3-Man Trouble Spot - X-Point

MD Longhorn · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 22, 2003, 03:08pm

Working with two pretty experienced officials in a 11-12 year old PeeWee game with 2 undefeated teams on Saturday. K lined up for a try. I'm on K's left wing. Right wing is under the left crossbar, R is on the right side of the kicker.

The kicker kicks it high, but short and the ball is caught in the EZ (NCAA rules, if it matters - he can run it out). The kid looks at me, realizes the whistle didn't blow, and takes off around his left (K's right) side.

HL is out of position, under the crossbar and unable to catch up. I am running with the kid, but on the sideline opposite him. R is running down the middle, trying to angle toward the sideline, but unsuccessful at getting to the sideline.

The kid ran right along the sideline, in heavy traffic, all the way back. The trouble spot is - none of us could properly see whether he stepped out of bounds on that side. After the game, the UIC mentions that as whitehat, he would have tried to wait for the herd to pass and get to the sideline to get a better view of whether he went OOB. But reviewing the play in my head, I really don't think he could have gotten there without either getting trampled or getting in the kids' way, at least not before the kid was 40 yards away from him.

Any suggestions? An idea for a better way to lineup for a try? Anything ANY of us could have done to make sure we could see that sideline as early and as close as possible? Or were we doomed from the start?

Rich · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 22, 2003, 07:15pm

Have the wing responsible for the kick only worry about the crossbar -- he can leave on the snap and be in position to see if the kick is long enough by moving straight towards the endline -- if the ball comes back the other way, he's already near the sideline. The referee determines if the kick is between the uprights as is the case in 4-man on a short kick.

This is also a reason I prefer two wings instead of a wing and an umpire when you only have 3. But if you insist on using an umpire he needs to be able to turn himself into a wing in this situation and cover the sideline. Let the referee or the other wing try to clean up best he can behind the play.

Rich

MD Longhorn · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Sep 23, 2003, 10:55am

We never use an umpire in a 3-man crew in our association, for the reasons mentioned in other threads.

But are you suggesting posting the wing on the line at the back of the endzone? Is that in any mechanics books I can quote? This is not the mechanic taught here, but seems smarter than wasting the man behind the uprights (we're taught that the wing goes back and gets 1 upright and the crossbar, while R gets the other and HL watches the line of scrimmage.)