FOOTBALL OFFICIATING MANUAL 2020 HIGH SCHOOL SEASON TABLE OF CONTENTS PART ONE: OFFICIATING OVERVIEW .............................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 2 NATIONAL FEDERATION OFFICIALS CODE OF ETHICS ........................................... 3 PREREQUISITES AND PRINCIPLES OF GOOD OFFICIATING ................................. 4 PART TWO: OFFICIATING PHILOSOPHY ......................................................................... 6 WHEN IN QUESTION ............................................................................................................... 7 PHILOSOPHIES AND GUIDANCE ........................................................................................ 8 BLOCKING .................................................................................................................................... 8 A. Holding (OH / DH) ............................................................................................................. 8 B. Blocking Below the Waist (BBW) ..................................................................................... 8 CATCH / RECOVERY ................................................................................................................... 9 CLOCK MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 9 A. Heat and Humidity Timeout ............................................................................................. 9 B. Delay of game (DOG) ....................................................................................................... 10 C. Clock errors ...................................................................................................................... 11 DEAD OR LIVE BALL................................................................................................................ 11 A. Forward Progress ............................................................................................................. 11 B. Hand or Foot .................................................................................................................... 11 C. Sliding Ball Carrier ......................................................................................................... 11 KICKING PLAYS ........................................................................................................................ 12 A. Over or Beyond Team K’s Free Kick Line (OFK) ......................................................... 12 B. Kicks Traveling Near Team R’s Goal Line .................................................................... 12 C. Fair Catch Signals ........................................................................................................... 12 LINE OF SCRIMMAGE ............................................................................................................. 13 A. Formations ...................................................................................................................... 13 B. Movement and the Neutral Zone .................................................................................... 14 PASSING PLAYS ........................................................................................................................ 15 A. Defensive Pass Interference (DPI) ................................................................................. 15 B. Offensive Pass Interference (OPI) .................................................................................. 15 C. Ineligible Downfield Players (IDP)................................................................................. 16 D. Intentional Grounding (ING) ......................................................................................... 16 E. Forward and Backward Pass .......................................................................................... 17 PERSONAL FOULS ................................................................................................................... 17 A. Targeting (TGT) ............................................................................................................... 17 B. Blindside Blocks (BSB).................................................................................................... 18 C. Fighting (FGT) ................................................................................................................. 19 D. Roughing the Passer (RPS) ............................................................................................. 19 E. Roughing or Running Into the Kicker (RRK / RNK) .................................................... 19 F. Miscellaneous ................................................................................................................... 19 SPECIAL / TRICK PLAYS ......................................................................................................... 20 ii UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT........................................................................................... 20 PART THREE: ON-FIELD MECHANICS ........................................................................... 21 MECHANICS POINTS OF EMPHASIS ............................................................................... 22 CREW OF FIVE ......................................................................................................................... 24 MECHANICS CHANGES FOR 2019 ..................................................................................... 25 I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 26 II. PREPARATION LEADING UP TO GAME DAY .............................................................. 26 A. Referee Contact With Home Management .................................................................... 26 B. Individual and Crew Preparation .................................................................................. 26 C. Crew Coordination ........................................................................................................... 26 D. Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs ...................................................................................... 27 III. AFTER ARRIVAL AT GAME SITE .................................................................................. 27 A. Arrival & Pregame Conferences ..................................................................................... 27 B. Individual Official’s Pregame and Auxiliary Game Duties .......................................... 28 IV. COIN TOSS ......................................................................................................................... 29 V. FREE KICK RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................... 31 A. Normal Free Kicks ........................................................................................................... 31 B. Anticipated Short Free Kicks ......................................................................................... 33 C. Free Kick Following Fair Catch ..................................................................................... 34 VI. PLAY RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................................................. 35 A. Pre-Snap and General Duties ......................................................................................... 35 B. Running Plays .................................................................................................................. 39 C. Passing Plays ................................................................................................................... 42 VII. SCRIMMAGE KICK (PUNT) RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................... 44 VIII. FIELD GOAL TRIES AND TRY FOR POINT ............................................................... 47 A. Snap Between Goal Line and Short of 15-Yard Line .................................................... 47 B. Snap At or Beyond R’s 15-Yard Line ............................................................................. 49 IX. MEASUREMENT FOR FIRST DOWN ............................................................................. 50 X. PLAYS NEAR THE GOAL LINE ....................................................................................... 52 A. Ball On and Inside Team B’s 10-Yard Line ................................................................... 52 B. Goal Line Coming Out ..................................................................................................... 52 XI. END OF A PERIOD ............................................................................................................ 52 A. After the First and Third Quarters ................................................................................ 52 B. After the End of the First Half ....................................................................................... 53 XII. OVERTIME PROCEDURES ............................................................................................ 53 XIII. END OF THE GAME ....................................................................................................... 54 XIV INITIAL KEYS .................................................................................................................