There's the Correct Thing and Then There is the Right Thing - Part 1

Most football games are routine, at least at the high school level, and are essentially over by they end of the 3rd quarter. Infrequently, officials have an impact of the outcome of the game, and even more rare, are the single mistake made by an official that determines the outcome of game. Most games are just not that evenly matched. However, this week I had three opportunities, all during a single game, where my decision determined the outcome of the game. I think I make the correct decision in all three plays although I may not have been 'right' on one of them. Let' see if you agree.

It's 4th down and the home team is backed up to their 5 yard line. The player ready to receive the long snap (i.e., the kicker) is backed-up to his end line. The snap is bad, the kicker fumbles the ball, he panics, and scrambles to get out of the end zone. Which he did. His progress was stopped a the 1 yard line and then he was driven back into the endzone. I hit my whistle and crash in signaling timeout, which means I did not rule a Safety. This was the correct ruling. I actually saw this play on the news that night and knew I ruled correctly on this play. But, here is what I thinking at the time and why I may not have been right.

We have this philosophy in our are area were we do not want to award a 'cheap safety'. If the Defensive (typically its the Defense) team earned the Safety we are not going to take this away from the Defense. But when it comes to the play I mentioned above, even if the player ran to the goal line and it was close we are going to avoid giving the Safety. In this game the player was clearly out to the 1 yard line, so there was not 'when in question' issue here.

But after the play was overheard the coach say, "We need to teach these guys [the offense] to take the Safety." Why is that?

Because now the other team has the ball at the one and has a great opportunity to score 6 points instead of the 2 points for the Safety. You can argue that taking the two points and then giving the ball back to scoring team is not a great alternative (the idea around the 'cheap safety') but, in this case, at this point of the game, awarding a cheap safety would be the right thing to do. I'm sure the other coach was not thinking "please don't award a Safety".

For the next several plays I considered whether doing the correct thing was the right thing to do. I concluded it was and I'd do it again. The play was the play, and players need to learn how to think on the field. If they make a mistake like this that costs them the game, then this is a lesson learned. The final score of the game was 28-29, so difference between a safety and a touchdown had a bearing on the final score.

Part II, in the next post, I talk about two identical play, both in the 4th quarter within two minutes of each other, which absolutely had a beating on the outcome of the game. And to be quite frank, had I not been writing this blog for the past few years and forcing myself to review the rules and philosophies, I would not rules these two plays properly. I would have directly changed the outcome of the game.

Stay tuned.

NCFL Week 1 Report

The first game of the 2009 NCFL season ended much like most of last season's games -- a one-sided contest which was essentially over before the end of the first quarter. This was very disappointing. If you look at the box scores, this was the moost lopsided game this week. It is difficult to remain focused during a game like this.

There were three Safety's during the game all against the losing team. I don't believe I ever worked a game with three Safety's. I can go an entire season and never see a Safety. Unfortunately for the losing team, they spent most of the game on their half of the field.

As a crew we found using the NFL/NCAA rules a bit challenging, but there were never any serious issues where a rule conflict caused a problem. A few on the crew a primarily high school officials, so these rules are even more challenging. We make a few mistakes, but no one noticed.

For example, during a play, 3rd and three as I recall, the offense gained four yards for a 1st down. The defense was offside. Since the offense made a first down, we just assumed the offense would decline. We should have gone previous spot, marched off the five. We shorted them a yard. Not a big deal - this team ended-up winning 63-6. So, a big whatever.

We had a holding call on a play that ended with a pass to the sideline. We did not get the information whether the holding occurred before the pass was completed or after. We (White hat and I) didn't ask either. We marched off ten yards from the flag. This mistake short changed the losing team since this would have push the offense back maybe six more yards. Again, I am assuming the holding occured before the completion of the pass and not after. If it was after, then we did it right.

As for my performance, I threw two holding fouls against winning team - a take-down and the second was arms outside the frame with a twist. There were a few other occasions where I may have had a holding, but these were often not at the point of attack, or they did not bust open the run. I'd love to see these on film.

I also threw and Illegal Player Downfield. This is a NFL rule. During a Scrimmage Kick (punt) only the two outside players can go downfield before the ball is kicked. The long snapper for the losing team streaked down the field after snapping the ball.

Player behavior was improved over last season. If this was a high school or college game, there would be some more flags on the ground for Unsportsmanlike, but overall, not too bad. There were some of the typical 'whiners', but every game, at every level I've worked, has crybabies.

As of this writing, I am not scheduled to work next week, but I'll have a posting.

Gridiron Brain Fart

Friday night I worked a JV and Var game. The JV report is list below. The Var will be next posting.

"Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose that you resolved to effect." Shakespeare, "The Tempest". This will make more sense as you read on.

JV Game:

Excluding an Inadvertent Whistle the JV game, the contest was pretty routine for a season opener. I was anxious before I arrived at the stadium, but once I got there I settled in. After a series or two, I was back into the routine. There was the ubiquitous holdings, false starts, and encroachments. Nothing too exciting. Until early in the 4th quarter.

The visitors intercepted a pass at the six yard line. Then a false start took them back to the three. On the next play the QB drops back for a pass, the pocket breaks down, he scrambles for his life, and finally fumbles the ball in the endzone when the defenders reach him. He was not making an attempt to throw the ball. So, now we have a loose ball in the endzone. This is not going to end well for the offense no matter what happens.

Now, this is where I forgo-ed the purpose I resolved to effect. I made a colossal screw-up because I could not make-up my frigging mind.

During certain situations in the game, one of the axioms officials use is -- try to make the play what it wants to be. I wanted to make this play an incomplete pass. This poor team was getting killed and this unfortunate set of circumstances wasn't helping. I did not want to give the home team a Safety, but I just couldn't turn it into an incomplete pass.

So since I'm not ruling incomplete pass the play cascades into a scrum for the ball. But I still haven't given-up trying to make this an incomplete pass. Ok, fine its a fumble. Sorry guys. When I awake from this stupor, I'm thinking, oh crap, this is a loose ball... in the end zone... this is going to end in a Safety or TD... oh crap, which color is offense again... oh crap, why didn't I just rule incomplete... oh crap, why am I blowing my whistle!!!

As I'm blowing my frigging whistle the defenders jump on the ball. I pause. Oh my god, what have I done. So, now I want to crawl in a hole. How am I going to get out of this one?

My crew said my hands go up and it appeared I was ruling Safety, but then I separated them to rule TD. They were right. I was so focused on the Safety, or the prevention of the Safety, only at the last second did it register this was a TD for the defense.

Technically, I blew an inadvertent whistle, however it would be splitting hairs whether it impacted the outcome of the play. There were no offensive players around the ball. The play ended the way it would have ended.

If I was thinking clearly, I should have swallowed my pride and given the offense the Inadvertent Whistle. They could have replayed the down... better than ruling an incomplete pass.

In retrospect, in a JV game with the score 33-0, had the QB been tackled, I would have no choice than to rule Safety. But, it was a pass play, I'd make the play what it wants to be -- an incomplete pass even if it wasn't.

I haven't had a brain fart like this is a long time.

"Do not, for one repulse, forego the purpose that you resolved to effect."

Bill, you're right. Make up my mind and stick with the decision.