Varsity Game
This season I will primarily work at the Line Judge position during Varsity games. The LJ is the wing (the guy you see on the sideline) official opposite the Chains and Down Marker. My keys (what I focus on) are watching the line of scrimmage, the tackle on my side of the line, the 'inside' receiver, and then the back coming out of the back field. When passes occur I help the Back Judge on rulings. I have forward progress all the way to the goal line. On an interception, I do something called 'fade mechanics' where I have to back peddle all the way back to the opposite goal line.
My sideline was well behaved and I had no issues with the new sideline rule. The new rule is really an old rule, but now it has teeth. The bottom line is there is no longer a 'coaches box'. The next time you watch a game look at the team area. You'll notice a wide white area about 2 yards wide. It is now called the restricted area. Only officials are allowed in this area during the live ball. Coaches are allowed to step into this area during the dead ball period between downs, but otherwise they are restricted. Everyone is restricted except officials. This means the stat girl, the guy from the news, even the Athletic Director from the school. And the restricted area runs from end zone to end zone. Violations go against the Head Coach. The foul sequence goes -- warning, 5 yards, and then 15 yard unsportsmanlike.
My way of dealing with this was to stand at the back of the restricted zone and when the play was about to start, I would step forward to the sideline. This was the clue to the coaches they should step out of the restricted area. This seemed to work nicely.
Tonights contest was between cross-town rivals, so play was a bit cranked-up. As the game progressed, and the winners clearly began to dominate, the tempers began to flare and I had to get between players a bit more than normal. There was one play with about 3 minutes remaining in the 4th I wish I had seen more of. I threw a flag for illegal helmet contact against a player from the losing team. I am absolutely sure of the illegal contact. This happened right in front of me as the runner was going to the ground. I was focusing on progress and the ball carrier at this time. What was in doubt was whether he was 'targeting' the victim. Was his intention to punish him? I did not see the entire lead-up to the contact. I'm pretty sure it was spearing aiming above the head - and ejection-able act. If I had seen one or two steps prior to the contact I would have tossed the player.
What should happen is my Umpire, Referee, or Back Judge should help me on this. They are supposed to be doing clean-up after the ball goes away from them. Everyone's focus changes during the play depending upon what is happening. As the play ends near the sidezone, the wing official is no longer focusing on blocks but rather the ball carrier. The other officials know this (or they should) and they in turn 'widen' their view to pick crap around the ball carrier or stupid stuff away from the play. I got no help.
Ironically, the young man who did the 'attacking' was the most hurt by the act. He was on the field for about two minutes before he got up.
The final score was 36-12.
