SDCFOA Information Update 4-20-22

Recruiting Effort Increases – We are a little over a month from the draft (June 4th) and 2 months from our 1st meeting on July 6th at Mira Mesa High School.  If you recruit 2 new officials who pay and start their officiating careers with us, then you will get a 50% refund on your dues.  If you recruit 3 new officials you will get a 100% refund.  The recruiting and retention committee is working hard to build a solid 1st year class including the most recent press release aimed at recruiting college students to become officials.
 
Registration is Now Open – Go online at www.sdcfoa.org and pay your 2022 dues.  Deadline is May 15th in order to be eligible for the draft.  We need everyone eligible for the draft this year so we can continue with a strong, crew-centered approach for our Association.  Pay today!
 
New Rules Questions –

Question #1 - Wide receiver number 00 is observed participating in warm ups before the game.  You then discover a number 07 and a number 0 also getting warmed up for the game.

Ruling: The official should report his/her observation to the referee who can inform the head coach that players #00 and #07 are wearing illegal numbers and must change their jerseys.  Player #0 is eligible as the single digit number zero was made legal this year.  Any number preceded by the digit zero such as 07 or 00 is illegal.
 

Question #2 - Immediately after the snap, offensive lineman A77, with his initial act, blocks defensive lineman B50 at the thigh, below the waist.  Then, offensive lineman A64 blocks the same defensive player B50 above the waist while his teammate is still in contact with B50 below the waist.

 
Ruling: This is an illegal chop block.  Previously, the definition of a chop block was one block low (below the knee) and one block high (above the knee).  That definition has been changes to state that “a chop block is a combination block by two or more teammates against an opponent other than the runner, with or without delay, where one of the blocks is low (below the waist) and one of the blocks is high (above the waist).”  The work “combination” is used to clarify that the illegal block can either be high-low or low-high…either order!  We hope this change adds consistency when judging blocks below the waist and/or chop blocks.