You got it dead right, KFO. And I can top that with the story of my first IW.
I'm working LJ on a JV game. Scrimmage play from A's own two yard line. QB takes the snap and hands off to the up back who dives into the line and is downed a couple of yards upfield. I blow the whistle just as the up back rolls over towards me - and he doesn't have the ball. Turns out that the exchange was bobbled, and the ball is rolling around in A's end zone, with three B players about to jump on it.
Fortunately for my backside, I was on A's sideline, so I didn't take the bull-chewing that I so richly deserved. I'd like to say I never did that again, but I'd be lying as I did have a similar play two seasons ago. That one took place around midfield, and an A linesman had recovered and advanced about 10 yards (though he had plkenty of open field in front of him). In the very first playoff game I ever worked. On the same crew as the man we'd just elected as our Commissioner for the following season.
And somehow, I didn't get a playoff game last year. Hmmm...
