There was a second, more important down-by-contact play late in the second quarter. Two players leaped for a pass and made incidental contact in the air. The receiver touched and gained possession of the ball after the two separated and he completed the catch upon hitting the ground. Neither I nor the Field Judge blew our whistle. The player wisely gets off the ground and runs in for the score.
Of course my coach is coming out of his skin claiming down by contact. I said the receiver was never touch while he possessed a live ball (i.e., was not a ball carrier). How can you have down-by-contact on a non-call carrier?
Frankly, I don't know the rule. I looked in the NFL rule book and could not find an interpretation of this situation. It became an important play, because of what happens next.
So, the team attempts a two point conversion and fails. Recall last post I asked you to remember the score being 8-0. Now the score is 8-6. Remember this.
A series or two later, the Visitors (the team with six points) is at the 19 yard line on 4th and long. They decided to attempt a Field Goal. The kick is short and for some bizarre reason, the home team player catches the ball at the two. Yes, he can advance the ball, by why not just take a Touchback and get the ball at the twenty? Instead, this guy proceeds to run all over the friggin place and ends-up tackled in the end zone. Safety. Are you kidding me? Now the score is 8-9 and they have to kick the ball back to the Visitors.
So, go for three points, but get two, and get the ball back. Cool.
Then with about five minutes remaining in the 4th, the Side Judge comes running over to my side of the field, (during a play mind you) to confront my coach. What the hell? He yelling he has a right to defend himself, your players are threating me, I don't have to take this crap, etc. WHAT?
When you walk on to the field as an official you do have to put up with crap. Boat loads of it. But, there is a line players and coaches cannot cross and you better know how thick the line is. I usually draw the line when they start using second person pronouns. It becomes very clear, very fast when it turns into disrespect. When it turns into disrespect it becomes very simple. You toss a flag and take control. Simple. End of story. You don't make a scene in front of everyone, including the children of the players, and make a complete ass out of yourself. You make the entire crew and the association look terrible.
I told my coach I was embarrassed for the crew and that guy was way out of line and highly unprofessional.
After the game the Side Judge continued to justify his actions and claimed wasn't going to do this sport any more. Good.
Next week is the final regular season game, but I believe I have two games.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Minor League Football - Week 8
I was eager to get today's game underway. I'd been at work all night supporting a large technical migration and was on my third wind. I needed a distraction. And there is no better distraction than good old fashioned civilized brutality. Actually, there is a better distraction but it usually only last twenty minutes.
But alas, no Official distractions today. The home team had to forfeit for a lack of players. This is the same team weak team I worked during week 5. Turns out the team only suited 14 players. None of the starting backfield and none of the skilled players showed-up. They didn't even bother to call the coach.
So here is the poor coach (who is the owner) who has to pay for the field, pay us for our time, and apparently pay a $500 fine for a forfeit. I felt sorry for the guy in the regard, but it seems to me his team is trying to tell him something. The Coach blamed the 'other' league for allowing a new expansion team into the area. If the guy is losing players, then I think there is another root cause.
I missed a timely week 7 update, but will have one shortly.
But alas, no Official distractions today. The home team had to forfeit for a lack of players. This is the same team weak team I worked during week 5. Turns out the team only suited 14 players. None of the starting backfield and none of the skilled players showed-up. They didn't even bother to call the coach.
So here is the poor coach (who is the owner) who has to pay for the field, pay us for our time, and apparently pay a $500 fine for a forfeit. I felt sorry for the guy in the regard, but it seems to me his team is trying to tell him something. The Coach blamed the 'other' league for allowing a new expansion team into the area. If the guy is losing players, then I think there is another root cause.
I missed a timely week 7 update, but will have one shortly.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Minor League Football - Week 6
Saturday's game was another interesting contest where the clock ran the entire second half and the game lasted a brief 2:15. Easy money.
The game did not start out this way. Each team scored on their first position and by the end of the first quarter the score was 21-6. I though we were in for a long day. But then there were the turnovers. The losing team had no business passing the ball. Three interceptions if I recall correctly.
