Blarge--does it exist?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by iref4him

There is no blarge. But we do it to ourselves as officials. Last week, I had a boys varsity game. I was the U1. The R for the pre-game talked about the blarge. He said if we have it, we will sell it and call it as a blarge. I said that if we have a blarge then it will either be a block or a charge. He said he had it in a game the other day. He said both coaches were mad, but that is just the way it is.

I said we are going to have a block or charge not a blarge. Guess what in the game we had this game situation. The ball was in my primary as C, I called the charge against the Visiting team. The T was going to call a block. I took the call. IT WAS CLEARLY A CHARGE. The visiting coach begged for a block and proceeded to say it was a "blarge". I told him not to go there. I saw the play and it was clearly a charge.

At half time the offical who was at the T wanted to know why we didn't call a blarge. I re-iterated that there is no blarge. I told him if the ball was in his primary I would have backed off and let him call the block. BUT REMAIN IN PRIMARY UNLESS YOU ARE 200% SURE YOUR PARTNER KICKED IT!!!

He said that he had been taught that a blarge was okay. I told him it was a bail out call. The R said that I should never say that. Sometimes you can't avoid the blarge. Then I told him that is why pre-game is so important!!!

These blarges and other things (e.g., coach's box, calling the travel before A1 creams B2 after A1 gains control of the ball and turns and hits B2) we call or don't call, we bring upon ourselves. When you have the officials calling it correctly, you look like the odd ball.

If this was an NFHS game, then I'm 100% sure that YOU kicked it.

On the play you describe, once the Trail signaled a block and you signaled a charge, you need to correctly apply the rules as written in 4.19.8SitC.
The visiting coach had every right to insist that a blocking foul was also reported on the play.

[rockyroad]

If I am working an NFHS game or an NCAA-M game, then we as a crew will report both fouls and go with the POI...if I am woking an NCAA-W game, we will decide which one to go with...the guy from the other forum can feel however he wants to about the NFHS way of handling it, but to make up his own way or handle it like iref4him did is to unfairly penalize one team/coach...you can't do that under those rulesets!

Having said that, I think those who have been on this board long enough know my personal feelings about the blarge and the way it is handled under the different rulesets. But, when in Rome...

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If this was an NFHS game, then I'm 100% sure that YOU kicked it.

On the play you describe, once the Trail signaled a block and you signaled a charge, you need to correctly apply the rules as written in 4.19.8SitC.
The visiting coach had every right to insist that a blocking foul was also reported on the play.

That's my point: I don't NEED to do anything.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

If this was an NFHS game, then I'm 100% sure that YOU kicked it.

On the play you describe, once the Trail signaled a block and you signaled a charge, you need to correctly apply the rules as written in 4.19.8SitC.
The visiting coach had every right to insist that a blocking foul was also reported on the play.

4.19.8 sit C reads: One official calls a blocking foul.........the other official calls a charging foul.

Signals are not mentioned. Is a signal binding? I think not. I make wrong signals all the time....well, not all the time. Just sometimes. Usually about
8:15. As I read this situation, you call a blarge if neither official is willing to change his call. This is not something I would hope to see happen, but if it does, (and it has happened to me) I prefer to confer quickly (What you got?) and come out with one call. We are not talking about two players simultaneously slapping each other on the arm, we are talking about contact on at least one player's torso. The definitions of block and charge speak for themselves.They can not possibly happen at the same time. I know, double foul definition includes the word approximately. Still, I say the two officials should get together, decide who did what to whom and which happened first, call it and forget it.