Loose Ball During a Free Kick!

[Bob M.]

REPLY: Just some of my thoughts...(1.) As far as "crashing into the middle of the field," I don't know that I quite agree with your umpire. When the ball is loose and all hell breaks loose in a scrum-like attempt to recover, one official must get to the ball as quickly as possible to "dig." A second official gets to the pile to help keep others from joining the fray and will be in a good position to signal the possession when the digger informs him. Waiting for the ball to come out in someoune's possession is a recipe for disaster in my opinion. If the scrum is just behind the defensive line the digger will most likely be the umpire, with the referee as the "stand by" guy. If it's downfield in the middle, probably the BJ digs; and a wing--or the U--stands by. If it's downfield in a side zone, then the wing will most likely dig with help from the BJ. The other officials MUST keep their eyes on the other players not involved in the scrum to make sure that nothing bad happens unseen....(2.) As far as passing the other officials in running to the goal line, like everyone has said--"fish in your own pond." A good friend of mine who's made it to the top always reminds me to hustle but don't go too fast (not something I've recently been accused of) and don't get too close. Too fast will get you into a position to overrun a play. Too close will limit your peripheral vision. When covering a pass play, a distance of 7-10 yards is probably optimal; for a running play, maybe 15-20 yards is good. Just some thoughts...