From an officiating point of view this was a pretty boring game. I threw one false start flag. We may have had five flags the entire game. Unlike many of the other games I've reported on, the clocked worked, the chain crew was good, there were not personal fouls or unsportsmanlike. I could complain the ball boy took too long to bring the ball out - but, since he was only nine years old I guess I can cut him some slack.
The one place I did make a mistake was while we were in goalline. I forgot to cover the line of scrimmage. I do this because the two wings break to goalline. I have to come-up and rule on ineligible downfield and illegal forward pass. While the pass was in the air I realize my mistake. No one would even notice this besides me and a good evaluator. Hopefully, no one sees this. It's not a huge mistake, and when the score is 40-6, not that big a deal, but still a mistake.
So, an easy game to work, but not much to report on.
The game did not start out this way. Each team scored on their first position and by the end of the first quarter the score was 21-6. I though we were in for a long day. But then there were the turnovers. The losing team had no business passing the ball. Three interceptions if I recall correctly.
From an officiating point of view this was a pretty boring game. I threw one false start flag. We may have had five flags the entire game. Unlike many of the other games I've reported on, the clocked worked, the chain crew was good, there were not personal fouls or unsportsmanlike. I could complain the ball boy took too long to bring the ball out - but, since he was only nine years old I guess I can cut him some slack.
The one place I did make a mistake was while we were in goalline. I forgot to cover the line of scrimmage. I do this because the two wings break to goalline. I have to come-up and rule on ineligible downfield and illegal forward pass. While the pass was in the air I realize my mistake. No one would even notice this besides me and a good evaluator. Hopefully, no one sees this. It's not a huge mistake, and when the score is 40-6, not that big a deal, but still a mistake.
So, an easy game to work, but not much to report on.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Minor League Football - Week 5.
This week's game was an odd one.
First, I worked the same home team I worked last week. Not the end of the world, but not ideal. Then, I'm working as the Field Judge. I've never worked Field Judge before. For those who do not know, the FJ is one of the deep officials who primarily cover passes. Your key is the outside receiver. Or two outside receivers. Or three outside... basically, you have the outside receivers.
You start 20 yards off the ball and back peddle the entire game. On plays outside the 15 or so, you typically have the goalline. Inside the 15, we tend to go to the endline. Not something an Umpire typically does.
The visiting team shows up with a handful of players. "The others are on their way, but stuck in traffic." Whatever. We're starting the game at 7:00. This team was so short players, the coach suited-up. The 51 year old coach.
So, the Visitors start the game with 18 players. Home team has something like 50 players.
The games goes like this. Home gets the ball. Scores. Visitors get the ball and go four and out. Home gets the ball and scores. Visitors get a first down and then four and out. They apparently have no punter.
Now the odd part begins. At 9:39 in the 2nd quarter there is a big hit on the far sideline. Turns out, the ball carrier for the Visitors broke his leg. He's right on the sideline so we cannot continue play.
After 10 minutes or so the meat wagon shows up. I guess his is busted pretty bad because it took forever.
The visiting coach finally asks if we can have a running clock. Of course. But he doesn't mean during the game, he mean right now. Run the clock off now. Ok, if that's what you want. When we ask the home team coach he say "sure, but hell we haven't even thrown a pass tonight". They were up 28-0 already.
So, while the 9:39 is burning off, the home coach asks if this delay can be halftime and we start the third quarter as soon as the ambulance takes off. Sure thing coach.
During the burning of the 9:39 one of the visiting players says, "I'm getting too old for this game". When we asked how old he was he said, "forty-eight". What! He wasn't the only player on that team with gray hair.
We ran the entire 2nd half with a running clock. I think the entire game we threw maybe five flags. All false start or offside. A pretty boring game over all. We were done in 90 minutes. I can't even get a Freshman game done that quickly.
Oh well, seventy bucks is seventy bucks.
