Rookie
 

So I love to referee Basketball, Lacrosse and wheelchair Basketball. Some friends convinced me to try Little League Football and this Saturday I have my first 9th grade LL game.

Any advice will be greatly and humble appreciated...

:D

You've got a solid foundation of officiating experience, so I'll concentrate on what's different from the sports you mentioned.

1) Unlike basketball (and, I assume, lacrosse)... you don't want to have the whistle in your mouth all the time when the ball is live... there's (almost) never a situation where you're going to need to stop a play in progress. Spit it out at the snap, and put it back in when you need to blow it to signal the ball dead.

2) There's no such thing as a late flag. (That's not entirely true, of course, but since live-ball fouls don't get enforced until after the play ends anyway, you can throw a flag 2-3 seconds after a foul occurs without any concern. In fact, in some situations it's better to wait those 2-3 seconds to let players clear out before your flag comes flying in).

Thanks man

Anyone have advice on the most obvious plays you get as a linesman that I should watch for?

Been awhile since I've worked LOS... but...

Stay on the sideline while the play is in progress... don't wander out on to the field. Keep your sideline clear of spectators, coaches, and subs.

If the play goes away from you, watch for troublemakers on behind/away from the ball. If the play goes toward you, watch the blocks at the point of attack.

When the play comes towards your sideline... back up. Directly backwards if you're on the goal line, otherwise in the direction of the offensive backfield. The only time you want to be ahead of the runner in this situation is if you need to be on the goal line.

Pre-game with your LOS partner about how strict you want to be on formation fouls... nobody wants to see you throw 17 illegal formation or offside flags.

Thanks again man its nice having some feedback.

Develop your pre snap routine and repeat every down.

Get your team count, probably defense, 11 every play.
Anybody come off your sideline, anybody come on?
ID your widest receiver, is he a back, is he an end? What's his #?
Is your end "covered"?
Who is your tackle? What's his number?
4 in the backfield/7 on the line? Signal your opposite partner.
Watch the LOS. Anybody flinch, anybody jump, snapper twitch the ball?
SNAP
Cover the play.
Spot or mirror spot.
Repeat

Never let a player behind you without knowing where he went and what he did.

This list was something I really wanted. Thanks man!

There is tons of advice I could give but you being an official already will give you a good idea of how to carry yourself on the field. I will emphasize that just like in basketball, our job does not stop when the play is over. Dead ball officiating is just as important in football.

Another thing that travels over well from basketball is not being a ball hawk. You need to have a general awareness of where the ball is but you need to ensure you're focusing on your area so that things don't get missed. This is especially true if you're cleaning up a play from behind. Don't focus on the ball carrier, focus on all of the players trailing the play. That's when the cheapshots happen.

Lastly, the whistle should never actually kill the play, only announce that it is already over. The point behind that is: Do not blow your whistle until you know the ball is dead. If you see a runner down but have no idea if he has the ball in his possession, don't blow it dead. It may be loose and bouncing around. You will want to use the whistle to protect the players and that's fine to a point but even young kids seem to have a good understanding when the play is over. Don't be too quick to blow the whistle.

I don't want to overwhelm you with information so if you want to know more, keep asking! And welcome to the prolate spheroid game.

I have enjoyed your comments on the basketball forum and appreciate them here too.

No that is really good. I want as much as I can get until told to bug off.

Some of my pee wee games this weekend have 2 ref slots or 3 so I am more nervous my coverage areas and calls that need to be made will be overwhelming.

Looking forward to watching a Varsity game tomorrow and hopefully will give me a feel for general play to play responsibilities and movements...

Any more things would be helpful!

If the R allows, see if you can sit in on pre-game and stay on the sideline during the game. Shadow the HL with the chains.

Can we run with him or should we just walk catch up and mirror him from the side lines?

Working games with two is tough. Thankfully with the younger ages it is easier. I really don't recommend it for a JV game.

In those cases, make sure you're keeping your view wide and look for the major things.

As far as non-safety fouls like holding, a pretty standard philosophy with those is make sure they have an impact on the play before you throw on it. A hold on the opposite side of the field from a sweep play? Let that go.

Safety fouls like the 15 yard facemask, clipping, etc. Get those always, especially well behind the play.

Just like officiating any other sport, this comes with time and repetition. I'm going into my 10th season this year and I was fortunate to have this forum and others when I started out. You will pick up a lot just reading through old threads here, I know that helped me tremendously.

Probably not room to run and you should not be in complete uniform if you do it. Just walk along with the chain crew.

I agree...and think there should be more of that /\ going on for introductory officials in all sports, where pertinent.

The rookie is back to report about his first day as a football linesman.

The young adult who had done 6 of the lat 7 years LL showed up 5 minutes before game time in grey shorts and was doing his first time at the R position. The other gentleman appeared to have a few years under his belt and struggled helping the R with his duties, the chain crew and helping this rookie. And too boot the score keeper was new and was stopping the clock too much. And we had a tiny basketball score clock in the endzone which was difficult to see.

I learned a lot. Had a blast and have more questions then answers.

It is very challenging for me to not raise my hand when a play is dead. And when to kill the clock and when to let it run. You would think that would be simple but it so different then basketball and lax its going to be a challenge.

Freshman game they were really good at only have 4 backs. Youth they had a wing back and had 5 many times and I couldnt pull the trigger because that wing back was kinda close to the line so do I see him as a back or lineman...

Counting 7 on the line... do I need to move a little to have the angle to count that? Was challenging.

If a d-lines head is in the neutral zone is that my call...

I think I saw for sure 2 pushes in the back the entire day.. didnt call either. Never saw a clip. Saw a facemask...

