Weekly Bull 7/23/14

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOOTBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, INC.

A Federal Non Profit Tax Exempt Corporation – www.sdcfoa.org

THE WEEKLY BULL - JULY 23, 2014 

Instructional Program Kicks Off – We now have almost 360 officials in our association this year (including the associate members) and we kicked off the year last meeting with an outstanding presentation by Ed Hochuli!   What a great start to the season.  Thank you, Tim Podraza, for arranging Ed’s visit. I promise you and Ed that we are not going to be “Average Joe’s” in this association.  Great job, Tim!

Wednesday’s Agenda –

  1. Sign In Sheets and Attendance

  2. Review the Weekly Bull

  3. Questions on New Rules and New Mechanics

  4. Review Mechanics Summer Study Exam

  5. Video Review 

Coover’s Weekly Instructional Video – Most of you received a message that a video had been shared with you.  If you did, you can use your personal login and password to access those plays.  If you’ve forgotten your login and password you can use mine for the time being:

Login –

Password – sc4567

I will be changing my password just after the scrimmages so don’t get used to using mine, contact Jon Cima for assistance.  Thank you! 

Bonus Meetings – Once again this year we are offering 4 additional “bonus meetings”, one per position on the field.  Last Wednesday July 16th, Brad Yosick, one of the best back judges in Southern California, presented to nearly one hundred interested officials!  It was a fantastic session.  Next week, Wednesday July 30th, John Isham will present on-field work and film study to any certified members who are interested in hearing from one of the best SCIAC college line-of-scrimmage officials.  You won’t want to miss this one either!  Meet John on the West Hills High School football field at 7:00 pm. For some quick position information followed by film study in the Theater.

Next Regular Meeting Wednesday August 6th – All certified officials will take the Mechanics Qualification Test this night.  All 1st and 2nd year officials will continue to meet at West Hills HS in their regular classrooms and will not take this exam at this time. Certified officials can choose to meet at either West Hills or Cathedral HS.  The agenda will be identical at both sites – Mechanics Qualification Test and Video Study. 

San Diego Youth Football Fund – The SDCFOA continues to receive well deserved recognition for our youth football fund and efforts to support the youth who play this great game.  We are proud to sponsor scholarships and assist student-athletes, and their families, who’ve suffered serious injury as a result of playing football.  Officials and coaches should keep this fund in mind for scholarship opportunities at the end of the season as well as financial assistance to families of injured players.  Contact me and I will get you to the right person immediately. 

Observations from the All-Star Game –

  1. Coaches and players are not used to the 5 yard restriction to the kickers on free kicks. BJ (U in 4-man) must work with players to get them into a legal formation…then signal to the referee that the kicking team is ready.

  2. The kickers will now threaten the kicker’s restraining line (usually the 50) like never before. The rule is that kickers may not break the plane of the kicker’s restraining line.  We apply that rule literally when there is an on-side-kick attempt.  When the kick is deep, we apply the rule with the philosophy that there is not encroachment unless the lead foot is down on the ground on an encroaching K player.

  3. Be ready for longer returns. This new rule will provide the return team with a new advantage and we must be ready for BBW and BBB which would further give the return team a competitive advantage.  Teams are out looking for kickers who can kick into the end zone as we speak!

  4. Penalty enforcement procedures don’t happen naturally (the all-star crew did a good job here but I was just reminded), your crew must work at it before the season to be prepared. The tempo of a game depends on our work being accurate, double checked, and quick.  If you find that there are an abundance of huddles and issues of confusion, you must seek the reason for those events and correct them with more study, and better synchronization of mechanics.

  5. During the all-star game it is not the time to hammer teams and coaches with the rules which establish and govern the restricted area. We will continue to find the “get back” coach and work with the players and coaches to protect this area for safety reasons.  We do a great job in this area.  But this year, I would like to emphasize the concept of sportsmanship to the equation.  We must take advantage of the emphasis at the NCAA level to keep coaches off the field when they are protesting a call.  I will be covering this with the coaches and will offer more on this later, but for the integrity of the game and according to the tenets of Victory With Honor from the CIF, we must not allow coaches to use the field as an area of protest.  Can they protest from the restricted area between downs – yes.  Can they still step on the field to call a play – yes.  Can they come out on the field and scream “That’s not what Coover said!!!!!” – NO.  We will use our sideline warning, then the 5-yard penalty, then the 15, and on to another 15 and ejection if necessary…it won’t be necessary if we teach this well (my responsibility along with every crew chief) and we enforce it consistently ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FIELD!!!!! 

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