What are your BJ's going to use for the visible count for the last 5 seconds of the 25 second count?

It was mentioned in here a while back that someone simply put their hand straight up.

Illinois wants a basketball "count" for the last 5 seonds according to the rules meeting I just attended..

Same in NC. Following the NFHS mechanic to the letter.

Same in Califonia, the five second baskettball count

Here in PA, they want the back judge to signal when there is 5 seconds remaining in the count by putting his hand up (like the dead ball signal), which is not a change since the BJ has been doing this all along.

Ohio will be doing the same as PA. Raising the BJ's hand with 5 seconds remaining in the count.

NY's not doing it.

Our back judge uses an upward choping count on the last five seconds of the count.

Went to rules meeting tonight in Nebraska. They want us to use the 5-second arm count, just like basketball. They said they will downgrade anyone who raises their hand, since that's the dead ball signal.

Here in PA, the PIAA does not want the "basketball" count, just that BJ's do what the have always done (indicate 5 seconds left with a raised hand). I don't know why they don't want the basketball count, but what they say, goes.

KS, they 'suggested' that we use the basketball count. My crew will continue to use the hand in the air mechanic. The reasoning is this gives my backjudge the hammer and does not leave room for some asst. coach to start counting the arm motions and throw a fit because he thinks we got to five before the snap was off.

I agree whole-heartedly! All we need is for some coach to question whether it was 4.9 or 5.0 seconds! We have enough problems on the fields with the clocks when the 25-second operator starts the clock 5 seconds late!

In Denver, (and maybe all of Colorado) the BJ raises his hand vertically at 20 seconds, then uses the basketball for the remaining count... I think the idea was that if the QB just sees you start chopping, he may not know if you're on 21 or 24... But if you start with the raised hand, then start chopping, he'll have a better chance of knowing where the clock is at...

Iowa is not using any mechanic at all.

the problem with doing the basketball count is most officials are not consistant with it. usually he is too slow with his count. five seconds is a pretty fast chop. our comish for our assc. last year timed some bj count and most were around 7 seconds. thats all good but we have had some teams that ran the double wing and would time the snap with one or two seconds left every snap. the back judge had to be right on with his count or the other team was on his ***. So this year we went to just the arm up at five seconds, that way every one knows to hurry the heck up.

Ref Ump Welsch

Two things...I am not a basketball official and chop is S20 Illegal motion.

I am in New Jersey and my crew (BJ) has held his hand up the last 5 seconds. We have done this for the past 4 years and Players/coaches love it. Never had anybody complain or think the back judge was signaling dead ball....

KS and Forksref....I with you guys! Why make a big deal out of if? Coaches will be all over it. When you start that five hand chop thing. One coach will be watching and living and dying on it...

I think just raising the hand is more then enough of a warning! How many delay of games are we all calling out there?

Quote:

Originally posted by devdog69 KS and Forksref....I with you guys! Why make a big deal out of if? Coaches will be all over it. When you start that five hand chop thing. One coach will be watching and living and dying on it... I think just raising the hand is more then enough of a warning! How many delay of games are we all calling out there?

Apparently not enough to please someone with influence :D


Has anyone else from Illinois attended your rules meeting yet? If so, what did your interp. say about the 25 second count?

Will attend a Nebraska rules meeting Thursday night. I anticipate that the "chop" (basketball) mechanic will cause problems for crews. You know that some teams will have an assistant coach watching the count. In game situations where one team is trying to use up time, (i.e., use most of the 25 second count before snapping the ball), this is going to be interesting, to say the least.
According to one post, Iowa isn't going to use a mechanic for this. Perhaps that makes the most sense of all.

FL is not using this mechanic

Now I have a legitimate excuse to move to Florida. :D

AMEN!

Yup.

This will be great in that 48-0 game where we like to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the play clock out a little bit. I guess we can always start counting at 23 seconds instead of 20 :)

Oregon says no to new mechanic
 

OREGON will not use the basketball chop!
We have been instructed to continue to use the BJ raised hand (Dead Ball Signal) at 5 seconds remaining as per a directive from the OSAA office.

What state are you in?

REPLY: Here in NJ, I'm told that we're going to use the chop during the last five seconds of the play clock.

In TN we are using the 5 second basketball count.

Bob, will you do what they say? Also what did you do before, if anything?

Utah
 

Utah talked about doing it from the chest straight out, not up like we've been doing it, at our clinic this year. As I've talked to BJ's at scrimmages, they're still going to be doing it high. Its just easier to see it that way and no one can complain.....

In the Georgia six-man manual, there is no reference to the use of a hand signal by the BJ. My BJ uses a ready-ref timer for both 25 second and 1 minute timing. It has worked like a charm and no coach has ever questioned it. It vibrates on his hip and does not give off an audible signal. That eliminates any coaches beside him hearing it go off and screaming for a flag.

WI - five second count to the side per the rules meeting. It looks similar to the illegal motion signal, only it is repeated 5 times. This should be less noticeable than the over-the-head count.

Oklahoma is using the basketball hand chop. Sure some will start the count at 22 or 23...:-)

REPLY: Sorry for the delayed reply. I was on vacation last week. Yeah...I guess I'll do it. In the past we never gave any indication of how much time was left on the play clock. As you know, we don't have a very good means of enforcing proper techniques in NJ (at least up our way we don't) so it will be interesting to see how the old-timers (I've only got 25 years!) handle it.

No problem for the delay...But I understand what you mean by "old timers".

I am still a child at 37 years old and and 7 years on the field...LOL

Same in my area everybody kinda does their own thing...