First, I worked the same home team I worked last week. Not the end of the world, but not ideal. Then, I'm working as the Field Judge. I've never worked Field Judge before. For those who do not know, the FJ is one of the deep officials who primarily cover passes. Your key is the outside receiver. Or two outside receivers. Or three outside... basically, you have the outside receivers.
You start 20 yards off the ball and back peddle the entire game. On plays outside the 15 or so, you typically have the goalline. Inside the 15, we tend to go to the endline. Not something an Umpire typically does.
The visiting team shows up with a handful of players. "The others are on their way, but stuck in traffic." Whatever. We're starting the game at 7:00. This team was so short players, the coach suited-up. The 51 year old coach.
So, the Visitors start the game with 18 players. Home team has something like 50 players.
The games goes like this. Home gets the ball. Scores. Visitors get the ball and go four and out. Home gets the ball and scores. Visitors get a first down and then four and out. They apparently have no punter.
Now the odd part begins. At 9:39 in the 2nd quarter there is a big hit on the far sideline. Turns out, the ball carrier for the Visitors broke his leg. He's right on the sideline so we cannot continue play.
After 10 minutes or so the meat wagon shows up. I guess his is busted pretty bad because it took forever.
The visiting coach finally asks if we can have a running clock. Of course. But he doesn't mean during the game, he mean right now. Run the clock off now. Ok, if that's what you want. When we ask the home team coach he say "sure, but hell we haven't even thrown a pass tonight". They were up 28-0 already.
So, while the 9:39 is burning off, the home coach asks if this delay can be halftime and we start the third quarter as soon as the ambulance takes off. Sure thing coach.
During the burning of the 9:39 one of the visiting players says, "I'm getting too old for this game". When we asked how old he was he said, "forty-eight". What! He wasn't the only player on that team with gray hair.
We ran the entire 2nd half with a running clock. I think the entire game we threw maybe five flags. All false start or offside. A pretty boring game over all. We were done in 90 minutes. I can't even get a Freshman game done that quickly.
Oh well, seventy bucks is seventy bucks.
Minor League Football - If I only had a Brain - Part 1A
If you read the last post you'll recall this was not my best game. Most spectators would never know the difference, but as someone once said, the camera never lies. And apparently someone (no, a different someone) was filming last week's game. I was offered a DVD of the game -- I accepted. Let me review the film and see how bad things really were. If I can cut out a piece of the film, I'll add it the web so you can see what I see.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Minor League Football - If I only had a Brain - Part 1
There was a strange duplicity in this week's game. There was the game I worked; and then there is the game that everyone else saw.
The game everyone saw was outstanding. A classic back-and-forth contest where the better team won, and the losing team was last years Champs. Coaches misused time-outs, turnovers came at inopportune times, and a failed hail-mary in the closing seconds made this game a good candidate for the year-end highlight reel. But overall, a very well played contest with a final score of 28-21.
Game management was excellent. We had a clock (a first this season) a chain crew, ball people. You may think this is trivial, but trust me, when these things don't go well, it makes for a long night.
This was a game I would take my young son to. There was good sportsmanship all around, players helping one another off the ground, etc. Enough foul language to remind you this was a football game, and way more than would be tolerated in a High School or College game, but overall not too bad.
That's the game everyone else saw. I, on the other hand, am not really sure what game I saw because I left my brain in the car. Or at home. I'm not really sure because I lost it.
It starts early in the first quarter with a pass about 15 yards down the middle of the field. As Umpire, I'm supposed to turn on these passes and watch the reception. On these short passing routes in the middle of the field the receivers back it typically towards the deep officials. In other words, the deep officials cannot see the ball. I'm the one with the best view on trapped balls.
So, I read pass, see the QB is going to throw, and I lock on the intended receiver ... I at least I tried. The QB had a cannon for an arm. The receiver dives back towards the LOS, sticks an arm out and...
