SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, INC. - THE WEEKLY BULL - August 20, 2025
Everyone Meets at Mira Mesa This Week! – All classes will meet this week. Attendance – Check for accuracy & add your clinics Share Plays and Issues from Scrimmages Review the Bull & Food for Thought Calibration Instructional Video
Everyone But the First Year Officials - Rules Exam On-Line – You received the link to the test on Monday and the window stays open until Sunday 8/24 at 12:00 midnight. It is a challenging test but the 50-questions come directly from the Summer Study! Answer all the questions on your own but DO NOT HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON. Just SAVE IT. Then meet, phone call, zoom with crew or other officials to review answers to the exam before submitting. Good Luck! Here’s the link again: Access: https://www.classmarker.com/online-test/start/?quiz=qaf68a3705b2058b: 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.
It’s game week! Are you ready for Friday Night Lights! We must be ready from the opening kickoff and work our butts off through to the final whistle. Everyone is undefeated so the energy level will be extremely high. Our energy level and concentration routines must match the game’s level. You’ve all worked so hard in preparation. Have a great night!
Home Game Information – My apologies, I dropped the ball on this one. I did not get our home game information updated so I will need to send it to you in it’s raw form via a google document. If you don’t have google doc, then have someone on your crew contact me and I’ll share the document with him/her. You can use the template letter on our website or make up your own. But please do not be too assertive or demanding, as some schools are really struggling to be organized and/or provide appropriate facilities. Thanks and sorry.
Wireless Microphone Systems – It might be helpful to carry an extension cord with you. Also, the use of a $145 mixer has made hooking up to the various stadiums much easier. Matt Starr is making a YouTube Video explaining the equipment and how to hook it up. Our current system works at most schools, but with the mixer it works virtually everywhere and it’s easy! Yamaha MG06 6 Mixing Console from Amazon $144.99
Send Foul Reports to Bezverkov – Send the tabulated fouls from your game to Robert so he can enter into the data base. This will help us in our work so please have someone do this for your crew! Thank you.
Video from Scrimmages – This is the most challenging week of the season for obtaining video. Most everyone should have received video from their scrimmage. Please let me know if you think you should have received a game and it didn’t show up. Referees please share with officials who worked the scrimmage with your crew.
SDCFOA Officer Positions – Association Officers are elected every year. If you are interested in running for Secretary, Treasurer, Assignment Secretary, or Instructional Chair, please inform our President, Bob Flavin and our Executive Secretary, Ed Zapolski by August 31st.
Equipment from the Scrimmages – Some coaches requested that we enforce the rules for legal equipment during the scrimmages. Other scrimmages were more casual, and equipment issues were just pointed out by our officials. Either way, here are some of the reported issues: Knee braces worn over the pants. Knee braces with pants not covering the knees. Extra dangling mouthpiece. Tinted visor. Back pad not covered. And of course, pants not covering the knees. The coaches are well aware of the procedure by now and we can begin the season with consistency. Many reports were that the kids were well-uniformed and compliant.
Reporting Fouls to Your Referee - Chris Wiggins (PAC12) suggests we get an obscure situation from a quiz question/ case book ruling and practice explaining it to the R. Start with the result of the play, mention any oddities that might have occurred, and finally the fouls in order of when they occurred and the status of the ball. I prefer this order: result of the play, foul, offense or defense, then number. More on Reporting of Fouls – From Chris Coyte (Big 10) – On numbers - get a number to the best of your ability, but if you do not then don't make it up. Just get a number!
Preliminary signals - if we have a single & "basic" foul (i.e. FST, ENC, PI, Holding) then just give me a signal, point towards a team, and then use the radio to give me the number. If we have multiple or complex fouls (i.e. PF, UNS, Grounding) then let's talk face to face and we can open the radio up to process as a crew. Team Designations - Do NOT use green, purple, white, La Costa, Saints. Instead use one of these eight, the first four are expected and the last four we can work up to: Offense / Defense Receiving Team / Kicking Team Passing Team / Intercepting Team Fumbling Team / Recovering Team
JV Flag Game Timing – Just to confirm, we use 10-minute quarters for JV Flag Games.
Food for Thought – From Anthony Finney K 3/6 K-35 K5's scrimmage kick is blocked and goes out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage. a) Team R's ball at out of bounds spot. b) Team K's ball, fourth down at out of bounds spot. c) Whether the ball crosses the neutral zone is a factor in the result of this play. Same scenario as #1 but the ball is blocked and recovered by Team K behind the line of scrimmage.
From Federation Part I 31. A shift which is designed to cause B to encroach is a false start.
32. The team whose goal line is involved shall put the ball in play anywhere between the hash marks on its 25-yard line by a snap after a touchback and by a free kick after a safety.
33. When a forward fumble goes out of bounds or is ruled out of bounds between the goal lines, the ball shall be returned to the spot of the fumble.
34. On all free kicks, the game clock will start when the ball is marked ready-for-play.
35. Electronic audio or non-fixed video communication devices used to communicate with a player are not allowed during an outside 9-yard mark conference.
