Officiating & the State Finals

[Bobref]

This thread is intended to embrace all things officiating related to the Finals. Among the more obvious topics are:

1. Any special rules or procedures in effect for the Finals.
2. Questions or observations on rules or situations that may come into play, based on the teams involved, their tendencies, style of play, etc.
3. In-game, post-game, or between game questions about rules, a specific play, etc.
4. Observations by officials in-game, pointing out things that non-officials might not notice, or be aware of.

I’ll be in the pressbox or on the field most of the weekend, and will post from there.

Fans, here’s your chance for live action venting about officiating issues that arise, or have arisen with your team in the past. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Bobref

[Bobref]

The 2A crew seems to be having another nice game … knock on wood. Full disclosure: my brother is the linesman on that crew.

[Bobref]

I thought the 2A crew continued the fine showing the officials have had this weekend. Only knock would be the R needs to practice his announcements. He’s obviously uncomfortable with the microphone.

[Yuccaguy]

 Been an absolutely wonderful display of officiating to this point with the finals... 

[gindie]

Technical question in the 6A game...in the first quarter Crown Point pooch punted and the ball was downed on one of the NFL hashmarks. Yet the official moved it out to a high school hashmark to start the series.  Is that correct?

[Bobref]

1 minute ago, gindie said:

Technical question in the 6A game...in the first quarter Crown Point pooch punted and the ball was downed on one of the NFL hashmarks. Yet the official moved it out to a high school hashmark to start the series.  Is that correct?

No.

[Bobref]

Anyone else get a better view of the play in the corner of the end zone where the BD receiver caught the pass but was ruled out of bounds? I didn’t see the covering official give a “juggle” signal. That’s the only thing I could come up with, because it looked like a catch from where I was sitting.

[Irishman]

1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Anyone else get a better view of the play in the corner of the end zone where the BD receiver caught the pass but was ruled out of bounds? I didn’t see the covering official give a “juggle” signal. That’s the only thing I could come up with, because it looked like a catch from where I was sitting.

A friend posted a video from that corner of the end zone. It was clearly a TD, but the official is looking at feet when he signals incomplete. 

[Bobref]

1 hour ago, Irishman said:

A friend posted a video from that corner of the end zone. It was clearly a TD, but the official is looking at feet when he signals incomplete. 

I think that one’s a miss.

[JustRules]

On 11/25/2023 at 7:59 PM, Bobref said:

Anyone else get a better view of the play in the corner of the end zone where the BD receiver caught the pass but was ruled out of bounds? I didn’t see the covering official give a “juggle” signal. That’s the only thing I could come up with, because it looked like a catch from where I was sitting.

That play was a great example of why the wing official needs to be stationary and keep distance on the catch. He's moving so his eyes are bouncing as the catch is happening. Plus he's too close to have a good view of the ball and feet with the sideline. I saw wings running toward the catch all weekend despite the IFOA training videos telling them each week to hold or stay close to the line of scrimmage and if you drift be sure to be stopped at the mesh point. This was snapped inside the 15 so the wing is in a tough spot because they need to get into the end zone. But once it's obvious the receiver will be beyond the goal line at the catch, there is on reason for the wing to be on the goal line.

Overall the officiating this weekend was excellent. We may have a faulty process to advance officials, but the process the past several years has put solid crews in the finals. There are many other crews who would do just as excellent, but there are only so many spots and it's hard for them to advance in the current system.

[Major]

Great job by all 6 crews.  I just have one call that I wonder about.  2A game 1st half(I think 1st Qtr).  NP going south to north.  NP attempts a long pass near their sideline.  The pass is ruled a catch.  I wasn't sure if the player that caught the ball may have stepped out of bounds and then made the catch.  It would have been a tough call to make as I was watching from north end zone right on that sideline.  Your brother was a lot closer than I was.

 

My only question from the weekend that was still in my memory.

 

Thanks

[Bobref]

16 minutes ago, Major said:

Great job by all 6 crews.  I just have one call that I wonder about.  2A game 1st half(I think 1st Qtr).  NP going south to north.  NP attempts a long pass near their sideline.  The pass is ruled a catch.  I wasn't sure if the player that caught the ball may have stepped out of bounds and then made the catch.  It would have been a tough call to make as I was watching from north end zone right on that sideline.  Your brother was a lot closer than I was.

 

My only question from the weekend that was still in my memory.

 

Thanks

Don’t remember the play, and I don’t recall anyone talking about it.

As an aside, the high school rule on that play is different from NCAA and NFL. In high school, if the receiver has voluntarily gone out of bounds and then returned to the field of play, he remains an eligible receiver, but is guilty of illegal participation, a 15 yd. penalty. So, you could have a situation where the receiver steps out of bounds, returns, and is then a victim of pass interference, resulting in a double foul, requiring an offset and replay.

[JustRules]

2 hours ago, Bobref said:

Don’t remember the play, and I don’t recall anyone talking about it.

As an aside, the high school rule on that play is different from NCAA and NFL. In high school, if the receiver has voluntarily gone out of bounds and then returned to the field of play, he remains an eligible receiver, but is guilty of illegal participation, a 15 yd. penalty. So, you could have a situation where the receiver steps out of bounds, returns, and is then a victim of pass interference, resulting in a double foul, requiring an offset and replay.

IP is such a harsh penalty for that action. This is one college gets right by treating it as illegal touching if that receiver is the first to touch a pass. And the penalty is only a loss of down at the previous spot essentially treating it like an incomplete pass. I agree it is hard to catch with only one wing on the sideline or the BJ on the end line when their focus could be somewhere else when the receiver touches OOB.