Had a 30-35 yard field goal the other night. The kick is up, whistle! Whistle!, it falls short on the 1 yard line. Nobody is around and knows its not a touchback. The guys in the middle, including me, think it went into the endzone, we put it on the 20, no questions. BJ comes up at half and said he actually picked it up on the one.

If there was someone paying close attention for the Kicking team, and wanted a slowed down version for the next play. What do we have. Technically an IW during a loose ball.

Wha Happens!

You didn't "technically" have an IW, you DID have an IW.
Who blew the whistle, and why didn't they report it? When was it blown? Why didn't your BJ report where the ball wound up? Who declared it in the EZ? And WHY? And from what it sounds like from where? And, maybe lastly, why didn't the BJ get this info out to the R immediately.
Sounds like a major crew malfunctionon this one.

last night I blew my first IW . Jr. High action. 4 man crew. I was linesman. A4 wideout goes down about 12 yards . While the ball is in the air B4 pulls A4 by the jersey and prevents him from moving toward the ball. I flag B4 and after the ball passes both players but before it hits the ground I blow the whistle. The WH asked me what I have . I tell him pass interfence on B4 . I also told him I had an IW as I blew before the ball was dead. He told me that he saw and heard but since the foul was in front of B's bench and B's coach saw the foul we would administer the penalty and ignore the IW . After the game I was explaining my embarrassment. I could not believe I actualy did it and how easy is was. I guess since the foul was so obvious, and I knew the A team would take the penalty my brain said blow.... The WH told me if the B team coach would have pushed the issue , he would have replayed the down. I told him because of the flag and subsequent acceptance of the penalty , the IW is ignored . Although I was wrong to blow, I lucked out because of the penalty. Both the WH and U told me I was wrong. I maintained my position that we got it right on the field .

Team-Bs coach can press the issue all game long, but since there was an accepted penalty, the officials are off the hook for the IW.
Please explain that to your WH/U as they don't seem to understand that. At the same time, tell them you'll keep the whistle out of the mouth in the future.

Today I sat down and really thought about my IW. Then I got up and closed my office door and did a run through. I use a finger fox 40 on my left hand. I always toss the flag with my right. Instead of gliding down the sideline facing in , I turned and ran toward the end zone while watching the action with my head turned. I believe this mechanic caused me to toss the flag with my left hand and put the whistle right up near my big mouth . Any time a whistle gets near my big mouth I will blow it... My hat is off to all those basketball officials. Humping up and down the court with the whistle in their mouth.

jjb-You were correct, a flag is usually not ignored on an IW. At least you learned from that. Ask your WH what the he@# he was looking at anyway, who was protecting the passer and the others in the vicinity.
Bigref-Who had the whistle, the manual states it is the BJ/LJ, we talk about this is pregame and give it to the BJ, and they both remind each other just prior to the kick (if I am LJ I place the whistle IN my hand-to remind me it is not my call). In fact we go further, the pre-game states no need to echo whistle, covering official(s) only, our umpire might have 4-5 a game, the wings will get about 95% of the whistles during a game. We have not had an IW in a couple of years (shouldn't have said that).

Canadian Ruling
 

DR, PLS.

http://www.wwcfoa.ca/docs/WWCFOA%20-...le%20Chart.pdf

Yes, there were some major problems with crew communication and basic FG mechanics. At halftime and at the end of the game we disected the play and addressed some of these problems. I'm just glad that we had this huge meltdown when noknown was really paying attention and it didn't have much of an effect.
After I once mis-diagnosed a Brown recluse bite, a teacher said that you must learn from mistakes, that it is the practice of medicine. I look at officiating the same way, you learn through experience; often that experience comes with HUGE shifts in game dimensions and a dwindling respect of your crew's work. It's good to get a cheap lesson every now and then!