SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL – October 8, 2025
No Meeting This Week – Prepare each day this week. Review a rule for your crew. Study the Instructional Video and this Bull. Stay fit and healthy. Scout your teams and organize yourself and the crew for your league contest this week.
Next Week’s In-Person Meeting – Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 pm at Mira Mesa High School. It will be a little bit different in that we need to meet our candidates who are running for the Board so here is the agenda and meeting locations: 1st and 2nd Year officials will meet at 7:00 pm in their respective classrooms as usual. All certified officials will meet in the Library at 7:00 pm to hear from the candidates. All Crew Chiefs and Instructors will meet in the Library at 6:00 pm for our regular Crew Chief Meeting. After the certified officials hear from the candidates, we will adjourn to our regular classrooms for our instructional meeting to include The Bull; Calibration; and Instructional Video.
Voting for Board Members – The voting for Board Members will be conducted electronically by Ed Zapolski our Executive Secretary. The email announcement for voting will be sent out following Wednesday’s meeting.
Banquet Stories – Our Banquet will be on November 5th, and we need stories. See Bob Hood or email him your video or story of our fun-loving mistakes from the 2023 season. Also, remember to attend as you’ve already paid for your dinner when you paid your dues! The banquet will start at 6:00pm and will again be at the Admiral Baker Golf Course, 2400 Admiral Baker Road in Mission Valley.
Game Check Weekend! - Game Check Weekend is October 23-25. Take one or two of your game checks from Thursday-Saturday and contribute to our Fund which is our nonprofit, to assist the officiating community. The crew that raises the most gets free dinner, up to $30/man, that following Friday. Not on a crew, new, etc. you can donate at SDYFF.org, any amount is accepted. Thanks to all and have good games this weekend!
Golf Tournament - Sign up now! SDYFF.org is the sign-up hub. Raffle prizes are needed, think about getting something to donate to raffle. The golf tournament raffle is separate from the Banquet raffle, so we always want everyone to leave the golf tournament with a memento. If you can donate something, please bring to tourney, or let Mike Downing know at docdowning@aol.com or 619-888-6430. Thanks.
Wireless Microphone Systems – We now have all of our Crew Chiefs attempting to learn to use a wireless microphone during games for announcements. Although we are in our infancy in our use of this electronic equipment, and some stadiums are a challenge to get quality sound and no static, we have had some outstanding experiences with their use. Something as challenging as adjusting the game clock becomes so simple. The coaches and fans quickly understand the unusual ruling on the field that just occurred.
Wireless Systems at Schools – We are also seeing an uptick in the number of schools that have a stadium wireless system available for our use. Some schools have them available and don’t even know we can use them at their games and have our referees make game announcements! We expect the number of schools with these systems to greatly increase in the near future. It is far better for a school to have control over the system than to have our referees bring equipment and hook it up. We are working with schools to provide technical support and pricing when they inquire about purchasing their own system.
State Champiosnhip Crews Have Been Selected – The following crews have been selected to work the CA State Championship Game the first two weekends in December: Referees Terry Bernard and Bob Flavin, Umpires Mike Weseloh and Andre Coleman, LOS Charlton Lynch, Jimmy Christensen, Paul Kietkowski, and Caly Reynard Sr, Deep Flanks Shan Franklin, DeVonte Cunningham, Eric Stoffers, and Crag Gustafson, Back Judges Jordan Graves, and Phillip Rogers.
7-Person Mechanics Meeting – If you are one of those selected to work a championship or semifinal game, you will be working 7-Person Mechanics. All officials working a championship or semifinal shall attend a special 7-Person Mechanics Meeting on Wednesday November 19th at 7:00 pm at the Mira Mesa High School Library. Chain crews and timers are not to attend this meeting. You will receive credentials, game information, and then break out into position meetings. The Position Coaches are: Referee – Brian Bortness Umpire – Mike Gunzelman LOS – David Middleton Deeps and BJ – Garrett Haislip
Swinging Gate – Remember, if the team is in a scrimmage kick formation (see below), they get protection for the snapper and they can use numbering exceptions. On 1st through 3rd downs, they can only have the center as a numbering exception. On 4th down, they can use as many numbering exceptions as they want. But for a player to be eligible, that player must have an eligible number PLUS be on the end of the line or be legally in the backfield. Also remember there are two scrimmage kick formations:
1 – No player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap and a player 10-yars or more behind the line of scrimmage in apposition to receive the long snap.
2 – No player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap and a player in position with a knee on the ground 7-yards or more behind the line of scrimmage, in position to be the holder and receive the long snap and with another player 3-yards or less behind that player in position to attempt a place kick.
So, if a team is in the scrimmage kick formation #2 above, and the linemen are on the line of scrimmage but well to the side in a swinging gate formation, they still get to use the numbering exception. The key is that the team has a kicker and a holder in position to kick the PAT/FG.
