
“A football game is kept under control when officials properly enforce the rules and accomplish it with no impression of military supervision.” – NCAA Football Officiating Manual 2024
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations