Fun With Out Of Bounds …

[Mike Goodwin]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The Trail has to call a travel, or foul, an inch away from the endline there, but shouldn't call an out of bounds there if a player steps on the boundary line.

This is where we often see the Lead sounding his whistle to stop the clock for out of bounds and asking for help (especially on a ball that flies out of bounds along the endline, a ball that originated from the Trail's primary coverage area).

I hope that you three person guys appreciate how lucky you are.

BillyMac,

Kinda weird, isn't it? Being able to call violations that close to the endline*except* out-of-bounds. In the NFHS manual at 4.4.1.A.2 it says that "typically an official should rule on violations in his/her PCA, but any violation observed should be ruled," though I can't recall a time where a Trail (or Center) ruled out of bounds along the endline, other than perhaps, a first-year official. The IAABO manual has no corresponding provision that I could find.

Even in a crew of 3, we also have the Lead occasionally asking for help just as you described, except the Center official would be right around the FTLE (and probably officiating what's happening immediately prior to the ball going out), rather than at the 28-foot mark. (Well, that and Trail could still be watching their own PCA, so yes, I'll admit we're lucky).