JustRules

Haven't seen the stats, but it appears they did OK.

One of the biggest issues with fans (and sometimes coaches and players) is they assume NFL and NCAA rules apply on Friday nights. When we hear fans complaining about calls using NFL or NCAA rules, we just shake our heads. You lose a lot of credibility very quickly when you do that. Glad you sought understanding here.

I agree this could be a big issue. The IFOA just sent a notice for a couple games and I've received several texts or emails from others looking for officials. We have a fighting chance if the games are spread out over time and not all try to play at noon. The officials from up north can make some money tomorrow if they want to travel south! 50-60mph winds can create a lot of damage and dangerous situations. Many may remember the bleachers at Center Grove getting blown into the goal posts and knocking them over back in August. Power outages are expected tonight as well. It's not a stupid idea to put safety first and wait until tomorrow. Has nothing to do with actual playing conditions.

No such thing as "uncatchable" in the NFHS rule book. Even the NFL and NCAA threshold for "uncatchable" is pretty high. It's even higher for high school. The officials aren't looking to throw flags, but if the foul is there, it's there.

Coaches have told me it's because the kick will be coming out much lower than a punt. Have your entire DL put up their arms and it's much more likely to get blocked. Or the low kick to just hit the linemen. You are correct if your defensive plan is to only have one jumper try to block the kick.

You are definitely overestimating the coach's knowledge of the rules. The coaches have a good basic understanding of the rules, but they don't study the rules like officials do. This type of play is a great example. I expect there are many coaches who aren't aware of this rule, because it's never come into play. But when officials talk about rules, we talk about scrimmage kicks and free kicks. Both punts and FGs are scrimmage kicks, and rules apply to both the same other than the fact one can score. I don't expect coaches to be rules experts, but I do expect them to respect my rules knowledge and most do. I've asked coaches this question before and their answers match what others have posted. It really doesn't make sense to do this if you don't have a remote possibility of making the FG because you could accomplish the same thing with a punt. But if your kicker has a range of 45 yards and you have a chance to make a 50-yarder, it makes sense to attempt a FG because hopefully the result of a miss would be a touchback. If you are well out of your range, the risk of a long return is too great. This play would not have worked as well if the return team had a player down there to catch/recover the kick and have any kind of return.

At quick glance, I've had a few that don't exist. Did a lot more IPS early in my career. Anderson Highland Anderson Prep Academy Broad Ripple Arlington Manual Marshall Northwest Muncie South FW Elmhurst

I track all the varsity games I've worked. Based on that spreadsheet, I've officiated 179 schools. I've probably seen more if you count some games I've attended including the state finals. Probably closer to 200.

There have been games the past several years moved to Thursday or Saturday due to a lack of officials. It's not common, but it has happened. It's usually because early in the season a school finds out the crew they hired has disbanded or double booked and they no longer have a crew. They don't want to wait to see if some become available so they change the date.

Saw this in a college game yesterday as well. The NFL rule is different though if the foul is part of continuing action of the live ball play.

This video went viral last weekend. The official is an Indianapolis official and only 5 years ago was still a high school referee. He was promoted to the MAC this year, and I believe this was his first game in a B1G stadium. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_UkTzHMsGx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Several years ago a DB was burned on a deep pass for a TD. When he came to the sideline, his coach asked him what happened. He told the coach "I came up because they were running the option." The coach replied in surprised anger, "the pass is one of his options!"

The reason teams do this is they expect the receiving team (defense) to try to block this gunner/receiver thus resulting in a DPI flag. It's very possible the back judge has no idea this is a pass instead of a kick because their focus is downfield. They could flag the gunner/receiver for DPI if they make contact with the deep receiving team member or field the ball with a receiving team member in the area (also KCI). Obviously the R and probably the H would report it was a pass and the flag picked up. The NCAA rule absolve the receiving team of any DPI in this situation

This is not something shared publicly. You would have to ask someone assigned to the game or the AD/assigner for the school. For Open Assign games you can see who is assigned until the game is filled or removed.

