"Everybody Look at Me!"

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

+1

We have a real tendency to eat our own sometime.

Why not just look at a play like this and see whether he's getting the call right or not? And if he isn't, maybe we can help him to figure out why he isn't. That's the important thing imo.

+2

If he didn't do it the OP would have read "Had an official who blew his whistle and gave the preliminary so quickly no one knew what he had."

[NoFussRef]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

+2

If he didn't do it the OP would have read "Had an official who blew his whistle and gave the preliminary so quickly no one knew what he had."

+3

Agreed, we emphasize delaying preliminary signals on block/charge, we train newbies to s-l-o-w down, get the call right, and wait a second between whistle and signal so that the attention of players, coaches, and partners has focused on you.

I think Bob nailed it, if he was rushing into signals the OP would read "Partner risking a blarge, and signaling so quick I didn't know what his call was."

[26 Year Gap]

The OP was a spectator, but all of the responses with the + are accurate, as is the one immediately preceding them.

[Raymond]

On a block/charge wouldn't an official want to make sure everyone was looking at him and that another officials didn't have a whistle on the play also?

[Indianaref]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

On a block/charge wouldn't an official want to make sure everyone was looking at him and that another officials didn't have a whistle on the play also?

+1 and +4 on JRut's post = +5 on the thread

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by NoFussRef

Agreed, we emphasize delaying preliminary signals on block/charge, we train newbies to s-l-o-w down, get the call right, and wait a second between whistle and signal so that the attention of players, coaches, and partners has focused on you.

That's what I was taught.

One of the reasons I was taught to slow down block/charge is that it has a "calming effect on the gym." I wonder if this is always true.

For example, let's say you have a charge. Whistle and fist up, wait for it, hand behind neck. Often times, the effect isn't so calm when the crowd clearly (albeit wrongly) is expecting a blocking signal, and the reaction is far from calm. I wonder if a quicker move from the fist to the charge signal would be a better sell. That intended effect of slowing down could backfire, from what I've seen.

Thoughts from the vets?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by bainsey

That's what I was taught.

One of the reasons I was taught to slow down block/charge is that it has a "calming effect on the gym." I wonder if this is always true.

For example, let's say you have a charge. Whistle and fist up, wait for it, hand behind neck. Often times, the effect isn't so calm when the crowd clearly (albeit wrongly) is expecting a blocking signal, and the reaction is far from calm. I wonder if a quicker move from the fist to the charge signal would be a better sell. That intended effect of slowing down could backfire, from what I've seen.

Thoughts from the vets?

My thought is to just make your signals the same way you've been doing it all game. A lot of times, not selling a call sells that call better than putting on a show. If you make the call in a clear, competent and confident way, the call will sell itself.

JMO