Hours of Boredom and Moments of Sheer Terror

CFOA 2007 Back Judge Mechanics Hours of boredom and moments of sheer terror!!

Prior to game starting, the back Judge has the following responsibilities:

Check the playing field to ensure it is marked properly and there are no safety concerns for players and officials.

Inform the band director that all pre-game activities should be concluded by the time the game clock reaches 5 minutes before game time.

Check that both teams have game balls and ball people. Instruct them on how they are to assist the crew in getting balls in the game as needed.

Help the Linesman with the chains and if he is giving instructions to the chain crew them watch his sideline and escort captains out to the coin toss if necessary.

Kickoff

You have the kickers at the 40 yard line if no penalty has occurred before the kickoff. Give the ball to the kicker and instruct him to wait for the referee to signal the ready for play before kicking off. If the kicking team does not come out when directed, place the ball in the center of the field at the 40, than assume your position on your sideline and indicated to the referee you are ready. If the referee gives the ready then start your 25 second count. If a delay occurs then signal the delay and mark off the 5 yards. Watch for off sides on the kickoff. Count the kickers to make sure they have no more than 11 players on the field, do not allow the kickoff to occur if you have more than 11 players.

After the ball is kicked then move in towards the hash mark and watch the kicker that he has had an opportunity to regain his balance and participates in the play before he is hit by the receivers. Watch the play as it develops moving down field slowly in case the play breaks and your have to cover the end zone. In the event of a short kick be prepared to rule if the ball went the 10 yards and touched the ground or a receiver. Also look for 1st touching on short and line drive kicks. Running and passing plays

Count the defense every play and relay to the referee that you have no more than 11 players on the field before the snap. The count must be done before every play. Signal by holing your arm out to the side and slightly forward with a fist and thumb up. If you have more than 11 players then hold your arm our in front of you with your thumb pointed down. This will indicate to the end men to help on the count.

You are to line up at least 5 yards deeper than the deepest defensive back. At times you may be more than the 18-20 yards deep. Usually your position is 4 lines beyond the line of scrimmage, which will usually put you 20 + yards deep. You should always be on a line and not between yard lines. If it is a running or passing play your position is the same. There is no need for you to come up on a short yardage play, your responsibility is still the goal line and deep. Position yourself between the hash marks on the strong side of the formation. Your position on the field may change if the formation changes. In 5 man mechanics your key is the second receiver in. In most cases it will be the tight end. The strong side of the formation is where the backs line up in the formation. When a shift occurs the strong side could also change. Look at the tackle to see if he is blocking aggressively or pulling up in a pass blocking stance.

Your first two steps on all running and passing plays are always backwards. This will allow you to keep the distance from the defensive back and if the play goes deep you will be in position to make the call. Your deep responsibility does not change maintain your coverage. Determine the direction the play is going and keep the play boxed in. Give ground as the runner advances making sure he does not reach the goal line before you do. If you crowd the play and the runner cuts back then you will get caught up in the traffic and not be in position to officiate the goal line or the play as it comes toward you. Stay between the hash marks until the play is over.

On plays that go over 7 yards be prepared to come up and assist in getting the ball to the umpire. If it is a first down then come up and get the ball so the referee can signal first down and get the clock moving.

If a play goes out of bounds come up and assist the end man with players who are out of bounds. Your presence may stop un-sportsman like activity. Get the players form the opposing team back on the field as quickly as possible, especially if they are in the opponent’s team box area.

Unless the play ends at your feet and you see the ball then there is no need for you to blow your whistle. Only blow you whistle if after the play has ended there is activity that needs to be stopped. As a back judge you will very seldom blow your whistle. Passing Plays

Your position and keys are the same as a running play. You should be aware of the down and distance on every play, it will usually determine if a passing play is coming. Be aware to the time on the game clock at all times, if it goes out then you will be responsible for informing the referee and keeping time if needed.

After the snap watch your keys and also look at the quarter back, in high school most quarter backs will quickly look at the receiver they are going to throw to. The 5A and 6A classes may have a quarter back that can look away the defensive backs. Once you read pass then look for a holding or an illegal block after the receiver has passed the defensive back. But remember that no pass interference can occur until the ball is thrown forward and crosses the line of scrimmage. As a back judge you must know the status of the ball before calling defensive or offence pass interference. If the foul occurred away from where the pass was thrown you cannot have pass interference, you may have a foul or not. There does not need to be contact to have pass interference, the defender must be making an attempt to gain possession of the ball and not playing the receiver. So if his back is to the ball and he impedes the defender either physically or visually then it could be pass interference.

