Minor League Football - Week 9 - Bizarre Game - Part 1

This week's game was the most difficult to officiate this season. The game was very odd and many unusual plays occurred. The final score was 9-8.

One thing that made the game different was I worked Line Judge. The LJ is the wing official who is opposite the Chains. My responsibility is watching the line of scrimmage, watching the 'inside' receiver, and helping on passes. I have forward progress all the way to the two yard line. On an interception, I do something called 'fade mechanics' where I have to back peddle all the way back to the goalline.

What is really awkward, and quite different from High School, is the LJ holds the line until a pass is thrown. In High School, when you read pass, you break down field to help the Back Judge. It's almost unnatural just standing there.

A reoccurring theme in this league is no clock. Eventually, they got it working, but we started the game with no clock.

So, the opening kickoff is fumbled and the home team recovers. Two plays later they score and then complete a two point conversion. The score is 8-0. This is important to remember later in our story.

Then we have very high, short punt. Nothing good ever happens when these occur. And sure enough we have a receiver touching the ball and the kickers recovering. The kickers then proceed to advance the kick. Why the two deep officials or the Umpire did not blow the whistle is beyond me. So, the play goes on, the guy scores, my sideline gets all jubilant and then the Side Judge comes in and says the receiver was blocked into the ball. Well Mr Side Judge, if you saw that, why the hell didn't you blow your whistle when K picked-up the ball. My coach wants answers, its not his fault the stupid receiver was that close to the ball. Everything went downhill from here.

Then, late in the second, I see flags flying on the other side of the field. Eventually, there are five flags on the ground and 45 yards of penalties against the visitors. One player is ejected for fighting and a flag was thrown on a coach. We wasted ten minutes getting this all figured out. Adding insult to injury, the Umpire walked the wrong way, and had to remark the penalty.

What else? Oh, yea the first questionable down-by-contact. We had a play in the middle of the field where a ball carrier broke through the line and then fell down. I blew my whistle. But, shortly realized (and I still don't know if I was right) the contact that occurred before he fell down did not cause him to go down. I told the White Hat I had an inadvertent whistle. The offense took the result of the play, so no harm done. I've asked our assigner for clarification on this rule because I actually don't know what it is.

There's more bizarre stuff that occurred during this game. More tomorrow.