First college game of 2009

9/5/09 was the first game of the college season, and no, this was not week zero; however, the same ten out of eleven week thing applies.

Once again I was at the field where they treat the officials like crap (see http://pigskinref.blogspot.com/2007/10/this-is-college-football.html). Game administration was a moderately better than previous seasons, but not much. The chain crew was late, the game clock did not run when it should, the play clock (25 second clock) often sat idle, and the ball boys were lame. We did not have our escort to the locker room, they did not supply any water, and we had to wait for the doors to be open at halftime and after the game. In all we still managed to compete the game within 2:51 minutes.

I mention this because each week we get a bulletin from the 'bosses' about game length. This weeks statement goes like this, "Average length of game was right at 3 hours, with the shortest game at 2:35 and longest at 3:41. We averaged 21 fouls, and an average of 10 fouls per game would be of the “coachable” classification."

"Coachable" fouls mean brain-fart fouls such as false starts or illegal formation. These are non-judgement, no subjectivity, no 'when in question do this' type of stuff. Easy, no questions asked fouls. Even your mother would recognize these as fouls. It's the other 11 fouls (using the 21 fouls mentioned above) my bosses care about. These depend upon our rule knowledge and making judgment decisions. This is often very difficult to do.

Contrarily to common myth officials do not want to throw flags. It delays the game and we get monitored on how many flags we throw. I actually spend more energy focusing on what NOT to flag as a foul. But my duty to the players and the game is to make it safe and fair, but to also not influence the game. Safety and fairness should always trump any other motivation. It still is not easy.

For example, during the game I threw flag for a Chop Block against the visitors. A Chop Block is when two players (typically offensive players) attack an opponent with a combination of a High-Low block. Often the first man goes low to take out the knees and the second hits the victim high. Or the first man engages high and the second guy takes his knees out. Visualize what happens to the guys - it's like he gets chopped in half.

Here is the official description: A Chop block is a high-low or low-high combination block by any two players against an opponent anywhere on the field, with or without delay between blocks; the "low" component is at the opponent's thigh or below.

This uses the term block several times. So, what does blocking mean? The official description is: obstructing an opponent by contacting him with any part of the blocker's body.

Does 'contact' mean I brush by a guy with my fingernail and I blocked him?

So, you should be asking some 'what if' questions. What if a guy was on the ground and the defender trips over him while engaged with another guy up high? I mean, hell we have 22 people and over the friggin place and people are falling over left and right. By reading the descriptions above, would this be a chop block?

I was watching the Center and Guard from the visitors all night getting very close to chop blocking the defender. The guard would go low and the center would attempt to contact the defender high. He often would touch the defender, maybe with a hand or shoulder, but he never really 'blocked' they guy enough to make it 'bad'. Eventually, they succeeded and took the guy out, which I promptly flagged. This is a 15 yard penalty.

This is what my bosses are looking for. Using judgment. Technically, there may have been 10 chop block fouls if we were being absolutely anal. Is this what anybody really wants?

This is why I like working int the middle. They are big fouls and player safety is in my hands. I know I'm wrong sometimes and I do miss making the call. I hate it when I miss it. But I catch it more often now than I used to.

More games tomorrow. Stay tuned.

When zero equals eleven - Part II

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.