Partner invents new signal

[Kris3333]

I saw an official doing a high school playoff game a couple of weeks ago - smacked himself in the face to show what the foul was he was calling. It was pretty funny!

[drothamel]

I had a partner one time who reported a foul to the table and gave the signal for the football "tripping." The foul was actually a block, but it tripped the player in question. Believe it or not, the coach of the player who committed the foul actaully stood up and said, "Hey, that isn't a signal!" I got a chuckle out of it.

[Mark Dexter]

My favorite is still Steve Welmer who, when reporting a foul, put his hands straight up, took a few steps toward the scorer's table, and reported the foul as "he walked into him."

It was the only way to describe exactly what had happened on the play.

[Rich]

Originally posted by QuebecRef87
I recently had a partner who called "Over the back!!" While saying this, he lunged his arm forward like if he were swimming crawl... Nobody really noticed or cared about it but I had a good laugh with him after the game!

When an official lunges forward with both arms, it is the creeping death foul. I first saw this "in the back" foul called in this way at an SEC game.

[theboys]

AAU game last weekend. Official blew his whistle. Loudly called out "illegal use of the hands", then smiled.

[WyMike]

Originally posted by JugglingReferee

1. Ben Dreith, NFL referee, explaining a 15-yard penalty over the intercom: "Number 99 of the defense, after tackling the quarterback, was giving him the business down there." (http://www.ffbookmarks.com/umpire_quotes.htm)

That was my all time favorite NFL explanation! And was it Madden whom told a NFL ref it stood for "Not For Long" if he kept making those kind of calls?

[Almost Always Right]

I was in the stands one time and saw this on the floor:
Time running out in the quarter - Ball Fumbles away from G into big mess of players right at the 3 point arc and close to the sideline - Ball kicks OOB - L(don't know why) blows his whistle with open hand - T blows his whistle with closed fist(don't know why) - Quarter ending buzzer sounds a click after both of these whistles(probably .5 left on the clock when whistles go) - My buddy(who was the only one I knew on the floor) was C in front of Coach - Coach saw T with the fist(and knew what that was) - My buddy @ C(trying to get away) is not successful - Coach says "What did he have?"(Pointing to T) - My buddy(dropping his head) says, "I will find out." - He goes 1/2 way across the floor, where the T could hear him and says, "What did you have?" - The guy takes 2 steps out on the floor and makes a motion like he is calling a travel with one hand or a signal like "let's get things going"(hope you can visualize) - My buddy turns around to the coach and says, "Coach, he's got this,(ANd does the exact same signal)" He then sprinted away to the other lane and found a nice comfy block to stand on between the quarters - I had to leave the gym due to the fact that there were not too many people in there and they all could hear me howling and slapping the bleachers in laughter.
AAR

[kenref1]

While working a Juco post season game this year, I had a double whistle. My partner in telling me he wanted the call tapped his chest twice and held out out two fingers out to the side like Sammy Sosa after a homerun. Both coaches and myself had a great laugh over this.

[ChrisSportsFan]

I was working Jr High games to help a buddy out this week. Newby partner was L on a 1 and 1 free throw. He was standing down ther with his pointer finget out on both habed and 1 hand aimed up and 1 down and his hip kinda cocked to one side. I couldn't hold my laugh as he reminded me of John Travolta in a famous movie he once did.

[buckrog64]

It wasn't Madden, it was Jerry what's his name who use to coach the Falcons, wasn't it?

[BigJoe]

Jerry Glanville.

I still love it when officials give the two handed "claw" signal for "over the back"!!

It cracks me up every time.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by theboys
AAU game last weekend. Official blew his whistle. Loudly called out "illegal use of the hands", then smiled.

And this was funny because???