| "SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENT IS ALWAYS PRECEDED BY
UNSPECTACULAR PREPARATION" - ROGER STAUBACH
STEVE KLEINPETER - REFEREE
REF - Will answer ALL questions posed by the coaching staff to ensure uniformity LIN - Check chains (length, tape, condition, points, etc) - Talk with chain crew (crew's duties, clip, not to move until so instructed, etc) UMP - Assist Ref in Pre-game with Coach - Check pads being covered, hard casts, other illegal equipment
- Casts may be worn IF:
REF - Go over Pre-game with Coach and bring CREW for introduction C/O - Discuss clock breakdown procedure
ALL - Examine field for unsafe conditions (required padding on goal posts, ant hills, track obstructions, pot holes, etc) - Examine field for proper markings ALL - BLEEDING PLAYERS - treat just as an injured player (if player sees problem before an official and player calls T/O, stops bleeding, it's OK for him to return. If Official sees problem, and calls official timeout, player must remain out for one down unless halftime or end of game occurs) LNJ - Set watch for whatever length quarters will be required in the event of clock failure WING - The incoming ball is to be given to the LNJ, BKJ or LNM. They will relay the incoming ball to the referee who will get it to the umpire. In no situation should the ball person be inside the wing officials
ALL - Duties begin 30 minutes prior to K/O - Teams must be in box at toss
LIN - 10 minutes prior to the toss, locate the Visiting Team and stay with them. Escort them onto the field for the warm-up and ensure thay are in the box in time for the toss BKJ - 10 minutes prior to the toss, locate the Home Team and stay with them. Escort them onto the field for the warm-up and ensure they are in the box in time for the toss LNJ - Line up on home team side BKJ - Line up on home team side opposite Ref - Get game ball UMP - Line up on Visiting Team Side on the far right of the captains - Secure captains' names and place speaking captain next to Linesman - Observe toss and verify Ref gives proper options LIN - Visiting Team Side on the far left of the captains REF - Line up on home team side on far right of the captains - Secure captains' names ALL - Spot ball as soon as kicking team determined - Record results
STANDARD MECHANICS LIN - Opposite Pressbox - Normal R’s 10; Anticipated - Same side but on R’s Free Kick Line UMP - Pressbox side off the field on 30; Normal - K's 40; Anticipated - Behind the kicker BKJ - Opposite Pressbox -K’s Free Kick Line. Anticipated - Same LNJ - Pressbox side - R’s Free Kick Line; Normal - Anticipated - SAME REF - Pressbox side - GOAL LINE; ANTICIPATED - On Goal line, center of field ALL - Check sidelines prior to raising hands for interference, pull bean bags if necessary
ALL - Count all players - do not allow anyone to kick off or receive with more/less than 12 players. - Think of neutral zone as NZ during Scrimmage down but expanded to 10 yards wide at Free Kick line same encroachment rules apply - R DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE 5 PLAYERS WITHIN FIVE YARDS OF HIS FKL! - Kickoff out of bounds untouched by R or last touched by K is a foul - THREE OPTIONS! 1) R can take ball at the deadball spot 2) R can have K rekick after a 5 yard penalty 3) R can take the ball 25 yards in advance of previous spot - K goes OOB accidentally or voluntarily before R gains possession he cannot legally return in bounds, foul at spot of reentry - THIS HOLDS ONLY UNTIL KICK IS OVER! - K cannot touch a FK in flight nor obstruct R - Kick Catch Interference - foul is awarded fair catch or 15 yards from previous spot and rekick - NOTE: NEW RULE ON KCI DOES NOT APPLY TO FREE KICKS! - K can legally touch a FK when it has gone beyond R's FKL and touched the ground - bean bag at spot of K's touching. First touching only applies on a free kick when the kick is touched in the neutal zone. If K blocks R into the kick in the neutral zone, R is not deemed to have