The Weekly Bull August 10, 2016
1st Year Officials – You will get your first look at live action (as an official) Wednesday night at 6:00 pm on the field at Santana. Please go directly to the field in comfortable shorts and tennis shoes. The field is in the back of the school and there is a parking lot back there as well. Be there promptly at 6:00 pm. Do not go to the classroom first.
2nd Year Officials – You will be taking the Mechanics Exam in your regular classroom after some film study and other instruction. Good Luck!
Crew Chief Clinic – Brad Yosick will be presenting on “Pre-Games and Weekly Routines” starting at 7:00 pm in Room 804. This should be a highly inter-active session touching on a wide-variety of topics related to preparing yourself and your crew before and during the season! We will also be discussing: The new run/pass zone coverage in 4-man mechanics, the location of the referee on all plays, goal line mechanics and forward/backward passes, and the use of headsets during games.
Scrimmage Uniform – The high school scrimmage uniform will be the same as for warm weather youth football including black socks. Bob Hood still has black socks and the supply should last us into 2020 and beyond!
Equipment and Uniform Vendors – Honig’s will be in the parking lot August 17th just before the scrimmages.
Out-of-Town Teams – When a team from out-of-town comes to San Diego to play, they are playing by the CIDSDS rules. That includes mandatory overtime. If a team were to refuse to play overtime it would simply be reported to me and I would inform CIF who would award a “win” to the SD team (I assume). Teams from out of CA may also be surprised that we have a Mercy Rule in CA and that a player who exhibits signs or symptoms consistent with a concussion is disqualified for the remainder of the game. Those are the 1- SD and 2 - CA possible differences. They may be included into your pre-game meeting with the coach.
Mechanics Exam – The mechanics exam results were outstanding, in spite my screw up on question 79! Everyone was awarded a correct answer on that one. Here are some reminders from questions we got incorrect:
#25 When in question the ball was fumbled. Statistics on this are clear, when in question the ball most likely was fumbled before the runner was down.
#37 At the end of time outs, the BJ will notify the referee when 55 seconds have elapsed. This is for teams that come directly from the sideline to the line of scrimmage. If teams return to the field and huddle first the referee may ask the BJ for earlier notification. The umpire needs to be over the ball holding up any attempt at a quick snap. The idea is to be accurate with the 1:00 time out but also make sure both teams are equally ready for the next snap.
#64 On free kicks the BJ, LJ and HL watch the kicking team players. BJ center 3 players, HL and LJ widest 4 players.
#77 Umpire will have an escape route to leave the center and retreat to his starting position when the referee signals to move off the ball. Umpires are asked to be present directly with the snapper, not off the ball and yelling at the center. That includes hurry up. The referee will signal the umpire off then wait for the umpire to relocate “escape” before whistling the ball ready-for-play. This all takes 3 seconds. With extreme “up-tempo” teams, this should be discussed with head coach before the game. We will hustle like we usually do, but not start until all officials are ready.
#79 Signal the line of scrimmage to our receivers using our “up field foot”. Our mechanics manual needs to be corrected (Mike Duggan – Thank you!)
#86 I tricked you! We use reverse goal line mechanics starting at the 3 yard line or closer to the goal line. The question incorrectly said we use reverse goal line mechanics starting at the 5 yard line.
#93 – Always – FEET THEN BALL. We watch feet first to see that the receiver has come down inbounds. Then we move to the ball to see if the receiver has completed the catch. Officials in a support position during a close sideline or endline play will be watching the receiver’s attempt to catch and control the ball while the primary official will be watching FEET….THEN BALL.
Video is Our Tool – In the “good old days” we’d leave the field and feel we worked a perfect game. Very little accountability and no tools to help us re-visit our calls to see if what we thought we saw really what happened! Now, we have HUDL. We have the amazing opportunity to view ourselves and to determine if what I saw as “big” was really “big”? If it is not as big as you remember, then you have a chance to re-calibrate your judgement. You have a “tool” at your disposal. Don’t take it lightly. And don’t feel the need to be perfect. We strive for perfection knowing that the best we’re going to get is excellence. I’ll take excellence!!!
Sideline Communication – As a flank official, it is a real plus for you if you can provide information to your head coach that will help him and his team. Obviously time outs remaining, but what about time outs remaining for the opponents at the end of the game? Do you have enforcement info for him as he’s deciding whether to take the penalty? Info on players that are on the edge or a formation that is on the edge?
CONSISTENCY – How do we get it and keep it?” Preparation, Knowledge, and Concentration” – From Mike Weseloh PAC 12
