San Diego County Football Officials Association - THE WEEKLY BULL – September 9, 2026 No Meeting This Wednesday Sept. 9th – Do some serious film study, select a rule to study and its related case book plays. San Diego Youth Football Fund – It’s our only fund raiser of the year, September 17-19. Our annual fund raiser requests each member of our Association to donate a game check to assist us in providing scholarships, sportsmanlike awards, and aid to our officials and the football community in general. If you are on a crew, the crew who donates the largest amount will be rewarded with a free after-game dinner, max of $30/crew member. You can coordinate through your crew chief or donate any amount online at SDYFF.org. You can also contribute by making a check payable to SDYFF and send to Mike Gunzelman, 4785 Gateshead Rd, Carlsbad, Ca. 92019 or, see Mike Downing or Mike Gunzelman at a meeting. We have been working a lot of games, so help our non-profit foundation with a donation. All donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your help in this one-of-a-kind association program. Communication With the Head Coach is Critical – Coaches expect, and deserve, quick and accurate foul and game information. Keep them informed. Many times, they won’t ask for it, but when provided, they are most appreciative. Without it, the coach can get confused, which can affect his game management. Keep yourself and your coach focused on the game. Together you can exchange helpful info and process fouls with efficiency. Keep your coach focused by providing the info and moving on if he doesn’t have any questions. Eliminate your own “chit-chat” with sideline spectators and personnel. Talking with others detracts from your focus. Keep Your Focus! Ejection Reports – Crew Chiefs, do not delegate this important task to a crew member. Last week we received a poorly written, and incomplete, ejection report. There was insufficient info to uphold the ejection. Please, take the time necessary to make sure YOU put in the accurate and complete report necessary for the Commissioners to understand and uphold a valid ejection. Coin Toss – A Texas rivalry started the game at the coin toss by not shaking hands. This is unacceptable. If this were to happen, the referee will require each team to provide captains who will shake hands. We will hold up the game until we have a successful and sportsmanlike conclusion to the coin toss. No way will we start a game in that manner. When Do Pass Interference Restrictions End? - Pass interference restrictions on a legal forward pass end for: All eligible A players when the pass has been touched by any player. All ineligible A players when B touches the pass, however it is not pass interference for ineligible A players to use hands and arms in a legal block to ward off an opponent. All B players when the pass has been touched by any player. Equipment: Knee Pads and Towels– Please remain consistent as we continue through the season. Special attention should be paid to players who have rolled up the back of their pant legs. They then “fool you” by pulling the knee pads down in the front, which then go right back up as you leave! Have player unroll the back of the pants. Reminder, narrow towels must be at least 4” in width. Measure your game card, some of them are exactly 4” and can help in being accurate in allowing a legal towel to be worn. Swinging Gate – Be ready for swinging gate plays. Know the rules and remember that the offense must execute the play properly. A swinging gate may or may not be a scrimmage kick formation. To qualify, the offense must have a player with a knee on the ground at least 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, positioned to receive the snap, and another player no more than 3 yards behind that player, positioned to attempt a place kick. If those conditions are met, the team is in a scrimmage kick formation—even if the linemen are split wide—and the snapper receives protection and the offense may use numbering exceptions. What are the Restrictions on the Holder for PATs and FGs? – The ball remains live if, at the snap, a place-kick holder with his knee(s) on the ground and with a teammate in kicking position catches or recovers the snap while his knee(s) is on the ground and places the ball for a kick, or if he rises to advance, hand, kick or pass. The ball also remains live if, at the snap, a place-kick holder with his knee(s) on the ground and with a teammate in kicking position rises and catches or recovers an errant snap and immediately returns his knee(s) to the ground and places the ball for a kick or again, rises to advance, hand, kick or pass. Back Judges and Kickoff Mechanics - Do not permit the kicker to bring the ball into the game for Kickoffs. The Crew must have a consistent Mechanic to get the kicking ball in the hands of the Back Judge. Do not hand the ball to the kicker until there are 11 players in formation for the Receiving Team and Kicking Team. Counting Players – Reminder, there is absolutely no excuse for missing the counting of the offense or defense. The count must be accurate for each play! Transitions – The expectation is that the one-minute transitions be completed in one minute or less. So far, observers are commenting positively on our crews’ efforts. Keep up the intensity. Keys to Great Enforcements – The foul information must come quickly, smoothly and completely from the calling official to the referee. After using preliminary signals, it is wise to open your radio and state the foul and player number so the whole crew knows that information. The referee must process the nature of the foul and the game situation to determine if the coach needs to be consulted. If not, the Referee leaves umpire, HL and LJ to do their thing…while signaling and moving to the new position. The crew must be ready with the clock status when the referee faces the crew. Let’s be efficient! Keep Your Sidelines Clear But Your Focus on the Field – We’re doing an outstanding job of keeping the sidelines safe for ourselves and for coaches and non-players. This is an important portion of your pre-snap routine, but less so when we get into the Red Zone. Remember, we must be fully present and ready to officiate the next play. If we’re fixated on the status of the team box, maybe we’re not ready for the snap? Observer Program – Observers continue to work their way through the crews. We will get to every crew, even though we are down one or two observers each week. They are doing a great job and I’ll continue to include their observations into our instructional program Food For Thought – 10 Key Attributes for Officials – Michael Mothershed PAC12 1. Charisma – Coaches identify with you in a positive way. Don’t be a cookie-cutter, show your personality. 2. Commanding Presence – Decision-making is fair and consistent. 3. Credibility – Coaches, players and fans see and know the quality of your work. 4.Communication – You listen, learn and establish excellent verbal / non-verbal skills. 5. Leadership – Proven ability to solve unique situations. 6. Physical Fitness and Image – Uniform and fitness present unquestioned integrity. 7. Positional Success – Works hard with proven ability over the season. 8. Maturity – Emotional and Mental ability to show calmness showing that you’ve been there before. 9. Rules Knowledge – Takes time to study, knows style of learning and believes rules knowledge is important. 10. Situational Awareness – Understands how a game flows and understands how an official can affect the game. Consistently focused on the game and find ways to get back into the game if concentration is lost.