Once again you have the goal line so do not stop and watch the pass and then try and out run the players to the goal line. You can still watch the pass and keep moving back. If the play is near a sideline then the end man should have the spot of the catch. If the receivers back is to you then you have the feet and the end man has the ball. The reverse would be true if the ball is towards you. Communicate with the end man before signaling unless you are sure the player was in bounds and made the catch.

If the pass is complete then help relay the ball to the umpire or if it is between the hash marks then spot the ball and wait for the umpire to release the spot to him. Talk to your end men and umpire throughout the game. Communicate the down, time outs remaining and talk to them about good calls they have made. Punts

Your position should be about 2 yards behind and 7 yards wide of the deepest receiver favoring the linesmen side of the field. The line judge will be coming down to help on his side of the field as soon as the ball is snapped. Once the ball is kicked then adjust your position either up or back of the receiver so you can have a clear view if the ball is muffed or touched. If the ball goes over the receivers head then retreat and watch the action of the ball. Be prepared to rule on touchback or momentum that carries a receiver into the end zone. If the catch is made from the 5 yard line in, a bean bag needs to be dropped where the catch was made so the ball can be spotted at the proper spot if the receiver does not get out of the end zone. Know the status of ball, and what action caused the ball to go forward, so you can rule on momentum going into the end zone.

If the receiver gives a fair catch signal then make sure the receiver catches the ball before blowing your whistle. The biggest problem is, the whistle being blown before the catch is made, causing an inadvertent whistle situation. The receiver must be given the opportunity to complete the catch of a kick weather a fair catch is signaled or not. The kickers cannot impede the receiver’s opportunity to catch a kick. Once the ball is caught by the receivers then a bean bag should be dropped at the spot of the catch. The bean bag does not have to be at the exact spot of the catch but rather on a line where the catch was completed or recovery. If a signal for a fair catch is made by any member of the receivers the ball becomes dead if caught or recovered. Only the player who gives the fair catch signal is afforded protection, but it does not give the defense the right to hit other players who may catch the ball if they clearly have stopped and are making no attempt to advance the ball.

If there is no receive in the vicinity of the ball and no receiver is making an attempt to catch the kick, then the kickers can catch or cover the ball. The ball becomes dead at the spot of the catch or recovery and cannot be advanced by the kickers.

Once the receiver starts to advance after the catch, follow and observe the action behind the runner. Be prepared to retreat to the goal line if the kickers gain possession after the kick ends. Follow the play at a distance that will allow you to see the progression of the play but not get caught in the action if the runner reverses.

After the play leaves your area watch the action behind the runner making sure no player who is obviously out of the play is roughed. If a player is not near the ball and just standing there then he cannot be hit by a player of the opposing team. No cheap shots. Try

You will have the whistle on kicks once they clear the line of scrimmage. On a try, once the ball has been kicked, nothing can happen so the whistle can be blown to stop action at the line. The referee will have the whistle if the ball is blocked behind the line of scrimmage. On a try or field goal communicate with the end man under the other upright if the kick is good or not. Use yes or no, to communicate with the other official before signaling. Come straight out do not angle out from the goal post.

If the defense gains control of the ball on a try it becomes dead immediately. Stop the action and the try is over. If the ball is touched by the defense behind or beyond the scrimmage line and the kick goes through then the score counts. If the offense touches the ball beyond the scrimmage line on a kick then the try is ended and the score does not count if it went through the uprights.

On a fake try the two back officials will cover the end line and the umpire will turn to the side of the field the official vacated and cover the goal line. The back judge should know which official is to go under and remind then if they are not moving.

Field Goal

On a field goal wait until the ball crosses the goal line before blowing your whistle. The ball is still live until that point. Keep the whistle in your hand to prevent an inadvertent whistle. As in any kick the receivers cannot advance a ball out of the end zone. If a receiver comes up and signals for a fair catch he is afforded protection as on any kick. The receiver must have the opportunity to catch the kick with out interference as in any kicking situation.

Both officials will have the same position as they would on a try. If the play is broken or a run develops both official will still have the end line. If the kick is short then end man should get to his side line and watch for action in his area. The back judge will come up and make sure the loose ball is not in the end zone. If the receivers recover and advance then follow the play cautiously and watch for action around and behind the runner.