Manitowoc County Sports Officials Association

8/15/07 Football Meeting

Attendance

Announcements / Games

New Rules• Field markings

– If not marked, contact AD and WIAA

• Future Rules• Read new definitions

– Flagrant foul– Helmet contact

• Passer – must be a legal forward pass– Can have a personal foul (different penalty)

• Head coach disqualified– Can appoint a new one for calling timeouts

New Rules That Actually Matter

• Defensive foul on touchdown– Consistent with other scoring plays (except

safety)– Can enforce penalty on PAT or ensuing KO– If another foul on PAT, have to choose– Does not carry over half-time or into overtime.

• These are not “ensuing kickoffs”

– Signals if fouls on both?

Mechanics1. signal the penalty

2. signal the team committing the foul

3. signal that the TD counts

4. point upfield by using an arching motion with the outstretched arm to indicate the delayed enforcement

5. the BJ would walk off the penalty and give the signal

Now if there was a foul on the try

6. give the penalty they were declining first, show it being declined

7. then give the one accepted and point upfield in the same way.

8. BJ just give the signal of the penalty he walked off.

New Rules That Actually Matter

• New basic spot 10-5-6 and 7– Study this and review it before games– Fumble goes from the EZ, into the playing

field, then OOB• Key is where is the end of the run• If it looks like a touchback (w/o fumble), basic spot

is the 20.• If it looks like a safety (w/o fumble), basic spot is

the goal line (as it has been).

Rule Book and Case Book Changes

• Go to the football page on the National Federation page for corrections

2006 Rule Changes• four-snap chin strap shall required• Mouth guards shall be of any readily visible color, other than white

or clear• Phones and headsets are permitted for use by anyone during a

authorized sideline time-out• An authorized sideline time-out shall be held directly in front of the

team box and within the 9-yard mark• A holder may now recover a snap and retain the same options of

going back to a knee for the kick, advance, pass or running the ball.– It allows the holder to rise to catch a snap that has bounced in front of

him.– The NOTE still says he can’t return to a knee after recovering a muffed

or fumbled snap.• The option to use a “planned loose ball” has been removed.• The act of illegally touching the ball by an ineligible player carries

the same penalty whether the act occurs behind, in or beyond the line of scrimmage – it is now illegal touching! 5-yards and loss of down.

2005 Rule Changes

• 9-yard marks– Players have to be within 9-yard marks after the ready

for play and before the snap• Do not extend a period for a foul that carries a

loss of down penalty• No more “illegal procedure”

– It’s illegal formation, illegal shift, illegal motion• Only one forward pass during a down• No pass interference away from the ball• Momentum exception now includes all loose

balls

2004 Rule Changes

• No limit on the number of team players who may participate in a timeout conference at the sideline

• New Term - Forced Touching– The touching of the ball by a team R player that is caused by a

Team K player pushing or blocking R into contact with the ball or if Team K muffs the ball into contact with R.

– Forced touching of a kick is ignored.

• The PSK window now opens when the ball is snapped (rather than when it crosses neutral zone). The position of the football when Team R fouls is not important.

Discussion

• Why is it important to penalize illegal formation?– Not enough players on the line – big deal

• Really?• How many eligible receivers are there?

– 4 backs (including QB) & 2 players on end of line = 6

• Knowing that – defenses are designed to account for up to 5 or 6 receivers (someone has to pass the ball!)

• Give the offense one more – defense can’t cover the extra reciever

Discussion• Question 84 brought up a great topic• Free kick is laying still on the 5 yard line• R kicks it through his end zone• Result of Play

– Touchback or safety?

• Touchback– A kick is a kick is a kick. – 2-13-4 Force is not a factor on kicks going into R’s end zone,

since these kicks are always a touchback regardless of who supplied the force (casebook 6.3.1)

– 2-24-2 A kick ends when a player gains posession or when the ball becomes dead

• Penalty enforcement– Loose ball play – basic spot is the previous spot– 5 yard penalty and rekick

Bubble Coverage

• Theory – there are big bubbles and little bubbles we have to cover– Little bubble – the action around the ball– Big bubbles – everything else

• Running Play• Passing Play• Scrimmage Kick• Kick off• FG/PAT kick

Goal Post Coverage

• Starts a few steps back from the goal post• Even with your upright• BJ has upright and crossbar• Wing has upright• Communicate “yes” or “no” to each other• Take 3 or 4 steps straight out – together• Pause one step – signal• If wide – only the person on that side signals “wide”• If no good – stand up straight to give signal

– Don’t bend over at waist

SWOA Clinic

• My clinicians– Big 10/Arena League referee Dennis Lipske– Leading WIAC referee/ Arena League Terry ?

From Oostburg

• Others– Big 10 umpire– Several WIAA state officials

SWOA Notes

• Lipske uses Sharpie to write notes on his hand!– Kicker, QB

• Good umpires create positive relationship with defense early – use it later when you need to straighten out stuff

• Make it be there• Get the Big One• Wings – go to goal line on snap inside the 5 – NO

MATTER WHICH DIRECTION YOU’RE GOING!• Umpires – have signal with wings to indicate you see the

ball in the end zone• On scoring kicks – what if the wing doesn’t get to the

goal post in time? Plan for it• Wings – always mirror each other’s spots• We were conspicuous in our non-attendance

Anything Else?