Weekly Bull 11/18/10

San Diego County Football Officials Association Memo

To:        Crew Chiefs, Head Coaches, and Athletic Directors

CC:       SDCFOA Instructors & Staff

From:    Steve Coover, Instructional Chair SDCFOA

Date:    11/18/10

Re:       Weekly Bulletin #12

Final Weekly Bulletin

This will be the final Weekly Bulletin for the 2010 season as the number of continuing participants will decrease significantly after this week.  I will continue to communicate with anyone interested in emailing or calling me with questions or concerns…always!  I hope these bulletins have been helpful, I know they have to the San Diego County Football Officials Association (SDCFOA) as we continually strive to improve our performance.

Playoff Assignments and Crews

The SDCFOA has a very strict assignment policy regarding playoff assignments.  As teams progress through the playoffs, the experience level and ratings of the officials assigned improves.  This is natural as Tom Ables, our assignor, follows our guideline that “the best officials work”.  As the number of games decrease each week, the number of “best officials” available increases.  Now that being said, they still have to go out and work a great game, no matter who they are.

Playoff Intensity and Officials’ Safety

With the playoff excitement and intensity comes the potential for disappointment and frustration.  We ask that all home sites consider the following for the benefit of the schools and the game:

1. Coaches and Athletic Directors are asked to continue their efforts to provide professional assistance to officials who work their games.  This would include meeting the officials upon arrival and escorting them to their dressing area as well as escorting them off the field at the contest’s conclusion.  School personnel other than the head coach should be designated to stand by with a key to the official’s room, or the officials should be given a key.  On-site staff should be aware of and observe the privacy of the officials’ locker room/dressing area.  Thank you for your cooperation. (CIF Playoff Bulletin)

2. The officials will now have more time to prepare for the varsity game (no JV game).  In some cases the crew may be arriving 1 ½ -2 hours prior to game time for their dressing and pre-game study sessions.  Please be prepared for this and provide locker room access.

3. The home school is responsible for the payment of officials for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Referee $71.00 Other Officials $69.00

Inquiries Regarding Ejections

If you have any questions regarding the standing of your athlete relative to a possible or pending ejection you may contact the CIF section office or Jim Sibbet at jsibb@cox.net - Home (619) 447-1634 - Cell (619) 709-9080.  Calling Tom Ables or me won’t help as we have no involvement in these reports to CIF or any appeal.  I can say that a 3^rd party question from a team that is going to play a team that may have an ejection is not welcomed.  Wanting to know if a player has been ejected can be determined by contacting CIF.  Asking why an athlete is cleared to play or ejected is not the business of a future opponent.

25-Yard Line Overtime Procedure

I have attached the 25-Yard Line Overtime Procedure which has been adopted by the CIF San Diego Section for use in breaking tied games in the San Diego Section playoffs, only!  You will recognize this playoff format as the one used by the NCAA for all college playoffs.  I recommend to all crews review the procedure before every playoff game.  The procedure itself dictates that the crew huddles before the coin toss to review the major parts of the rules.  It is also suggested that you either meet with both coaches to answer any questions they may have, or bring them out for the coin toss itself and do it then.  Important points to remember:

1. Winner of the coin toss can choose to go on defense, offense or select the end of the field on which to play the OT.  If the first team selects defense, then the second team must go on offense and will then choose which end they prefer to go on defense.

2. Each team gets a possession in which they can score points.

3. If it is still a tie, then the team that had the second choice in the first OT period now has first choice.

4. If it is still tied after the second OT period, then any team scoring a TD must go for two in the 3^rd OT period and every OT period after that. – Good Luck!