I don't know for sure if he actually caught it, but it wasn't clear he didn't either. My head was not stationary, the ball was zipped, and the receiver was moving back towards me. It was one of those close ones. Luckily, I didn't blow my whistle (Minor League Football uses down-by-contact rule). Not because I ruled a completed pass. No, I didn't blow it dead because I didn't know. I didn't know because I did think what it takes to make a reception a 'catch'. I just thinking " gee, I don't know and it's too late now, so.... " So, the receiver is just laying there on the ground. No one touched him. He is still just laying there. It's like everything just stopped. It seems like he is sitting there for 10 seconds. Still no whistle.
Now, this should be a clue to me that the guy knew he didn't catch the ball, right? Of yea, STILL NO WHISTLE. So, he finally gets up and runs... and runs... and runs... and scores. During the run back there was a flag. Thrown by me. This is a story by itself which I will include in the next post.
But the real issue with all this is I did not know it was a catch, yet I ruled it was. As I replay it in my mind, I don't know if the ground aided the receiver or not. I 'think' his hand was under ball when it bounced-up and hit his chest. He was far enough away that I could not be certain. So, although this was one of those 'it can go either way' kind of calls, I think I was wrong. When in doubt, it is NOT a catch should be the rule of the day.
But you need to bring your brain to the game.
There are a lot more interesting (i.e. Brainless) things about this game I'll share in the next post.
The game everyone saw was outstanding. A classic back-and-forth contest where the better team won, and the losing team was last years Champs. Coaches misused time-outs, turnovers came at inopportune times, and a failed hail-mary in the closing seconds made this game a good candidate for the year-end highlight reel. But overall, a very well played contest with a final score of 28-21.
Game management was excellent. We had a clock (a first this season) a chain crew, ball people. You may think this is trivial, but trust me, when these things don't go well, it makes for a long night.
This was a game I would take my young son to. There was good sportsmanship all around, players helping one another off the ground, etc. Enough foul language to remind you this was a football game, and way more than would be tolerated in a High School or College game, but overall not too bad.
That's the game everyone else saw. I, on the other hand, am not really sure what game I saw because I left my brain in the car. Or at home. I'm not really sure because I lost it.
It starts early in the first quarter with a pass about 15 yards down the middle of the field. As Umpire, I'm supposed to turn on these passes and watch the reception. On these short passing routes in the middle of the field the receivers back it typically towards the deep officials. In other words, the deep officials cannot see the ball. I'm the one with the best view on trapped balls.
So, I read pass, see the QB is going to throw, and I lock on the intended receiver ... I at least I tried. The QB had a cannon for an arm. The receiver dives back towards the LOS, sticks an arm out and...
I don't know for sure if he actually caught it, but it wasn't clear he didn't either. My head was not stationary, the ball was zipped, and the receiver was moving back towards me. It was one of those close ones. Luckily, I didn't blow my whistle (Minor League Football uses down-by-contact rule). Not because I ruled a completed pass. No, I didn't blow it dead because I didn't know. I didn't know because I did think what it takes to make a reception a 'catch'. I just thinking " gee, I don't know and it's too late now, so.... " So, the receiver is just laying there on the ground. No one touched him. He is still just laying there. It's like everything just stopped. It seems like he is sitting there for 10 seconds. Still no whistle.
Now, this should be a clue to me that the guy knew he didn't catch the ball, right? Of yea, STILL NO WHISTLE. So, he finally gets up and runs... and runs... and runs... and scores. During the run back there was a flag. Thrown by me. This is a story by itself which I will include in the next post.
But the real issue with all this is I did not know it was a catch, yet I ruled it was. As I replay it in my mind, I don't know if the ground aided the receiver or not. I 'think' his hand was under ball when it bounced-up and hit his chest. He was far enough away that I could not be certain. So, although this was one of those 'it can go either way' kind of calls, I think I was wrong. When in doubt, it is NOT a catch should be the rule of the day.
But you need to bring your brain to the game.
There are a lot more interesting (i.e. Brainless) things about this game I'll share in the next post.
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