Ive got to get used to defining what is illegal and legal. And how to cover WR vs Running backs.

Over all it was a great experience and I shall be back soon with questions to help me improve.

Thanks for everything.

Sounds pretty typical for that level, unfortunately.

To make it even worse, raising your hand when the ball is dead is the mechanic at the NCAA and NFL levels (in other words, basically every game you see on TV). But they're doing it to start the 40-second play clock. (And, to be honest, I see a fair amount of high school officials around here doing it also).

If in doubt, they're lined up legally.

Counting players is something that gets a lot easier with experience... you'll learn to count them by groups.

Is your R counting Team A players? If he is, he should be signaling his count. So, the easiest way to do it is look for the R's signal, and then count 4 players in the backfield.

Yes, because you (and the other line-of-scrimmage official on the other sideline) are the only one who can see it. Also, remember that in FED football, defensive offside is a dead-ball foul, so you'll want to shut the play down just before the snap if you can, or right after the snap if you have to.

You will.

Fairly typical... since blocks below the waist are almost completely illegal in FED rules, very few coaches teach cut blocking anymore. Facemask fouls are usually the result of inadvertently grabbing the mask.

If a player grabs the jersey from behind and yanks the player down backwards that is a horse collar tackle?

IIf you are using NFHS, see 9-4-3k.

Thanks man.

LINING UP OVER SNAPPER
20. No defensive player may be lined up over the snapper and on the line
of scrimmage if there is no player in position to take a hand-to-hand
snap. The
restriction is not in effect if an offensive player shifts to a position to take a hand to-
hand
snap.
A defensive player lined up over the snapper must be positioned 5 yards off his
line of scrimmage regardless of the offensive team’s formation until the ball is snapped.

Who is the primary official to call this. 5 yards seems like a lot.

That's not a FED rule (or an NCAA rule, for that matter).

If it's an NFL rule, I'd assume it's the responsibility of the Umpire or Side Judge.

Could it be a youth rule?

When all 11 get into position you count one thousand one and then someone can go in motion. Seems easy enough.

It is according to the guys on the home sideline this past week :-)

Kid was pulled down by grabbing the other right at the top of the numbers. Not even close.

Illegal Horse-Collar Tackle
Rule 9-4-3
No player or non-player shall grab the inside back or side collar of the shoulder pads or jersey of the runner and subsequently pull (backward or sideward) that opponent to he ground (Horse-collar).
The horse collar foul is enforced s a live-ball foul.

That is an NFL rule or form of it, yes....and what some youth coaches around here thought was gospel in their ruleset until we squared them up on it.

Roughing the center/snapper to these guys meant that you couldn't line up over him either. If I had a dollar for every "they touched our center" back when I did these games, I could have a lake house up North.

If I am the QB and we are on the 20 and I run back to 27 yard line and intentional ground the ball do I start the next down on the 25 or 32?

Is this a youth or Fed rule?

Is it only if there is contact before the snapper can be ready or just lining up over him its a foul? Is that youth or FED?

Youth rules are usually local adaptations of one of the major rule codes. You need to seek guidance from your local officials as none of us know which rules set you a using.

There is no regulation in NFHS regarding where to line up over the snapper. A B/R player may not charge directly into him, in a scrimmage kick formation, until he has an opportunity to recover from the snap or when he moves to participate in the play.

(FED) The 32, with loss of down.

Fed....this group (AAYFL here in WI) used WIAA w/ adaptations at the time. I believe they still do. I have no clue what the ruleset is by you, so you need to look into that and verse yourself with it.


And that's the thing...he CAN be contacted, he just can't be blown up with his head down....B needs to let him protect himself and get his head up or avoid major contact while unprotected (head down). Many of these guys would teach their C's to snap the ball on scrimmage kick formations and keep their head down and then if a guy shot the gap and bumped their kid in the hip or leg, they wanted 15....that's not what the rule is or is there for.

Roughing the center/snapper (FED/NFHS 9-4-6) 15 yards from previous and first down.

Horse collar tackle is also a FED/NFHS rule (9-4-3k) and variations exist in NFL/NCAA/CFL) 15 yards

Good luck.

Douh because if he had taken the sack that is where the ball would have been down. So it makes sense to start the penalty from that spot. Thanks!

Thanks Can

That's a reasonable rationale, but it's not the reason why the 27 is the enforcement spot.

This is a loose ball play (LBP). The Basic (enforcement) Spot for a LBP is the previous spot. All fouls are enforced from the Basic Spot, except for a foul by the offense BEHIND the Basic Spot, which is enforced from the spot of the foul. That's what we have here.

FYI - This method of determining the enforcement spot is commonly called "All But One (or "3-&-1" if you talk to an old-timer like me). It's usually abbreviated as "ABO".

Thanks CT, its going to take time to get some of this basic information down.

My question is in all sports there are fouls which they dont want you to call. Like flying out of bounds in basketball (on purpose) and passing to an open player. Or face guarding and a technical is to be called. Is there any plays like that in football? Like using an arm on someones shoulder to try to block a kick or I see so much helmet contact how do you know when to call something and not.

Just curious if there were some fouls you never see from the rule book being called?

Had this last saturday. Some clear O line and D line in the neutral zone, youth on my partners far side and he doesnt blow it. It is normal to let the closer official decide if he want those calls on his side of the snapper?

Yep. Don't go fishing in the other guy's pond.

Many times in youth ball, especially early in the season, the covering official will decide on a "talking to" for the first occurrence, rather than a flag.

It's not a bad idea, and can avoid any embarrassing disagreements if both wing officials "are on the same page' regarding LOS infractions. If such difference arise during the game, addressing them subtly and privately as soon as practical is a smart idea.