snrmike

I would hope that a patient investigation is processed and those responsible are held up for all to see. As Bob said, high school officials do what they love for more than just money. We aren't perfect. Same goes for coaches and players. When I step on a campus, I expect civil behavior and a modicum of respect. I don't necessarily expect everyone to be happy with a call that goes against their side - but I expect civility (maybe even loud civility) LOL. I also don't expect anyone to encroach on the private space of the referees' locker room either. Echoing the sentiment of everyone else here ... "what are people thinking?"

The OP mentions that the Defense had 12 on the field. In rule-book-speak "B" (as in B12), was running off the field. In HS rules, if the snap is imminent the whistle can blow before the snap. In all of the aforementioned scenarios, a penalty was assessed on the "B" team because one team does have an advantage over the other. It was just a matter of whether a 15-yarder or a 5-yarder. If this occurs on the offense, or if the 12th man doesn't leave the A huddle within 3 seconds, there should still be a foul flagged for Illegal Sub for 5-yards. If A12 was running off, but not "participating" it would still be 5. We had the situation on the "A" (Offense) on Friday night. Twice. Each time a foul was called because the A player couldn't make it to the sideline (not even close). BTW - a pretty good number of officials either played the game or coached it. They know the ramifications of the advantages/disadvantages. Good discussion!!!!

I like to use the Sagarin system as it was originally designed. Total offense performance and total defense performance. As the season rolls along, those numbers start getting more and more accurate. I rarely look at Jeff's numbers for the first 2 (or even 3) weeks. Data is still being compiled during that period. I also never place a lot of stock in pure computer generated rankings. As Gipper sez "on the field". That's where we play the games. From my perspective, I am just using it as a gauge for how competitive games will be. For rankings - the stats don't mean a lot. For competetive evaluation... it does provide a measuring stick for how head-to-head competitions will be. The post-season toureny is the only true ranking!

Sorry - work got in the way of my response. Yes. Bob is correct. Over the years, coaches have incorrectly identified blocks below the waiste as chop blocks. The high/low block you described is the "classic" chop block. Sometimes in our communications w/coaches, we experience tiny little misunderstandings between coach-speak and ref-speak. No biggie! 🙂

Or - as football officials call it: Chop Block

I just read through half of the manual. This is just what we all needed. For the first publication of the "IHSAA FOOTBALL OFFICIALS MECHANICS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR A CREW OF FIVE" it is quite impressive and quite comprehensive. My gratitude goes out to all of the people responsible for compiling all of the info contained on the pages of this guide. Riveting stuff, and required reading for every varsity crew licensed with the IHSAA.

...and either penalty can be declined if the defence chooses to do so.

I wish I'd gotten similar news before your game last Friday. My test didn't come back NEG until Saturday evening

Been there - done that 😒

Just do like I did... Move over to Network Solutions. They're cheaper, more reliable and they practically invented the "interwebs". 🙂

You gave a fairly decent explanation sir. Spot on!

Illinois has postponed their fall sports until the Spring Season of 2021.

I bought a Fox40 and used it in a couple of scrimmages. Some of my fellow officials have said that it seems quieter than a traditional F40. Others say it's the same. I personally find it difficult from a mechanics standpoint. After using a mouth whistle for nearly 30 years, trying to use the electronic signal creates a quandry of what to do with your hands for penalties, signals, etc. For the record - I personally had similar issues with hand whistles. It is probably just a matter of drilling and practicing with it, but right now, I will be using a mouth whistle for my upcoming scrimmage and for any varsity contests that are still allowed to be played.

Was that a serious question? This is a teaching and learning experience. Isn't this what scholastic activities is all about? What better time than now to teach young and aspiring leaders how to handle these sorts of situations?

...and keep in mind that the NCAA uses 8 on-field officials for the FBS division games. That's why they feel the ball can get set faster.

If the game is close towards the end, I would think Andrean has an advantage in their kicking game. That kid is a bonafide kicker. Watched him warm-up from the 40 yard line. He also put all but 2 ckickoffs out of the back of the EZ. He is accurate as much as he's strong. If he's healthy, he's going to be a threat.

I have made a mental note. I know a particular team that probably might be interested in strong AND accurate kickers. (LOL)

I stood in the endzone under the posts while he warmed up... FROM THE 30! The young man was booting 40 yard field goals and not breaking a sweat. I haven't seen a HS kicker like this young man since Nick Setta (former Golden Domer). He made the kickoffs easy. Just waved my arm over my head on all but one!

Indeed - he had some epic battles with "JoeFalcon" who purposely baited him for pure sport.

If this doesn't get ya pumped up and craving to be an official, I don't know what would. Makes me miss my days as a "U"! It shows what great passion umpires have for the game - doesn't it?

Those are all great points and the services you mention can be economical (in case anyone wants to bring up costs). I too work in technology. I have 8 people working for me spread acroos the country from Chicago to the Northeast and in the Southeast. We have project meetings EVERY WEEK. In our regular daily jobs, we must be attentive or the work won't get done. By the same token we can't fly everyone to a central meeting point every week either. The tech is there. We can show powerpoints, have face-to-face meetings and even spend more time in meetings because the commute time is virtually zero - or at least however long it takes you to access the Webex or Zoom conference. The tech world is our friend. We really should be using it more for game prep and meetings.

Generally speaking, any games that are played on Saturday afternoon in Illinois are because their fields are not equipped with lights. At least that's the case in NE Illinois. In my sons' entire careers, I had only attended (and officiated) varisty games on Friday nights. The only times they played Saturday afternoons were because those fields had no lights

You can go on MyIHSAA.net. The Mercy Rule was posted there under the Resources tab. It was posted on July 29, 2019 Rules and Procedures 1. Beginning with the second half of any high school football game, when the point differential between teams is at or reaches 35 points, the game clock shall convert to a running clock. A running clock is defined as a clock that does not stop during play with the exception of timeouts, scores and/or injuries. 2. Once the running clock is implemented, the clock may not revert back to standard timing protocols regardless of the score of the contest. 3. The 40 second play clock shall remain in effect throughout the contest. 4. Coaches do not have the ability to override the implementation of the Mercy Rule during a contest. The Referee shall notify the head coach of each school when the Mercy Rule goes into effect. The home team is responsible for notifying timing personnel of the running clock.