Playoffs

[Chiefump]

Watched several playoff games this week and a couple things stood out at each of them.  Crews do not enforce equipment rules pertaining to knee pads, undershirts hanging out and pads not being covered.  Another thing is substitution mechanics.  Without exception, the TASO mechanic is not being used. The R is using the iron cross and U covering the ball even if the defense is not substituting. If we are going to use college mechanics the TASO manual should be changed.

[ElvisLives]

If we are going to use college mechanics the TASO manual should be changed.

Concur, with regards to substitutions.  We should match what is being done in NCAA.  If we all make that suggestion to our District Directors, maybe it’ll get done.

Robert

[YoungGun1]

Why does the Umpire need to prevent a snap when the defense is doing nothing?  Very few high school defenses substitute to match up.  They usually have their best 11 players on the field.  Waste of time for the Referee to give the iron cross and the Umpire covering the ball when nothing is happening defensively.  Especially if the offense is in a huddle. 

[ElvisLives]

Why does the Umpire need to prevent a snap when the defense is doing nothing?  Very few high school defenses substitute to match up.  They usually have their best 11 players on the field.  Waste of time for the Referee to give the iron cross and the Umpire covering the ball when nothing is happening defensively.  Especially if the offense is in a huddle.

Those are not statements that can be applied across the board.  In numerous regular season games and both playoff games I’ve had, at least one defense, would, in fact, “match up” with changing offensive personnel.  In some of those, I believe the defense was matching up mostly to slow down the offense, more so than put personnel in place that could better defend the offensive personnel.  No matter.  That is their prerogative.  By rule, we have the responsibility to allow Team B the opportunity to make any personnel changes desired, which means we must hold the snap until they’ve had that opportunity.  That opportunity is two-part:  Part 1 - once Team A subs get into place, Team B has three seconds to begin their substitutions, and Part 2 - Team B is allowed reasonable time to get those subs into place AND replacements get completely off the field.  Part 1 requires vigilance and, often, hustle on our part to ensure that opportunity.  Even if Team B elects not to take advantage of the opportunity.  That’s our duty.  That’s what we’ve signed up to do.  Let’s not shirk our duty, just because it seems inconvenient, or purposeless. 
No politically correct way to say this, so I’ll just say it: Don’t be lazy.  Do the job.

Robert

[YoungGun1]

Trust me, nobody who has seen me work has ever accused me if being lazy. 

In the meantime, I’ll continue to do the correct mechanic for high school football.  Too bad too many officials don’t follow the written mechanics.  So much for consistency. 

[salth2o]

I agree with Elvis, it’s about giving defense the opportunity to sub.

For what it’s worth, I truly wish we didn’t have to be the uniform police.  Such a major PITA and distraction from the real job at hand.  Our crew does our due diligence and works to try and make sure players are compliant.   

Right, wrong, or indifferent, most college crews don’t enforce the knee pad regulation.


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[JasonTX]

I agree with Elvis, it’s about giving defense the opportunity to sub.

For what it’s worth, I truly wish we didn’t have to be the uniform police.  Such a major PITA and distraction from the real job at hand.  Our crew does our due diligence and works to try and make sure players are compliant.   

Right, wrong, or indifferent, most college crews don’t enforce the knee pad regulation.


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I went and watched a crew work this past weekend and the wings got to their sideline and before the coin toss both teams were on their sideline and they announced to the teams to pull their pants down and tuck the T-shirts and back pads in.  It worked out.  I saw every player with issues fix it right then.  There were no problems during the game.  Earlier in the year during team warmups we saw several players who would not be compliant.  So before the teams finished warming up and got with the equipment manager or trainer and requested that he take care of those issues before the players came back to the field.  It worked, everyone who had issues had corrected it.  I don't like being uniform police either so I work to handle it in a low key manner.

[Chiefump]

I don’t think anyone disagrees about giving the defense time to substitute.  I think what we can’t agree on is how we do that. When on the field Friday night, I have a TASO logo on my shirt and not A CFO logo, so I will use the mechanics that my organization has published in a manual and expects me to use.  I am not arguing this is correct or not, but it is there.  Until the Board decides to change it, for consistency we should all use it.  Our crew has not had a problem all year while using it as written.  I have a bigger issue with moving the Umpire to the offensive side of the ball for punt plays.  This leaves a large area of the field uncovered in 5-man mechanics.  However, it is there so we do it. So, with that said, there are areas of the mechanics manuals that need to be looked at.  But for consistency across the State it would be better for all of us to be on the same page.  The one thing coaches complain about the most is the inconsistency from one crew to the next.  This gets magnified at this time of year when crews from different Chapters are working games across this great State.
One thing I see on this Forum from time to time is complaining.  It’s something each of us seems to not only be capable of but is also something that we do at least from time to time.  There’s nothing wrong with complaining.  In many instances our complaints are quite justified; however, our capacity for complaining should never exceed our capacity for praise.  Let us not forget, we are the best High School officials in the Nation, by far.  Safe travel and work a good game.

[ElvisLives]

Totally agree. Totally.

The trick with not holding the snap if A is in a huddle is getting to the ball and holding it when they, then, send in a sub and rush to the line very quickly.  Sadly, I see umpires that don’t get to the ball, in such situations.  If we were using the CFO mechanic, we’d have this covered easily.  But, indeed, that is not the TASO written technique. 
Personally, I intend to lobby my DD, and others with influence, to change this.

Robert

[TexDoc]

My crew mechanics, right or wrong, but works very well for us, when A subs and they are not in a huddle, the B or the wing with the team on O gets on the radio to notify everyone.  I look at the sideline the D is on and if they do not react within 3 seconds, I do nothing and the U stays back.  If the center is on the ball he will hold them, but that seems rare.  No reason to make is super complicated.  Prevent the snap if the D sub within 3 seconds.  If not, don't do a thing. 

[TxBJ]

One reason to go to the iron cross as soon as the O subs is so there is no doubt for the D that they are being given a chance to match up. Also, note that there 3 seconds for the D to begin marching up does not begin until subs and those being replaced are obvious, and D players should be allowed to get into position in the formation.

[ElvisLives]

One reason to go to the iron cross as soon as the O subs is so there is no doubt for the D that they are being given a chance to match up. Also, note that there 3 seconds for the D to begin marching up does not begin until subs and those being replaced are obvious, and D players should be allowed to get into position in the formation.

And that is why we need to lobby our DDs to make this change in the manual.

Robert