SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION - THE WEEKLY BULL – July 31, 2024
1st and 2nd Year Classes – Meet at Mira Mesa – You will again meet at Mira Mesa at 7:00 pm. Make sure you come early to look through the gently used and donated equipment, and to see Bob Hood and his merchandise for sale. Bob will not be selling after the meeting, so do your shopping beforehand. Your attendance has been outstanding. Keep it up!
Line of Scrimmage Clinic - This week we feature the work of our Line of Scrimmage Officials. Scott Reilly, BIG12 line of scrimmage official will share his mechanics, judgements, and wisdom in an hour-long zoom clinic. Here is the Zoom Invitation: SDCFOA Line of Scrimmage Officials Clinic With Scott Reilly, BIG12 July 30, 2025 7:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84870678456?pwd=unMZfYg7SaitsaeaRztJyxFyyEvkp7.1 Meeting ID: 848 7067 8456 Passcode: 901010 One tap mobile +12532050468
Officiating Fees 2024 – The following fees are in effect this year. The travel reimbursements are not included here. Tackle Varsity Referee $144 Tackle Varsity Others $142 Tackle Sub-Varsity All $97 Flag Varsity $72 Flag Sub-Varsity $69
Mechanics Exam On-Line Testing – The SDCFOA 2025 Mechanics Exam will be administered online again this year. All members (except 1st-year officials) are required to complete the test as part of our Instructional Program. The test will be available from August 1 through August 10. Please schedule your time accordingly, as the test will not be available at other dates. If you are out of town or unable to complete the test within this timeframe, please contact Scott Carroll to make alternative arrangements. Our tests are integral components in our instructional program. They are designed to teach elements of SDCFOA officiating at all levels of competition. We encourage you to reach out to your Crew Chiefs or Classroom Instructors if you have any questions about the test or instructional material. 2025 Mechanics Exam Access: https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/start/?quiz=ckv687ec624a03df Available: 08/01/2025 – 08/10/2025 Attempts: You may take the test up to 5 times (you may stop and restart without needing to start all over) Scoring: Highest score of all attempts is your final score Completion: You may print all questions/answers once you have completed an attempt. Results are emailed once an attempt is completed. Online tests will not be available outside the dates listed. Thank you – Scott Carroll
Battlefields to Ballfields (B2B). - The mission of B2B is to offer military veterans and active service members a way to give back meaningfully, whether as active personnel or after they retire. B2B provides scholarships for both active and retired military during their first three years of service to an officials’ association, covering their registration fees, camp costs, uniforms, and more. B2B is expanding its mentorship program. Our state has been chosen to pilot it and is seeking active members of our officiating community. Specifically, we want current officials who have served or are currently serving in the military to take on mentorship roles. We invite you to attend a Zoom meeting to learn more about the B2B mentorship program. During the meeting, existing B2B mentors and scholarship recipients will present. The meeting is scheduled for August 13, 2025, at 6 PM. The Zoom information is provided below. https://nfhs.zoom.us/meeting/register/-0CvKsMNTF-nyAuurXKASQ If you are interested in serving as a B2B mentor, please email me. - Brian Seymour - Associate Executive Director California Interscholastic Federation - bseymour@cifstate.org
Wilson Football – The Wilson Football will be the official football for the San Diego Section playoffs. A Wilson football is required to be used in all rounds of the playoffs.
Aiding the Runner – Coaches have been told that aiding the runner will be enforced if we see planned plays where the running back lines up behind the QB and just runs forward, places hands on the back of the QB and pushes…Like The Philadelphia Eagles do with Jalen Hurts. They were also told that it is legal to push the pile, and that if the is a question if the teammate is pushing the pile or pushing the QB, we will go with pushing the pile. Remember – be consistent as an Association. 5-yard penalty – Signal 44
Communication Between Coaches and Officials – Coaches were told that we greatly respect the work that the head coach puts into preparing and managing his team. For that reason, we make every effort to communicate with him, answer questions, provide explanations and listen to his complaints in full. as long as they are not unsportsmanlike and the coach is not on the field and objecting. CIF wants us to penalize unsportsmanlike outbursts and demonstrations on the field by any coach. But we have a high tolerance for our head coaches. CIF has also asked us to inform the head coach if an assistant is questioning the work of the officials and acting unsportsmanlike. This gives the head coach an opportunity to correct the situation. If it continues, we are to penalize as directed by the Commissioners.
Problems with Your Coach – If you have a problem with your coach let your referee know. One of the biggest complaints I get from coaches is that the flanks do not communicate their coach’s concerns to the referee. This builds frustration and adds to the original issue. By the time the referee does get to the sideline he now has to deal with an upset and frustrated coach. There shall be two officials present for all meetings between the referee and the head coach, but only one speaks – the referee!
Game Management – The referee, and both flank officials, should know who the game administration will be for the home team, and hopefully, for both teams. Find out if they will be stationed somewhere so that, if needed, you can find them.
George Schutte – George Schutte was the designer of our instructional program and always taught us that the instructional program does not begin nor end in the classroom. You must study outside the classroom each week. Have you opened your rule book or case book this week? You need to read a small section each week! Then you continue your learning during the halftime and post-game meetings on Friday nights! Post games are critical! Then you continue your learning and teaching on Saturdays as you work with other officials including our new ones. Finally, we attend our classes and participate in the sessions with questions and note taking. This was George’s design, and it works if you engage with discipline!
Foul Count - Did you know that the average number of fouls at the NCAA level is slightly over 14 fouls per/game. How do we compare to that average? In 2024 our average over all crews and all games was 12.95 per/game. Crews should monitor their foul count and when it is well beyond this average, an analysis of all fouls should be conducted. Sometimes the game is just “one-of-those-games”, but usually we can work to lower our foul count.
Clinic Attendance & Attendance Overall – You are responsible for your attendance being accurate. Your instructor will carefully mark the attendance, but you must make sure it is correct. Have your instructor mark your clinic attendance as well. That may be useful at the end of the season for overall attendance requirements. Your nine (9) meetings include one clinic and the banquet.
Food For Thought 11. An invalid fair-catch signal may be given by a member of the kicking team.
12. A fair catch can be made in or behind K's neutral zone.
13. A simultaneous catch or recovery is a catch or recovery in which there is joint possession of a live ball by opposing players who are inbounds.
14. Contacting the opponent's face mask with the hand is not a face-mask foul unless the face mask is grasped.
15. If B1 clips A1 and B2 piles on after A2 is tackled, it is a multiple foul.
16. Towels have to be the same solid color for each player if worn.
17. An offensive player (except the runner) shall not grasp or encircle any teammate to form interlocked blocking.
18. A player or other person is out of bounds when any part of the person is touching anything, other than another player or game official that is on or outside the sideline or end line, and that player remains out of bounds until returning to the field with any body part touching the field and no body part touching out of bounds.
19. For any free kick, a free-kick line, corresponding to a scrimmage line, is established for each team.
20. A defenseless player includes a receiver attempting to catch a pass.
