Get Ready for Fall 2024
From: "Rich Kollen" - dayofgame@icloud.com
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, November 03, 2023
From a game observer's report from last week, "My issue with the game is when a team is up 60-7, and they were still throwing passes with a minute left (I guess I'm turning into a "get off my lawn" old man!!!) I know things are different now, but, really, 60-7 and still passing???!!!
Operate with facts when speaking with coaches. “The ball hit the ground.” “There was no contact on the receiver.” “The ball was touched.” These are facts. Avoid “I think.” “It could have.” “I didn’t see it.” “That’s not my call.” These are the statements that energize our coaches. To be successful in football officiating, you must have the courage to look the coach in the eye and give him the facts. If you were wrong, don’t be afraid to admit it. Just don’t have to do it more than once a game. 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, qualify. This includes clapping when the opponent is using that for the snap. (Rule 7-1-5-a-5) Let’s try to 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.
A player can wave his hands all he wants in front of a receiver if there’s no contact. Under no circumstance shall an official refer to any action as face guarding because that is not a foul! Know the differences between high school and college. For pass interference, there MUST be contact in college. (Rule 7-3-8-c)
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 pass interference. Wing officials must be very careful when calling pass interference near the line of scrimmage. The ball must go beyond the line of scrimmage. There is no pass interference behind the LOS. It could only be holding or a personal foul, never pass interference. When in doubt, a pass is behind the line of scrimmage. Remember pass interference is a spot foul if it occurs less than 15 yards down field, and it’s always a first down. (Rule 7-3-8-c PENALTY) Make sure to note where the foul happened when you throw the flag. Don’t expect the flag to magically land on the correct spot.
When the 12th player is leaving the field, and the next step takes him off, the SCCFOA standard is that this is not a foul. Games played with replay can make this action a foul. (Rule 12-3-8-d)
In a game last week, the half was declared over when officials saw no time on the clock. The teams ran off the field, but replay found a view showing one second remaining in the half. The third quarter started with one second on the clock and the team was allowed a field goal attempt. Never let the teams leave after the first half or the end of the game if there’s any issue with the clock. Keep both teams on the field until the half is declared over.
I am seeing a lot of offensive tackles, not meeting the offensive linemen requirements. A lineman must be facing the opponent’s goal line with the line of their shoulders approximately parallel thereto and their head breaking plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the snapper. (Rule 2-27-4-a-2) Allowing linemen to be off the line of scrimmage gives them an advantage, especially on passing downs. We need to address it. Before you throw a flag, however, warn both the players and the coach (unless the player’s head doesn’t even break the plane of the snapper’s rear end).
The most important things are focus and communication. You can’t officiate football (or any other sport) if you are not giving it 100% of your attention and focus. We have all heard that you “can’t take a play off.” We also can’t take any dead ball periods off. Think for a minute how much goes on in a dead ball period—end of the play spot, penalty analysis, enforcement, subs, clock issues, etc. First down or not, late hit or not, taunting, and retaliation are just a few of the things about which we must rule. Action in a bench area and a coach’s questions, are a couple more. And that’s before we check the down, count players, prepare for the next snap, etc. Stay focused.
To be a horse-collar tackle foul, a player must grab the opening of the collar, shoulder pad or name plate area from the top of the shoulder, and abruptly pull the ball carrier down. (Rule 9-1-15) In general, look for the legs to buckle. If the defender pulls the runner forward, and the legs don’t buckle, it is not a foul. This is a safety issue foul, but be sure that all the elements are there. The runner must be pulled down, and it must be abrupt. A coach called and sent video on a 4th down play. The quarterback muffed the snap and never possessed it. Therefore, it is simply a backward pass, and not a “4th down fumble.” The official told the coach that it was a 4th down fumble and only the player who last possessed the ball could advance it. (Rule 4-1-3-j) As I hope you all know, a backward pass on 4th down may be advanced by any player. We need to be better than this.
Let’s remember to give a little grace on the play clock. If the back judge sees the play clock go to 0, take a look at the snapper. If he is starting the snap, let’s stay off of this foul. If there is a delay of game foul, we can call it, but let’s not be too technical. Generally, delay of game calls just tend to delay the game further.
