High School Officiating Pet Peeves

[Cowman52]

Waiting 45 days for a payment on 5 games, of course the 45th day just happens to be the last day of school until Jan 4. 

[copedaddy]

Had a game check go over 95 days before payment. Excuse was new person in charge of doing the pay. Had to learn how things were done. I just wonder if the rest of the school's venders had to wait 90+ days to get paid?

[matrixwalker]

Had a game check go over 95 days before payment. Excuse was new person in charge of doing the pay. Had to learn how things were done. I just wonder if the rest of the school's venders had to wait 90+ days to get paid?

How is this so hard?  If it's a person who's done it for a long time, I'd expect it to be turned around within 48 hours.  New person, maybe add 1-2 days.  What is so hard about cutting a check that "new person" is used as an excuse?  I guess the salaries are so low that schools can't afford to get someone who knows what they're doing?

[Cowman52]

I'm still waiting on one for 4 games, granted it was an out of area school but,  rather than ask someone if billing was right, business office assumed it was spam.

[JDM]

On a 7 man crew, H & L who does not understand or practice good push mechanics on scrimmage plays. Get on your horse and GO!

[goodgrr]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are push mechanics?

[williebe]

Officials who think that they are entitled to every big game that comes around. Young officials who think that they are entitled to call the upper level games and just completed their 1st or 2nd year of officiating. 

[bkdow]

Politics!

[JDM]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are push mechanics?

Push or Reverse Push mechanics is where H & L have to lead the play and S & F trail the play when there is a COP resulting in an interception return or fumble return. It's covered and explained very well by Jim Jackson, Coordinator of Officials in the Ohio Valley Conference, in CFO's 2013 Training Video: Keys and Coverage.

[GA Umpire]

Push or Reverse Push mechanics is where H & L have to lead the play and S & F trail the play when there is a COP resulting in an interception return or fumble return. It's covered and explained very well by Jim Jackson, Coordinator of Officials in the Ohio Valley Conference, in CFO's 2013 Training Video: Keys and Coverage.

In GA they are called "reverse" mechanics.

[Legacy Zebra]

Young officials who think that they are entitled to call the upper level games and just completed their 1st or 2nd year of officiating.

On the flip side, older officials who have 20 "first" years of experience who keep good young officials from having an opportunity in big games.

[BrendanP]

20. As a LJ, a fumble happens right in front of me. As I'm signaling to stop the clock and first down for team R comes rushing in to pre-empt my first down defensive team signal with the same one. I'm right on top of it and you weren't. Let me get the ball spotted and possession change signaled before you take care of the administrative duties, please and thanks.

[goodgrr]

In GA they are called "reverse" mechanics.

Thanks, that's what we call them too, makes sense now.

[first_year_guy]

On a 7 man crew, H & L who does not understand or practice good push mechanics on scrimmage plays. Get on your horse and GO!

good reverse mechanics don't include getting on your horse and going, often times a short wing might get passed on these types of plays, its important to focus on the action and not attempt to play catch up or race

[JDM]

good reverse mechanics don't include getting on your horse and going, often times a short wing might get passed on these types of plays, its important to focus on the action and not attempt to play catch up or race

H & L is responsible for the GL. Suggest you review the CFO video I referenced.

[first_year_guy]

H & L is responsible for the GL. Suggest you review the CFO video I referenced.

I am aware of the mechanics, many times when a athlete that runs a 4.4 catches an interception, getting to the GL prior can be an impossible task "getting on your horse" would be meaningless, I was suggesting to hustle but also officiate the play, getting to the GL is not the be all end all

[HoustonRef]

"Without officials...it's only recess."

[Rulesman]

I am aware of the mechanics, many times when a athlete that runs a 4.4 catches an interception, getting to the GL prior can be an impossible task "getting on your horse" would be meaningless, I was suggesting to hustle but also officiate the play, getting to the GL is not the be all end all

Getting to the goal line IS the be-all, end-all. The goal line is the "money line." If he trips on his shoelaces and falls flat on his face near the goal line, how are you going to know whether or not he made it in if you are dragging your rear down the field? As an observer and evaluator, you darn well better be there.

