How can I handle this?

[cbailey]

1st year official here.

6th grade game, 3-man crew, I'm HL. A sweep play is going away from me towards the other sideline. Behind the play (about 15 yards behind, but right in front of me), I see a defensive player grab an offensive players facemask and throw him to the ground. I, of course, throw my flag.

As soon as I throw my flag, my WH looks at me like I just insulted his daughter. I tell him the penalty I have and he proceeds to tell me that we don't make those kind of calls that far away from the play. He gives his signals to the pressbox and then heads over to my sideline to talk with my coach (I called it on his player). He tells him, with me standing there, that he didn't see the penalty, but didn't think I should be throwing a flag that far away from the action. But since I called it, he wasn't going to overrule me.

I would understand if it was holding or block in the back, but a facemask which forces someone to the ground, IMHO, deserves a flag.

The WH waived off 2 of my flags later on in the game. One of them being encroachment, the other being holding on a play coming to my side of the field.

Did I do anything wrong? Was I wrong to throw that original flag?

Please help a newbie here!!