“I would say the referees have the toughest game to call. I would say that there’s a lot of officiating done by announcers, local announcers. Sometimes you should listen to a game from both feeds, and you’d think you were listening to completely different games.” – David Stern
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations
Subject: SCCFOA
Date: Friday, November 03, 2023
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
2023 WEEKLY BULLETIN #9From a game observer's report from last week, "My issue with the game is when a team is up 60-7, and they were still throwing passes with a minute left (I guess I'm turning into a "get off my lawn" old man!!!) I know things are different now, but, really, 60-7 and still passing???!!!
Operate with facts when speaking with coaches. “The ball hit the ground.” “There was no contact on the receiver.” “The ball was touched.” These are facts. Avoid “I think.” “It could have.” “I didn’t see it.” “That’s not my call.” These are the statements that energize our coaches. To be successful in football officiating, you must have the courage to look the coach in the eye and give him the facts. If you were wrong, don’t be afraid to admit it. Just don’t have to do it more than once a game. 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, qualify. This includes clapping when the opponent is using that for the snap. (Rule 7-1-5-a-5) Let’s try to 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.
A player can wave his hands all he wants in front of a receiver if there’s no contact. Under no circumstance shall an official refer to any action as face guarding because that is not a foul! Know the differences between high school and college. For pass interference, there MUST be contact in college. (Rule 7-3-8-c)
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 pass interference. Wing officials must be very careful when calling pass interference near the line of scrimmage. The ball must go beyond the line of scrimmage. There is no pass interference behind the LOS. It could only be holding or a personal foul, never pass interference. When in doubt, a pass is behind the line of scrimmage. Remember pass interference is a spot foul if it occurs less than 15 yards down field, and it’s always a first down. (Rule 7-3-8-c PENALTY) Make sure to note where the foul happened when you throw the flag. Don’t expect the flag to magically land on the correct spot.
When the 12th player is leaving the field, and the next step takes him off, the SCCFOA standard is that this is not a foul. Games played with replay can make this action a foul. (Rule 12-3-8-d)
In a game last week, the half was declared over when officials saw no time on the clock. The teams ran off the field, but replay found a view showing one second remaining in the half. The third quarter started with one second on the clock and the team was allowed a field goal attempt. Never let the teams leave after the first half or the end of the game if there’s any issue with the clock. Keep both teams on the field until the half is declared over.
I am seeing a lot of offensive tackles, not meeting the offensive linemen requirements. A lineman must be facing the opponent’s goal line with the line of their shoulders approximately parallel thereto and their head breaking plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the snapper. (Rule 2-27-4-a-2) Allowing linemen to be off the line of scrimmage gives them an advantage, especially on passing downs. We need to address it. Before you throw a flag, however, warn both the players and the coach (unless the player’s head doesn’t even break the plane of the snapper’s rear end).
The most important things are focus and communication. You can’t officiate football (or any other sport) if you are not giving it 100% of your attention and focus. We have all heard that you “can’t take a play off.” We also can’t take any dead ball periods off. Think for a minute how much goes on in a dead ball period—end of the play spot, penalty analysis, enforcement, subs, clock issues, etc. First down or not, late hit or not, taunting, and retaliation are just a few of the things about which we must rule. Action in a bench area and a coach’s questions, are a couple more. And that’s before we check the down, count players, prepare for the next snap, etc. Stay focused.
To be a horse-collar tackle foul, a player must grab the opening of the collar, shoulder pad or name plate area from the top of the shoulder, and abruptly pull the ball carrier down. (Rule 9-1-15) In general, look for the legs to buckle. If the defender pulls the runner forward, and the legs don’t buckle, it is not a foul. This is a safety issue foul, but be sure that all the elements are there. The runner must be pulled down, and it must be abrupt. A coach called and sent video on a 4th down play. The quarterback muffed the snap and never possessed it. Therefore, it is simply a backward pass, and not a “4th down fumble.” The official told the coach that it was a 4th down fumble and only the player who last possessed the ball could advance it. (Rule 4-1-3-j) As I hope you all know, a backward pass on 4th down may be advanced by any player. We need to be better than this.
Let’s remember to give a little grace on the play clock. If the back judge sees the play clock go to 0, take a look at the snapper. If he is starting the snap, let’s stay off of this foul. If there is a delay of game foul, we can call it, but let’s not be too technical. Generally, delay of game calls just tend to delay the game further.
“I would say the referees have the toughest game to call. I would say that there’s a lot of officiating done by announcers, local announcers. Sometimes you should listen to a game from both feeds, and you’d think you were listening to completely different games.” – David Stern
Rich Kollen
Director of Football Operations