Author Topic: Worst Brain Fart on the Field  (Read 7977 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline NorCalMike

  • *
  • Posts: 770
  • FAN REACTION: +23/-8
Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« on: November 05, 2011, 03:51:06 AM »
Today during our JV game I was the WH. Running play out into the flat the runner hurdles over a defender. UMP and LJ flag for hurdling. For the life of me, I could not remember the enforcement on this. I called my crew chief over and asked him. He couldn't remember either. No one on the crew could remember the enforcement.  hEaDbAnG Absolutely terrible on our parts and we got it wrong. Luckily it didn't have much effect on the game.

This got me thinking about screw ups. What was your worst screw up on the field? I think that talking about the things we have all screw up will help us remember not to do that again.

BTW hurdling is a PF.

mbyron

  • Guest
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2011, 06:50:30 AM »
Yup: the elusive non-contact personal foul!

110

  • Guest
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2011, 07:51:10 AM »
Pee-wee game this year, I was so worried about my wonky knee - and surprised it was holding up - that I blew the three-minute warning ... at the end of the first quarter.

UmpinK

  • Guest
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2011, 10:03:00 PM »
Two inadvertant flags in one game.   ::)

Offline FBUmp

  • *
  • Posts: 546
  • FAN REACTION: +77/-38
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2011, 10:07:32 AM »
Two inadvertant flags in one game.   ::)

What's an inadvertant flag?  ???

Offline AlUpstateNY

  • *
  • Posts: 4727
  • FAN REACTION: +341/-919
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2011, 11:07:48 AM »
Unfortunately, "Brain Farts" are an everpresent malady we all have to be ever vigilant about.  Just as important as avoiding them, is understanding how best to deal with them when they happen.  Just as no matter how hard you suck on an inadvertent whistle won't bring the "tweet" back, a brain fart needs to be immediately dealt with.

Hopefully the entire crew you're working with is paying attention to each other's actions and is comfortable with discretely questioning something they're not in agreement with.  Of course it's just as important each crew member is just as comfortable being discretely questioned and won't be offended or defensive.

Being questioned is a win/win situation.  It either gives you the opportunity to prove how smart you are, or makes you aware of a mistake, so you can correctly deal with it.   Listen to the questions you may be asked, and really think about the answers you give.  When you realize it was an actual brain fart, accept that reality and if possible correct it.  If you can't correct it, own up to it and (the hard part) explain the mistake to both head coaches.

 

UmpinK

  • Guest
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2011, 02:01:56 PM »
Inadvertent flag is what my crew calls them.  The first was a loss of focus:  on a try, a defender jumped to block the kick.  I had a flashback to a previous game where a defender jumped on the back of his own player to leap higher in an attempt to block the kick.  Threw the flag and as it fell, I wanted to crawl in a hole.  Told the white hat to wave it off and don't tell anyone :)

The second was the product of our study session on the way to the game.  We had been talking about illegal and invalid signals on fair catches.  First punt of the game was fielded and as I turned I see a lead blocker with his hand in the air.  I threw my flag, then realized he was waving the runner toward his side. 

The crew's worst this year was in the first game.  It was a blowout but with 45 seconds left in the game, the winning team punted.  An blocker for K had his helmet knocked off at the LOS.  At first it looked like a non-issue, but I was kind of watching him to make sure no one took a cheap shot at him.  Then the punt returner changed directions and came to the LJ's side.  As the helmet-less player came into his view, our LJ blew his whistle (dropping his flag to mark the spot?!) and killed the play, robbing R of it's only score (he was gone).  Our LJ was devastated.   He had just come back from a 5 year hiatus with the crew and had been studying hard, then blew that call. 

Offline Rulesman

  • Past Keeper of the Keys
  • Refstripes Hero
  • *****
  • Posts: 3839
  • FAN REACTION: +65535/-2
  • Live like tomorrow never comes.
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2011, 02:57:37 PM »
...For the life of me, I could not remember the enforcement...
Maybe you should develop the philosophy all the lines of "if you don't know the enforcement, don't call the foul."  :sTiR:
"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."
- Vince Lombardi

Offline Reverend30

  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • FAN REACTION: +1/-2
  • NVFOA/EAIFO (Mass.)
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2011, 08:27:14 PM »
Here's my worst case of brain gas - it was the first varsity game of the season 3-4 years ago.  B intercepted in the end zone, and I (working at BJ), blew the whistle.

Best I could figure, I was thinking about all the 7v7 passing league (2 hand touch) I had worked in July/August where any turnover was a deadball.

For what it's worth, we gave it to B at the 20 (NCAA rules).

Offline NorCalMike

  • *
  • Posts: 770
  • FAN REACTION: +23/-8
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2011, 11:15:04 PM »
Maybe you should develop the philosophy all the lines of "if you don't know the enforcement, don't call the foul."  :sTiR:
That's a great philosophy except that I didn't call the foul. I was the WH and I had do the enforcement.

Offline NorCalMike

  • *
  • Posts: 770
  • FAN REACTION: +23/-8
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2011, 11:18:32 PM »
Unfortunately, "Brain Farts" are an everpresent malady we all have to be ever vigilant about.  Just as important as avoiding them, is understanding how best to deal with them when they happen.  Just as no matter how hard you suck on an inadvertent whistle won't bring the "tweet" back, a brain fart needs to be immediately dealt with.

Hopefully the entire crew you're working with is paying attention to each other's actions and is comfortable with discretely questioning something they're not in agreement with.  Of course it's just as important each crew member is just as comfortable being discretely questioned and won't be offended or defensive.

Being questioned is a win/win situation.  It either gives you the opportunity to prove how smart you are, or makes you aware of a mistake, so you can correctly deal with it.   Listen to the questions you may be asked, and really think about the answers you give.  When you realize it was an actual brain fart, accept that reality and if possible correct it.  If you can't correct it, own up to it and (the hard part) explain the mistake to both head coaches.
Al my crew is really good at this. We have no problem asking question or answering question. Our goal is to always get it right. It was surprising that no one the crew could remember the enforcement.

RickKY

  • Guest
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2011, 08:00:25 AM »
We had a free kick after a score, and the untouched kick was rolling along the sideline, when R1 kicked it OOB at the R20.  We enforced an illegal kick from the spot of the foul.  I think we were all taken by surprise by the illegal kick, and that's how we got the enforcement wrong.  It's just something we'd never seen before.  No excuse, just the truth.

Offline Rulesman

  • Past Keeper of the Keys
  • Refstripes Hero
  • *****
  • Posts: 3839
  • FAN REACTION: +65535/-2
  • Live like tomorrow never comes.
Re: Worst Brain Fart on the Field
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2011, 03:53:11 PM »
That's a great philosophy except that I didn't call the foul. I was the WH and I had do the enforcement.
I know that. My point was this is discussion for the pre-game. We close out all of our pre-games with something like: "Be alert during kicks. If it weren't for the kicking game, ANYBODY could referee football!"
"Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."
- Vince Lombardi