touched the kick. - DON'T FORGET - THIS APPLIES ON A SAFETY FREE KICK AS WELL AS A KICKOFF! - The kicker and/or holder may not be blocked until he has gone 5 yards beyond FKL, the ball has touched a player or the ground - K cannot advance a kick but may advance a fumble (kick ends when caught, recovered or declared dead) - Clock will start on first legal touching - The free kick which breaks the plane of R’s goal line is dead immediately and is a touchback! - Momentum rule applies if kick caught between 5 and GL - VALID/INVALID/ILLEGAL FAIR CATCH SIGNALS - Any signal by R kills the ball upon possession NOTE: R MAY SIGNAL ANYWHERE (EVEN BEHIND THE NEUTRAL ZONE IF SK) BUT IT IS ONLY A FAIR CATCH IF CAUGHT IN OR BEYOND THE NZ BUT SIGNAL ANYWHERE WILL KILL BALL UPON PLAYER POSSESSION! - invalid signal: doesn't meet valid signal requirements, given after the ball has touched the ground or touched R - foul, penalty - illegal signal: given by runner after the ball has been caught or recovered - foul, ball remains alive
As K can never advance a kick once R signals, no one can ever advance a free kick after a fair catch signal!!! NOTE: A FAIR CATCH IS PERMISSIBLE IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE OF A FREE KICK (I.E. 10 YARD WIDE NEUTRAL ZONE) BUT NOT IN THE NEUTRAL ZONE OF A SCRIMMAGE KICK - No blocking below the waist or clipping allowed - No forward passes or forward handoffs allowed - Think "color of jersey" on kicks - CALL ALL BORDERLINE FOULS - Think anticipated on-sides before it happens - The clock starts on the snap if it was stopped because:
d) ball becomes dead behind a goal line e) incomplete forward pass (legal or illegal) f) TV/RADIO/CHARGED time out g) period ends h) team consumes time illegally i) delay of the game foul is accepted - All other times it starts on the ready for play!!
BKJ - Timing of RFP interval - hold hand up with 10 seconds remaining in interval - Count defense LNJ - Count defense UMP - Count OFFENSE LIN - Count DEFENSE REF - COUNT OFFENSE - WILL SIGNAL TO UMPIRE WITH CLENCHED FIST FOR 11 All - Wings/BJ signal with clinched fist for 11 every play! ALL - Once snapper touches ball, he cannot break contact without the period ending, timeout being called, etc - Restricted lineman assumes position after RFP and raises or moves in any quick manner it is a false start - this has nothing to do with the snapper touching the ball! - B players can be in the neutral zone after the RFP but prior to the snapper touching the ball as long as they don’t touch the ball, an A player or call defensive signals - Anyone in the EZ after snapper touches ball - dead ball foul for "encroachment" - Ball never becomes alive on NZ infractions - All mouthpieces must be in and all chin straps buckled prior to snap - Free blocking zone: - 6 X 8 centered on the ball - Only A players on LOS can legally clip in the zone - Zone ends when ball is out of it - Blocking below the waist is a foul except: - Team B players or stationary Team A players may block below the waist in the FBZ prior to the ball leaving the zone. LINESMAN AND LINE JUDGE MUST CALL THIS WHILE THE BALL IS BEHIND THE ZONE! - Against the runner or in an attempt to get to the runner - If contact first occurs against the hands - Team A must have 7 A players on LOS - On LOS when A player's head or foot breaks plane drawn thru the waistline of the snapper-In backfield when any part of his body does not break plane of line drawn through waistline of nearest A player - After shift all A players must stop 1 second before snap - shift consists of movement of 1 player prior to snap! - Timing errors only corrected prior to second live ball - Unconscious player needs written Dr. permission to re-enter - Keep sidelines clear from first play! Warning, 5 yard, 15, 15 and ejection of offending coach/nonplayer. F NO MORE MR. NICE GUYS! E