It's possible the youth league has supplemental rules for something like this and wants it enforced that way. But as others have said, under NFHS rules the TD counts. NCAA used to be this way until a few years ago when they made UNS a regular live ball foul to curtail this type of activity. It's not common in HS but I would not mind this rule change.

Thank you for sharing. I had not heard that. James was a great guy who has given so much to officiating in Indiana and the Midwest. RIP James!

I will add though you are not required to attend meetings for tournament eligibility. That requirement only exists for crew ratings. As Bob stated though, meeting attendance is important for learning purposes. I do think working snaps though is equally important especially the middle school snaps for a new official. That's where the weird stuff happens that helps you learn the rules even better.

R has first choice since they have the ball at the end of the down and did not foul before gaining possession. If they accept K's foul, K has no option and the half is extended for an untimed down. If R declines K's foul, then K has options. If they accept R's foul then the half is extended and R gets one untimed down after penalty enforcement. I doubt K would take that option. If they decline then the half is over because there is no accepted penalty. Ultimately R can choose to replay the down (I assume K would just take a knee to end the half) or allow the half to end. As the R I would push to have the latter option happen because there will be no meaningful play regardless. If it's the end of the game, and R is behind by less than a score, they may want to force K to snap it in case they muff the snap and they could get a scoop and score.

It's good to have one that can do multiple functions. You may have to keep track of the game clock (the count down setting works best here) but then also time the time outs. Having a separate function for that is helpful if someone else doesn't have a watch. That's why it's always good for everyone to have a stop watch even if you aren't an official that needs one.

Correct. If the ball broke the goal line plane at any point, it would be a dead ball and ruled a touch back. If he kept it from breaking the plane, then it would be the receiving team's ball at the spot of first touching or where it became dead. The receiving team will take the better spot. Let's say he batted it back at the one and the kicking team downed it at the 5 (also technically a spot of first touching), the receiving team would take it at the 5.

Pretty good summary of the rule. R does lose the right to take the spot of first touching if they commit a foul after the first touching or any penalty during the down by them is accepted. Free kicks (kickoffs) are the same as scrimmage kicks in this regard so the same rules apply. It's where teh ball is not where the player is.

Correct on that point for NCAA. The difference though is the ball would remain live in NCAA if it crossed the plane or landed in the end zone if it has been touched by a receiving team player prior. In both NCAA and NFHS it's where the ball is. In the NFL, it's where the feet are or were. In NCAA if the kicking team member batted it back to the field of play from the end zone, the ball remains live, but you do have a spot of illegal touching so the receiving team could still have the option of a touchback at the end of the down.

Bob Lamey probably contributed to more incorrect rules knowledge for Colts fans than any other announcer ever. I loved him as an announcer, but he was so frustrating this his knowledge of the rules and horrible judgement on other calls. I would listen to him while mowing the lawn and think the crew must have a horrible miss on a holding or PI call as he described it. And his descriptions often involved the firing of the official, possibly incarceration and banishment of any immediate family member. Then I would see the call and it was 100% obviously correct. How could someone who has watched football that long be that wrong about the rules or understanding of the rules? But fans always think the announces know the rules so many fans think he's right. But other than that, I loved listening to him doing Colts games.

R got the ball with clean hands so they can decline the K foul for the facemask to keep the ball. Their block in the back could be enforced and there would be an untimed down. K has the choice of declining that block in the back and the half would end. If R chooses to accept K's foul this would result in a double foul. The penalties would offset, and we would replay 4th down with an untimed down. It's possible R does this to force another punt and a possible return. If they are ready to go to half then they may decline and the half is likely over. I doubt K would accept to give R a free down regardless of where it is.

Most good crews I know all 5 guys have a watch with a timer. We rarely have to use, but we will if the game clock goes out or we feel the need to keep a backup on the field. Most game clock operators do a good job.

It was a change in 2020 with the COVID changes and it has not been changed. Apparently the state likes it and probably has feedback from the coaches to keep it. If you are still doing the old method with captains, you have been wrong for a few years.