[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by Reffing Rev.

Sorry guys I've been off-line for a week.

Well it was 2 of the top 5 8-man teams in the state, both undefeated, it was a big game, local tv's game of the week. Visiting team had a touchdown called back for a hold on their 2nd snap of the game. They immediately thought we were there to make sure they didn't leave undefeated. After exchanging punts a couple more times, the home team put together a drive and went ahead 8-0. Visitors driving and the QB rolls left towards home bench, I'm R and trailing towars the sideline, B79 puts his shoulder in him and drives him out of bounds, they are tangled up and it looks to me like B79 is holding up the QB as they slow their momentum. Well QB didn't think so, he decides to head slap the defender, 8 ft out of bounds. My flag is out instantly. I turn around to find my BJ and U restraining the V coach who has crossed the crown of the field to argue the play. Of course my U has tossed a flag at this point, so when we get the coach back to his sideline and I talk to him, he is livid over the play and his assistants are worse. The 30 penalty yards makes things worse. One assistant said to the head coach as I headed back out to get the game restarted, "Why are we even here, 8 on 13 is tough odds."

Well it got uglier.

4th quarter, score H-40 V-6. Flag count at this point is H-10 flags (mostly false starts and a couple of holds) and V-7 flags (the 2 aforementioned, another late hit near half-time, and several holds) Home team punts and it rolls dead at the 6 inch line. Visiting team is driving and moving the ball with a no huddle offense. QB standing in a shotgun formation sends a WR in motion with the traditional foot raise, then while the WR is in motion, moves up under center, takes the snap and throws for a first down near the 10. My flag is out there for the illegal shift. They call a timeout. Head coach is in the huddle on the sideline about 10 yards behind the LOS, and he is well-behaved. Near the end of the timeout when I point over to the linesman to give his team the 15 second warning I see his flag going in the air. I walked over and he told me he's got a USC on the coach in the crows nest. (The visitors sideline has a scaffolding 30 feet outside the sideline about 30 feet in the air where the visiting coaches on the headsets can go.) Apparently the coach in the tower said a 'magic' word and everyone on the sideline, including the linesman heard it.

When I explained to the HC what the penalty was for, he tried to say the coach was communicating with the the other coaching staff. I told him, "If my linesman could hear it then he wasn't talking into the headsets."

When you mentioned "scaffolding", I was expecting to keep reading to the part where the linesman went over to it and grabbed one of the legs and began lifting it. Cry uncle.