- Bean bag needed on fumbles & backward passes past LOS not needed on those behind LOS - Prior to change of possession A cannot go OOB accidentally or voluntarily and legally return in bounds - illegal participation - During down no player may go voluntarily OOB and legally return in bounds - illegal participation - SEE THE BALL BEFORE YOU BLOW THE WHISTLE!!!!!!!! - SUBSTITUTION RULES: A SUBSTITUTES BECOMES A PLAYER WHEN HE: A. Communicates with a player/official B. Enters the huddle C. Is positioned in ANY FORMATION D. Participates in a play
(NOTE: AN ENTERING SUBSTITUTE IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A PLAYER FOR ENCROACHMENT RESTRICTIONS UNTIL HE IS ON HIS TEAM'S SIDE OF NEUTRAL ZONE) E. GETS ON HIS TEAM’S SIDE OF THE NEUTRAL ZONE PRIOR TO THE SNAP Once a substitute becomes a player, he must participate for one down unless a DEAD ball foul occurs, there is a charged time-out or a period ends. - Illegal Substitution vs. Illegal participation a) Replaced players shall leave the field immediately! A player becomes a replaced player when a sub indicates he is replaced or WHEN THE SUB BECOMES A PLAYER b) Foul for replaced player not leaving immediately is 5 yards, dead ball for illegal substitution. If we miss it, and the player participates, it is a 15 yard illegal participation foul marked from the previous spot (BASIC SPOT). c) If a substitute enters the field of play during a play, does not touch the ball, an opponent or effect the play, the foul is for a nonplayer illegal substitution foul which is marked off from the succeeding spot. If he participates during the down, it is a 15 yard illegal participation foul marked from the basic spot. d) Replaced players must leave on their side of the field and into their team box area. They can exit through the end zone as long as they exit their sideline - they may never exit through the end-line! 5 yard illegal substitution from previous spot
- Relocating the ball: Before the RFP signal is given, A can relocate the ball anywhere on the line under the following: 1) on a try for point 2) on a kickoff 3) following a safety 4) following a fair catch 5) following an awarded fair catch 6) following a touchback 7) at the start of a new series in O/T
- "UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT" A) Taunting ("mocking" or challenging) and baiting (harassing or heckling) is an unsportsmanlike foul. Penalize it early and consistently. B) ANY SUBSTITUTE WHICH EXITS THE TEAM BOX AND ENTERS THE FIELD DURING A FIGHT WILL BE DISQUALIFIED! RECORD THE NUMBERS OF ALL SUBS WHO DO SO. (This is actually a nonplayer foul) C) Any delayed, excessive or prolonged act by which a player attempts to focus attention upon himself is a foul. D) Two unsporstmanlike fouls by the same player or nonplayer is an automatic disqualification - "FIGHTING" A) Any attempt by a player or nonplayer to strike or engage an opponent in a combative manner unrelated to football B) Swinging or kicking at and missing is "FIGHTING" C) Live ball illegal personal contact and automatic disqualification
- MECHANICS - If ball goes in sidezone, endmen hold spot and REF, BJ OR OTHER WINGMAN WILL GET NEW BALL - If ball goes OOB, endmen turn and watch OOB action, Ref and Bkj follow action, retrieve ball and set - If ball inside, endmen give good spot and hold to umpire says to move - ENDMEN, WIND THE CLOCK WHEN THE BALL IS BETWEEN THE NUMBERS AND THE SIDELINE!!! - FUMBLEROOSKI - I'LL SIGNAL CREW BY TWO QUICK BLASTS AT READY FOR PLAY! LISTEN UP!! - REF WILL COMMUNICATE WITH BACK JUDGE ON DOWN AND DISTANCE - If a ball is loose in a pile of players, the first arriving official should begin digging the ball out. The second arriving official should kill the clock! The third and fourth arriving officials should separate players and the fifth official should watch all dead ball action for fouls. - When the ball is snapped five and in, the offside official should go immediately to the goal line. The covering official should move towards the goal line but at a pace which will allow him to cover the play adequately.
