S-L-O-W Whistles

[Rich]

I'm about to apply the kiss of death. It's been three years since I've been on the field when an IW happened. I once had 2 guys on my crew that were good for one every few weeks, and I eventually replaced them.

From time-to-time, a coach will complain that we are too slow on the whistle, but I'm unconcerned about that. I tell my guys if you don't see a football, don't blow a whistle -- the play ends by rule, not by a whistle. Now, I'm not encouraging a very late whistle or no whistle, but we have to see the ball to kill a play.

Well, last night, I saw something that made me proud of my crew.

Kickoff return after a TD. Returner is turned a$$-over-teakettle by a K player and he rolls over on the body of the defender, puts his hand on the ground, and flips over on his feet, not even losing stride. The U was the official on the scene and he (and the rest of the crew) kept right on officiating as the returner got another 40 yards.

Now, I would love, LOVE to see a replay of this, as I wonder in the back of my head whether a forearm might have touched the ground, if only for a split-second, but the U and the runner both reacted as if there was no tackle and the downfield guys kept right on officiating, too. And as the WH, I was in the middle of the field 15 yards behind the returner at this point.

I've been part of crews where someone not even near the play would've blown it down and I'm glad my crew has gotten pretty darned good at knowing how to use the whistle.