Watching the ball games over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had an idea and wanted to float it to the board for disection...

Would you consider carrying rookie officials with your crew as ball boys for Varsity contests?

I can think of two advantages -
1) adults handling the ball between downs
2) officials gaining experience by working with the crew

We use our rookies on the chain crew. Ball boys is too easy.

Good idea, but I know there would be a few team's coaches that might be a little miffed that their kids wouldn't be able to do the job.
Personally I'd rather have the rookie officials on the chain crew. I think they'd learn more there and you probably end up with a better chain crew that doesn't have a home team rooting interest.

My association started me off on the chain crew. For my whole first year I only had assingments on the chain-crew, and it gave me valuable understanding of the game. It's a great place to start.

During the regular season, the home team provides a chaincrew. In the playoffs our association provides the crew. For minor football, our association has a downsbox on every game. It's where all the rookies start off.

Honeslty I think I would have lost interest if they stuck me on chains or ball boy for a whole season. :/

If I didn't work a season on the chains I wouldn't be reffing football today.

I knew absolutely nothing about football before I started officiating. If you were to ask me what offside was, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. Watching the game, and being involved on the chains really helped me to start understanding the game.

We have a school that pays new officials to run the chains. But as far as an association we encourage the newbies to get with a crew and go to their games to watch and learn. I did that my rookie year and it worked out my first 2 varsity games were that year with that crew as a fill in when one guy had to go out of town.
I also stood with the HL. A couple times I was able to help him out in handling the chain crew if they were not right. One game a chain crew member was tossed out of the game for cussing and I finished the game on the chains.

Canadian Question
 

As a seperate question, I was watching the Grey Cup, and I think I saw a ball boy run the ball the whole way in to R/U... Is that what you do in Canada? We have been taught the ball boy never comes on the field, it is our responsibility to relay the ball in (with crews of 5 or more).

James

To the best of my knowledge, the ball boys in the CFL are all football officials. It all depends where the ball becomes dead if they run in. If the ball is dead out of bounds or an incomplete pass near the sideline they'll relay it in, but if the ball is dead between the hash they'll come all the way in for it.

I'm pretty sure about that, but not 100%.

Re: Canadian Question
 

Working as U for 5-man games I usually instruct the ball boys to run the ball into me or the Referee. I also tell them that I can't catch so DON'T THROW IT! That seems to help prevent the bad toss (or catch attempt) that leads to the ball rolling around the field.

Re: Canadian Question
 

Working as U for 5-man games I usually instruct the ball boys to run the ball into me or the Referee. I also tell them that I can't catch so DON'T THROW IT! That seems to help prevent the bad toss (or catch attempt) that leads to the ball rolling around the field. [/B][/QUOTE]

Which was another instance that I saw in the Grey Cup. The R (Black hat .-) ) was signalling a foul (on Toronto) and the ball comes flying in at him. He did a good job of not getting distracted by it, but it didn't miss his head by much.

I guess that since we usually have young kids that don't really know the game with the ball it is safer to keep them off the field at all times... Just the way we do it, and on cold days it keeps the deep officals warm by keeping them moving!

James

5-man games and higher, a Referee should rarely handle a ball from any ball boy. An Umpire should be receiving the ball from his wings on incomplete pass plays but mostly from the BJ on all other plays. That's his primary job after a play is over. Let him to it!
Secondly, its the BJ's responsiblility to instruct the ball boy(s) and what/how to interact with the officials. Why don't you inside guys just do what you are supposed to do and leave the outside stuff to us wings and downfield officials. We can all get along if you do this.

Finally, and I know we've covered this territory before, keep the ball people OFF THE FIELD as much as possible.
They have no business being out there.

Agree with theisey
the wing guys and deep guys should be relaying the balls
in to the U

we never let My R touch the ball I know in the NFL you see it but not in the PIAA

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Theisey

Quote:

Why don't you inside guys just do what you are supposed to do and leave the outside stuff to us wings and downfield officials. We can all get along if you do this.

Because it sometimes help to move the game along if we get another ball from the sideline while the BJ and wing are chasing down a ball that's 40 yards from the line of scrimmage. Sheesh, it's not that big of a deal. It works for us. If you don't like it don't do it.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by waltjp

Quote:

Originally posted by Theisey Quote: Why don't you inside guys just do what you are supposed to do and leave the outside stuff to us wings and downfield officials. We can all get along if you do this. Because it sometimes help to move the game along if we get another ball from the sideline while the BJ and wing are chasing down a ball that's 40 yards from the line of scrimmage. Sheesh, it's not that big of a deal. It works for us. If you don't like it don't do it.

Stop being in such a hurry to get out the there. Why don't you just follow nationally accepted mechanics. It makes us ALL look better. Even when chasing down a ball, the delay is not significant to worry about. You can't start the RFP until the wing or BJ is back in position anyway.
You implied this is what you do all the time. If is a sometimes, then I have no beef.
BJ and Wings work those positions for a reason and one of the reasons is to work the balls into the U. Let us do it the way it's supposed to be.