ALL - An airborne receiver who is hit by B and lands out of bounds is given the catch if, in the opinion of the official, he would have landed in bounds without the contact. - use a change of the receiver’s direction to make this call - All passes are "catchable" - Four illegal forward passes: - thrown after change of team possession - thrown from beyond NZ - purposely incompleted - NOTE: THE QB MAY LEGALLY THROW THE BALL FORWARD TO THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER A HAND-TO-HAND SNAP TO CONSERVE TIME.. THIS MUST BE DONE WITHIN ONE DROP STEP OF THE SNAP! - ILLEGAL TOUCHING An ineligible A player who touches, catches or muffs a forward pass (legal or illegal) prior to it touching a B player is guilty of illegal touching - 5 yards from the basic spot (spot of foul or PS) and LOD - Backward pass may be thrown OOB to save time - A may throw as many forward passes as desired as long as all meet legal forward pass requirements NOTE: A FORWARD PASS THROWN UNDERHAND ON AN OPTION PLAY, A SHOVEL PASS, A FORWARD PITCH ARE ALL FORWARD PASSES. IF THEY ARE MUFFED/FUMBLED AND THE BALL HITS THE GROUND IT IS AN INCOMPLETE FORWARD PASS AND NOT A FUMBLE! - Pass Interference: - Can only occur on a LEGAL FORWARD PASS WHICH CROSSES THE LOS - A's restrictions begin at snap; B's when pass leaves passer's hand. - Once B touches ball, restrictions lifted for all players - Once A touches ball, restrictions end for all B players and all eligible A players - contact not needed for PI (faceguarding is a foul) - unavoidable contact when 2 or more eligibles are making a bona fide attempt to catch or bat the ball is not PI - During multiple passes, B's restrictions end when first pass is touched; A's restrictions end when last pass is touched - A may drive B lineman back no more than 2 yards and without being charged with OPI - REMEMBER: IF THE PASS INTERFERENCE IS INTENTIONAL THE TEAM IS PENALIZED AN ADDITIONAL 15 YARDS! - Ineligible A players may not go more than 2 yards past NZ legally until the last pass which crosses the NZ is thrown - All fouls mandating an AFD by B occur on a forward pass - Eligible receivers: - all A players other than 50 - 79 on the end of the line or legally in the backfield - once a player is or becomes eligible he remains eligible - all B players are eligible UMP - Come to line to judge if pass is illegal or not
ALL - Count your assigned players at least twice - Pull and have bean bag ready - use bag to mark spot if unsure if punt crossed the NZ - use bag to mark fumble beyond the line - use bag to mark first touching - DO NOT MARK END OF THE KICK - IT IS NOT A SPOT OF IMPORTANCE!!!!!!!! - TOUCHING/POSSESSION/ADVANCING OF SCRIMMAGE KICKS
- If ANYONE touches low SK in or behind the expanded NZ, touching is disregarded - If ANYONE catches or recovers ball in or behind the expanded NZ, they can advance - If K touches, catches, batts or muffs a SK in flight beyond the expanded NZ or obstructs R's progress to the ball, it is KCI (15 yards from previous spot and rekick or take the penalty of an awarded fair catch at the spot of the foul) ONLY IF R IS IN POSITION TO CATCH THE KICK. IF R IS NOT IN POSITION TO CATCH THE KICK THERE IS NO FOUL! - Once R touches the ball expanded beyond the NZ it will be 1st down for the team in possession at the end of the down (even if A gains possession of the kick behind LTG) - K cannot advance a kick beyond the NZ - K cannot legally touch a SK first beyond the NZ EXPANDED - K may bat a SK backwards toward their own Goaline - K cannot kick the ball beyond the LOS - live ball foul which does not kill the ball - Valid/invalid/illegal signals (see FK discussion) - R can signal anywhere (behind, in, beyond NZ, IN THE FIELD OF PLAY OR IN THE END ZONE) but when he signals ball becomes dead after possession is gained for anyone! (NOTE: the only time this does not hold would be if R1 signalled for a fair catch, muffed the ball behind the Neutral Zone, would be allowed to pick the ball up and run with it. In this case R1 could block only when K gained possession of the ball). - When R becomes a runner, an illegal signal does not kill the ball - R cannot make a fair catch in the neutral zone -- Momentum rule applies on R's catch of SK in flight inside 5 yard line - Once the kick touches anything in or on the EZ: Touchback - K cannot accidentally or voluntarily go OOB prior to kick LNJ - Release as soon as the ball is kicked. LNM - Stay on LOS until the ball crosses the line: you must know position of the ball - Hold up chain crew until Ref gives FD signal BKJ - Position in front of receivers, stay with the ball if it goes over the receivers' heads - Ref will hold RFP until BKJ nods he has counted R UMP - Note line and exceptions to proper numbering of line - Stay over ball until RFP is blown; Ref will hold RFP until he has counted K and checked with BKJ - Favor side of the Line Judge REF - Position in front of kicker for roughing foul on LNJ side - Remember free kick option on awarded fair catch - IF KICK COMES TO REST AND KICKERS TOUCH IT - IT IS A DEAD BALL, CANNOT BE ADVANCED AND IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE "FIRST TOUCHING".
