Who makes the call?

[ljudge]

Hopefully this comes out right as far as alignment is concerned with the formation I try to depict below...

LJ #80 T G C G T TE HL
#30 #10 FL

#34
XXX


Referee

#10 takes the snap and takes a 4-step drop and throws a backward pass to #34. Ball lands at point "XXX" and whistle is blown. If the officials are reading their keys strength is declared to LJ's side. HL is concerned with 2 men on his side and LJ is concerned with the #30 and BJ is keying on #80. I'm standing 10 yards back and could tell #10's pass was backward because the ball was snapped exactly on a stripe and #10 threw the pass on a stripe. The wing officials ruled forward pass. Who really has this call? We talk about not signaling (organizational thing) with a punch-back and the wings usually make the call since R is back 10 yards.

Who really should make this call? We had a sophisticated production group filming the game (local cable) with pressbox and sideline cameras. The sideline camera was running and it was very easy to tell the pass was backward and the ball had blown before it crossed the sideline.

Would you referee's perhaps step toward the line when the QB looked left to pass? How would you handle this?

[ljudge]

Shucks....spacing didn't work correctly. Never mind.

[MJT]

I understand what you are saying even if the spacing is not as you planned.

What we do is, no one signals, that only causes major problem if one signals backwards and another blows it dead. This is what most college crews say to do as well.

It depends on many things on who has the best angle of forward or not. Some say backside wing, some say ballside wing, if it is not an immediate pass and wings go downfield - then maybe the referee. What we have decided is - no one signals, and if anyone thinks is is forward - blow it dead. This way, if no whistle, fumble, if whistle -back it up and sell it as forward. I think you cannot go wrong doing it this way cuz it covers all situations and doesn't make "cross signals and whistles" with the crew.

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by MJT
It depends on many things on who has the best angle of forward or not. Some say backside wing, some say ballside wing, if it is not an immediate pass and wings go downfield - then maybe the referee. What we have decided is - no one signals, and if anyone thinks is is forward - blow it dead. This way, if no whistle, fumble, if whistle -back it up and sell it as forward. I think you cannot go wrong doing it this way cuz it covers all situations and doesn't make "cross signals and whistles" with the crew.

THis is pretty much how we do it, most of the time on passes the wings will go downfield, so the R will rule if it is forward or backward. If the pass is immediate then the wings can rule on the play. If someone signals INC then we had a foward pass, if no one blows their whistle then we had a backwards pass.

[Warrenkicker]

I say that ball-side wing has to help with this call when he can. Back-side wing may be blocked as to where the ball goes. Ball-side wing needs to rule on this quickly if the ball hits the ground. Referee is responsible for this call most of the time.

[mcrowder]

Often, ball-side wing has a much worse angle than the off-side wing. Once the ball is in the air, off-side is much closer to seeing a parallel line from the QB than the ball-side wing. But I agree with the rest of the above. If ANYone sees the pass as forward, they blow it dead. If no one blows it dead, we all treat it as backward.

[Ed Hickland]

I grappled with backward pass coverage all this week after reviewing film of what we thought was a backward pass.

This is my take. The referee should always be on the side of the passer's arm. The NFHS rule states the initial direction; therefore, if the passer throws the ball on the stripe and the receiver catches in back of the stripe we must rule on the direction of the pass at the time of release.

Now it is physically impossible for a passer to throw a backward pass on his throwing side without turning his waist in a backwards direction. Of course, he could simply flip it backwards.

On the opposite arm the passer has to physically turn his body in the direction that is unless he flips it across his body.

If you keep those physical attributes in mind it will make that backward pass call easier.

[dumbref]

We instruct our wing men to rule on backward or forward if the QB takes a two step drop and the pass is to the flanker or split end on his side. If the wide out goes down field, my wingman better take his 5-7 yard drop. If 34 began the play at halfback or tailback as pictured, the only person that can rule on that play is R.

This can be a tough play to call, especially if the QB is being rushed. I had the same thing happen to me once, my LJ was down field 5-7 yards. I had QB responsibility and looked up just in time to see the back juggling the ball but got possession before it hit the ground. He ran 70 yards for a TD. My LJ never blew a whistle, never gave a TD signal, just stopped the clock and began running back towards me after the play. He asked if the pass was forward pass, I said yes, to which he replied we have an incomplete pass. It looked bad - but he could not tell if the pass was backwards or forwards and I was the only person in the whole stadium that did not know the pass had skipped off the ground into the backs hands. That's why he was juggling it. As long as you don't have a whistle, you can get it correct with good communications.