[first_year_guy]

Getting to the goal line IS the be-all, end-all. The goal line is the "money line." If he trips on his shoelaces and falls flat on his face near the goal line, how are you going to know whether or not he made it in if you are dragging your rear down the field? As an observer and evaluator, you darn well better be there.

So you would downgrade an official that got beat to te goaline by a 20 year old athlete? That ain't cool, you should watch some NFL games they get beat all the time one just has to be good at any point on the field because the truth is we will all get beat at some point, it's having this realization and not over working on the play that we are on our "horse" and not working the entire play that makes a good official

[Legacy Zebra]

I look at it the way Vince Lombardi looked at winning. Lombardi said (or at least is credited with saying) "Winning isn't everything. The will to win is everything." If I'm an L and the QB gets stripped in the pocket and a defender picks it up and takes it for a touchdown, odds are I'm not going to beat him there. But I still have goal line responsibility and need to do everything I can to be in as good of position as I can to make a ruling. I can't just say "Well I'm gonna be beat, I'll back it down a notch." On the other hand, if the turnover is a punt or an interception downfield, I have no excuse to not be at the goal line when the ball carrier gets there. "He's faster than me" doesn't hold up very well when I've got a 20 yard or better head start.

[Rulesman]

So you would downgrade an official that got beat to te goaline by a 20 year old athlete? That ain't cool, you should watch some NFL games they get beat all the time one just has to be good at any point on the field because the truth is we will all get beat at some point, it's having this realization and not over working on the play that we are on our "horse" and not working the entire play that makes a good official

Twist it anyway you want but if he's loafing... darn right he gets downgraded. I don't care about the NFL. That's not the crux of this discussion. You'd argue with a lamppost to make yourself believe you're right, especially of you thought the lamppost would argue back. Using the example of a 20 year old that runs a four-four 40 is nothing more than a cop out. Read Legacy Zebra's post just before this one. He sums it up pretty well.

[Kalle]

So you would downgrade an official that got beat to te goaline by a 20 year old athlete? That ain't cool, you should watch some NFL games they get beat all the time one just has to be good at any point on the field because the truth is we will all get beat at some point, it's having this realization and not over working on the play that we are on our "horse" and not working the entire play that makes a good official

As LZ said, it is important what you are trying to do. On a long return the most important responsibility for the short wings is the goal line and if they have even the slightest chance of beating the ball carrier there, I'm (as a supervisor) expecting them to try, especially if it is a contested return. If they can't keep up, it is most likely an uncontested return and then they can just as well keep an eye on the blocks behind the runner (BIBs, blindsides) and even let the deep wing pass them, for all I care.

[JDM]

Twist it anyway you want but if he's loafing... darn right he gets downgraded. I don't care about the NFL. That's not the crux of this discussion. You'd argue with a lamppost to make yourself believe you're right, especially of you thought the lamppost would argue back. Using the example of a 20 year old that runs a four-four 40 is nothing more than a cop out. Read Legacy Zebra's post just before this one. He sums it up pretty well.

 

[Legacy Zebra]

and even let the deep wing pass them

This is where you lost me Kalle. A short wing has at least a 20 yard head start from his deep partner. And on punts, it's closer to 50. In my opinion, there's no reason he should be passed by the deep official. Assuming a clear sideline and you don't have player traffic in front of you, letting the deep wing catch you is a pretty good indication that you are not doing what you're supposed to be doing.

[Legacy Zebra]

Back to the original topic of pet peeves, officials who apply what they want the rules to be rather than what the rules are. For instance, I had a dead ball targeting on a late hit out of bounds as the L in a JV game. I reported it to the R and he said, "Well, I don't think we need to toss him for it, so let's just call it unnecessary roughness." I protested and told him it wasn't up to us to decide and the rule is very specific that this is an auto dq. Of course being a younger official, I got the "I've been doing this X years and I'm not ejecting him from this game." That was the last game I ever worked with that official.