ALL - Same enforcement and procedures as a scrimmage kick FOR PUNTS
A. KICKED FROM THE 10 AND IN
LNJ - On your side of the field on the LOS and cover normal line play LNM - On your side of the field on the LOS and cover normal line play BKJ - On endline on Opposite Press Box side of field and under upright - Responsible for crossbar and upright UMP - On endline on Press Box side of the field and under upright - Responsible for upright - Must communicate with BKJ on signal - Still has the snapper for direct contact REF - Over ball until the ready - Positioned in front of Kicker and holder - holder may rise to catch snap and immediately return to ground to set for the kick or rise to throw but - if he flips ball forward off one knee, ball is dead - if he fumbles/muffs the snap with one knee off ground, and sets with one knee on ground again, ball is dead
B. KICKED FROM OUTSIDE THE 10
LNJ - On your side of the field on endline and under upright - Responsible for upright LNM - On your side of the field on the LOS and cover normal line play BKJ - On endline on Opposite Press Box side of field and under upright - Responsible for crossbar and upright UMP - Shade to Line Judge side but otherwise a typical punt position REF - Slightly ahead of holder and same duties as during kick inside the 10
ALL - mechanics as above - Try is ended if B gains possession - Try is ended when kick is obviously no good - The ball can be set anywhere K wants to it, even after their foul - B fouls during a successful try - penalize and go for two after enforcement or carryover to kickoff (only time) - A's foul involves LOD, try is over, no points scored - B commits a live ball foul during a TD or 2 point conversion, foul is automatically declined. - LJ MOVE TO SIDELINE IF RUN, BJ MOVE TO GOAL LINE
ALL - Report foul, number, jersey color - All officials are to record every unsporstmanlike foul - The second unsportsmanlike foul charged to the same nonplayer or player is an automatic disqualification.
ALL - Officiate at right angles to the field - Attack the dead ball spot - Watch out of bounds action - Keep head up during dead ball - Get to spot correctly but slowly
ALL - Everyone except the LNM moves to the ball and recordes the down, distance, team in possesion, team’s direction, the clip location, and location of the ball UMP - Ref and Umpire will move the ball once the chains are moved LNJ - Swap the teams around and then proceed to succeeding spot BKJ - Go to Linesman and verify clip position and location in subsequent quarter TIME THE ONE MINUTE INTERMISSION BETWEEN QUARTERS! REF - UMP and Ref move ball to the new poisition. - THE RFP IS NOT BLOWN UNTIL THE INFORMATION IS VERIFIED AS BEING CORRECT!
REF - Makes the call UMP - Pulls the front stake LJ - Sets back spot LNM - Brings in the sticks BKJ - Holds the ball down during the measurement
REMEMBER - WE CANNOT BE PERFECT BUT WE CAN BE EXCELLENT!
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