Your Pet Peeves

[Ralph Damren]

I believe the former mechanic of a play that gained a new series  but stayed inbounds, was the "crank & kill" signal = #2 (twice) followed by # 3. For signal #2, the covering official could assume he was inside of the clock, looking out (counterclockwise) or outside of the clock, looking in in (clockwise).

I believe today's mechanic of above said play is merely killing the clock #3. followed by an internal "twirling" signal -sorta' like twirling ones keys to either a late model Mercedes or an ole' model pickup truck. That way the ECO (we call 'em the timer) will know when to stop the clock.

I believe donning ones uniform in the field's parking lot would only be socially acceptable if one was to officiate a coed nude touch football game. If so, one should keep in mind that the "grope touch" has been determined to be a game disqualification.

Hope my beliefs help...hope the Red Sox will find some pitchers...

[bama_stripes]

Unfortunately, dating is no longer an issue, but in our area we encourage wing officials to signal "winding the clock", when a play ends close to the sideline, and the play has been determined to have ended in-bounds, to avoid any confusion, doubt or hesitation regarding the clock.

Although no signal stopping the clock sends the same message, it is not as affirmative and instantaneous as a simple wind. Sometimes redundancy can be a lesser evil than doubt or uncertainty.

You completely missed Tom's point.

He was referring to the practice of some officials of allowing the clock to continue to run when the runner actually went OOB, and the clock should be stopped.

FWIW, we sometimes do this in blowout games, since our state doesn't have a "mercy" rule.

[VALJ]

You completely missed Tom's point.

He was referring to the practice of some officials of allowing the clock to continue to run when the runner actually went OOB, and the clock should be stopped.

FWIW, we sometimes do this in blowout games, since our state doesn't have a "mercy" rule.

"Forward progress was stopped inbounds, coach."

[bossman72]

I believe the former mechanic of a play that gained a new series  but stayed inbounds, was the "crank & kill" signal = #2 (twice) followed by # 3. For signal #2, the covering official could assume he was inside of the clock, looking out (counterclockwise) or outside of the clock, looking in in (clockwise).

I believe today's mechanic of above said play is merely killing the clock #3. followed by an internal "twirling" signal -sorta' like twirling ones keys to either a late model Mercedes or an ole' model pickup truck. That way the ECO (we call 'em the timer) will know when to stop the clock.

I've noted many times my disdain for this mechanic, but it's the one that has been made acceptable now.

In my best Marshawn Lynch voice "I just do this mechanic so I don't get downgraded."

[theunofficialofficial]

Another peeve is when the runner goes OOB and the official winds the clock. I have only seen in lower level games and if I can I will ask the official if he has a date tonight and if he is going to rush through the game.

I would say one of my biggest pet peeves is along similar lines. Show up for a freshman game (or any level really, but seems Freshman gets this attitude the most) on Thursday night and the white hat says, 'Keep Em in Bounds. Wanna get home to make TNF.' If you are really that interested in watching the game as opposed to working it get in the stands. For freshman especially this may be the first game they get to start and they deserve all the playing time they would get at a varsity game.


I agree to points of game awareness/management. Blow out in the 4th quarter, 'Coach progress was stopped in bounds'. Get everyone home safe w/o any injuries.


Also, for those of us who still work Pop Warner/Youth games. It's a great training ground for new officials. I often work with first years. One Saturday I had a more senior guy working as the flank opposite a first year. We come in a half time of the first game and I ask how's the new guy doing, anything we need to talk about? His response "Oh I don't bother teaching the first years anything. They don't listen or learn." Remember everyone got his start somewhere and had a few rough edges. Don't just judge an official by his stripes.

[Rulesman]

..."Oh I don't bother teaching the first years anything. They don't listen or learn."

Which is exactly why we lose a lot of new people after a year or two. Those who want to learn get so frustrated with attitudes like the one of this idiot they just fade away figuring why bother. 

[VALJ]

"Oh I don't bother teaching the first years anything. They don't listen or learn."

Good heavens, I can't even fathom that mindset.  I've always figured that I got a lot of help from a lot of very good officials in my early years, and the least I can do to repay that is to pass my knowledge on to the one who've come behind me.  If you don't help them the first few years, you'll have a harder time breaking them of any bad habits they've internalized because "nobody's ever taught me not to do that"...

[Rulesman]

Good heavens, I can't even fathom that mindset.

Unfortunately, that mindset exists in many locales.

[AlUpstateNY]

When someone "doesn't listen or learn", it's very often related to the skil, or interest,  of the teacher.

[stevegarbs]

"Forward progress was stopped inbounds, coach."

I try to teach this lesson to young officials as often as I can, especially in underclass and youth blowout games.

[Kirby]

My pet peeve is white hats that don't welcome questions and crew members that don't ask them.  I had the opportunity to listen to the pregame meeting of a playoff crew that worked a game in our area last year.  The last thing the white hat said before they took the field was "Remember, do NOT come in here at halftime and ask questions about something that happened in the first or second quarter.  If you have a question, or think something isn't right, ask it right then and there."

Hopefully his point was this in slightly different words... If something happens out on the field that you think is incorrect, DO NOT wait until half-time to bring it up. Bring it up then and there while we still have the opportunity to fix it so that we maximize our odds of getting every play RIGHT!

If so, that is the sign of a Referee you absolutely want to work with. No Referee should be above being challenged by a crew-mate. I'd much rather have a crew culture where the guys at any time can shut it down and bring me information because they thought something was wrong. If they're right, they just saved the crew. If they're wrong, "reset the play clock, let's go" -- no big deal.

[TxSkyBolt]

That's the way I read it too Kirby.


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[bkdow]

I would say one of my biggest pet peeves is along similar lines. Show up for a freshman game (or any level really, but seems Freshman gets this attitude the most) on Thursday night and the white hat says, 'Keep Em in Bounds. Wanna get home to make.....

This is my other one too.  I've had senior officials show up for a 4:00 start and tell me that they need to be off the field by 5:00 because of some family event.  Not fair to the kids or realistic.  I understand the philosophy of "if in doubt, he's in bounds" but I've kept a clock with those guys who needed to leave early and they would shave 4-5 minutes of game clock each quarter.