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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by ElvisLives on Yesterday at 05:33:57 PM »

It was an adjustment when I first started working NCAA games, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Perhaps that is because I started working NCAA football as a deep wing, and deep wing duties are usually interchangeable. The differences are on kickoffs and field goals.

For field goals, the shirt you are wearing, not the field position, determines who is under the posts and who stands with the umpire.

If I was an NCAA short wing official, my opinion might have been different.

Keys also require some adjustment, mostly for the B, since, in balanced formations, his key is to the L’s side, wherever the L is. Easy to look toward the chains early in the second half, when the L has moved to the pressbox side. Not a major crisis, but a difference that takes some practice and concentration.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by ilyazhito on Yesterday at 12:18:08 PM »

It was an adjustment when I first started working NCAA games, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Perhaps that is because I started working NCAA football as a deep wing, and deep wing duties are usually interchangeable. The differences are on kickoffs and field goals.

For field goals, the shirt you are wearing, not the field position, determines who is under the posts and who stands with the umpire.

If I was an NCAA short wing official, my opinion might have been different.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by JasonTX on Yesterday at 12:17:07 PM »

I don't understand why this change doesn't extend to 4- and even 3-man crews as well.

I know for our chapter, 73% of all the varsity games worked for 11-man were 5-man crews, and for 6-man, 88% were with a crew of 4 or less... doesn't make sense to me to have the modification for just 5-man crews, but not the others.

I asked this question at the February meeting and the rationale is that 4 man crews are mostly subvarsity games where you are working multiple games so you can switch sides for the next game instead of at the half.  That's what we typically do.  If working a 3 banger we usually will work 3 different positions.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by ElvisLives on Yesterday at 09:36:34 AM »

The opposite can also be true.  Sometimes it's nice to move to the other coach at the half, depending on what kind of relationship you've been building.

Which is precisely the reason that sideline swapping began, in the first place. Officials needed a way to get away from ultra-obnoxious coaches. Yeah, we can flag ‘em. We could even eject ‘em. But that doesn’t magically make the sideline pleasant. We’re human, and don’t like to be in conflict for 3 hours +. Spread the wealth, and let the other wing have some fun, too.
Started in the NFL, and NCAA picked it up in the mid-2010s some time. TASO jumped on the bandwagon around 2018/2019, with crews of 7. Now, we’re adding crews of 5.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by Bulldog75 on Yesterday at 09:12:03 AM »

We’ve been doing this in Alabama for several years with both 5 & 7 man crews (in 7-man, the deep wings swap as well).  I’m not aware of any significant issues.

My only gripe is that the wings spend an entire half building a relationship with a coach, then have to start over for the second half when the game is on the line.  That can cause problems if the individual officials have distinctly different personalities.

The opposite can also be true.  Sometimes it's nice to move to the other coach at the half, depending on what kind of relationship you've been building.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by dammitbobby on March 25, 2025, 01:23:49 PM »

I can understand that.

But I can also see that it's six of one, half a dozen of another, in the sense that from my personal perspective, I'd rather newer officials focus on learning the mechanics consistently, in the sense of knowing (and learning) that no matter what game, what level, if you're the wing on the home side (L), you're going to drop back into punt coverage, rather than having to learn WHEN you're the L, you drop back, but when you're not, you don't, if that makes sense. I think it's better to teach consistency, even at the expense of a little complexity.  My reasoning is that I'd rather not have a wing 'forget' to drop back on a punt, for example, because they weren't used to it and miss a crucial call; I'd rather they learn to adjust at halftime sooner rather than later to minimize the opportunity for being in the wrong place or looking at the wrong thing.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by ElvisLives on March 25, 2025, 09:52:23 AM »

I don't understand why this change doesn't extend to 4- and even 3-man crews as well.

I know for our chapter, 73% of all the varsity games worked for 11-man were 5-man crews, and for 6-man, 88% were with a crew of 4 or less... doesn't make sense to me to have the modification for just 5-man crews, but not the others.

I spoke with a member of the Mechanics Committee, and their rationale for not extending this mechanic to crews of 4 was that, indeed, most VARSITY crews of 4 are used in 6-player football. In those games, most of the officials are lesser experienced, and the committee thought the fewer ‘changes’ from crews of 5, the better. Just trying to keep it simple. Although we didn't specifically discuss crews of 3, I suppose the same rationale would apply. Remember: This is for VARSITY only.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by bama_stripes on March 25, 2025, 06:46:54 AM »

We’ve been doing this in Alabama for several years with both 5 & 7 man crews (in 7-man, the deep wings swap as well).  I’m not aware of any significant issues.

My only gripe is that the wings spend an entire half building a relationship with a coach, then have to start over for the second half when the game is on the line.  That can cause problems if the individual officials have distinctly different personalities.

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Texas Topics / Re: TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by dammitbobby on March 24, 2025, 08:49:53 AM »

I don't understand why this change doesn't extend to 4- and even 3-man crews as well.

I know for our chapter, 73% of all the varsity games worked for 11-man were 5-man crews, and for 6-man, 88% were with a crew of 4 or less... doesn't make sense to me to have the modification for just 5-man crews, but not the others.

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Texas Topics / TASO mechanics change - crews of 5

« Last post by ElvisLives on March 24, 2025, 08:40:02 AM »

I suspect many of you already know this, but, for 2025 (and beyond!), in TASO crews of 5, the H and L will swap sidelines after halftime (as is already being done with crews of 7). No big deal, other than both wings now need to be sure they are proficient in working with the chain crew. And the H will need to remember to get the clock stopped on first downs, and give the R a signal (when he/she is working on the pressbox side). H&L should both instruct the chain crew during pre-game.