One for the Canadian boys

[cdnRef]

We all know what to do when there is a short kick coming down into a crowd - blow it dead.

This year in the BCFC we had a team who had practiced the legal recovery of a quick kick to a side zone and executed it very well with 4 onside receivers. Only problem is that our side guys were blowing the whole thing dead and awarding the ball to the receiving team.

We came up with our own conclusions about this but I would like to konw how a team can execute a proper quick kick if we are supposed to be blowing short kicks dead in flight when coming down into a crowd?

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by cdnRef
We all know what to do when there is a short kick coming down into a crowd - blow it dead.

This year in the BCFC we had a team who had practiced the legal recovery of a quick kick to a side zone and executed it very well with 4 onside receivers. Only problem is that our side guys were blowing the whole thing dead and awarding the ball to the receiving team.

We came up with our own conclusions about this but I would like to konw how a team can execute a proper quick kick if we are supposed to be blowing short kicks dead in flight when coming down into a crowd?

A short kick into a maze of players is blown dead for at least these two reasons:

- EDIT: to protect the players (my esteemed colleague JR points out that player safety is and always will be the first concern in sport)
- to protect the Umpire
- it is very unlikely that a No Yards penalty will not be called

A kick to a side zone is not a maze of players. In the way that I've been brought up, this play is not to be blown dead. Doing so is contrary to the current philosophy in Ontario, as to the side:

- the Umpire is not in any danger
- there are less players, and in a larger area of the field, than what we find where we are supposed to blow it dead

[Edited by JugglingReferee on Dec 17th, 2004 at 02:51 PM]

[cdnRef]

That's what we came up with as well.

We decided that if it's coming down short between the hashes and into a group of players then we kill it. Outside the hash marks, even if there is a gaggle of players around, we let it go and rag it then let the WH figure out what's going to happen.

This means is that the side guys and deep guys need to get good at remembering which kicking team players are in the halo.

[JugglingReferee]

That is a point of emphasis here - to get every number in the halo. One could be onside, the other not.

That's where my basketball background helps: remembering multiple numbers. (Fouler + shooter.)

Of course, the same happens when I sample the nightlife, I have to remember multiple numbers.

Edit:

You have side guys call No Yards? That is not done here. Ever. It would have to be an extenuating circumstance for a side guy to call NY and not get reemed for it. Our side guys watch for illegal blocking, and especially to see if someone was blocked into the halo.

[cdnRef]

Yup, we let the side guys call no yards on short kicks to the side plays -- they'll have the best view. Deep guys are out of the play with the deep receivers, umpire is probably blocked out...there's nobody left!

Certainly on deep kick plays side guys are well downfield and looking for blocking and weird stuff but not worrying about restraining zone violations.

You have no idea how poor the kicking game was this year in the BCFC.

[JugglingReferee]

There is definitely a point where the side guys will call NY, and not the deep guys.

I suspect that maybe our kicking game flourished this past coupla seasons, or our threshold is shallower than yours.

I called NY once in an OV game as the LJ. I was raked for it!

[cdnRef]

heh...

try throwing intentional grounding as a HL one time...

if you're going to do it make good and sure you fire the flag waaaaaay back toward where the QB is standing then hustle to your WH before he wanders off...

[JugglingReferee]

Interesting. Very interesting.

Here, a SG is encouraged to flag IG. It's very possible that the R is with the QB and can't look up to see something like where the balls lands/is thrown to.

I've even thrown IG as a deep official! And before anybody (you know who you are! ) says anything, yes it was justified.

It is now more recognized that SG have knowledge of the R position, and know what the R's responsibilities are if help where required.

Further example: We have the downsbox discreetly signal before or beyond if the QB throws a FP near the LS. The R might be yards away from the FP release point. the downsbox is potentionally in the best spot to see this foul.

[cdnRef]

Interesting. I think I threw the first IG this year from the side in years and years (possibly ever)...suddenly the wisdom of my decision seemed to catch on because suddenly all the side guys started doing it and awayyyy we went - surprisingly the QB's started to smarten up too.

You'll use the downsbox as well on illegal FP too? I think that's a brilliant idea but I know that not all associations use that mechanic due to the experience level of their chain crew ... we use the American substitution infraction signal (hand not holding the downbox goes up to opposite shoulder). Takes away a judgement call where there shouldn't be one anyway.

Next time I'm in Ontario I think I'm going to be thirsty, btw... where you at?

[JugglingReferee]

I'm in Waterloo, about an hour west of Toronto and an hour north of Hamilton.

If you're in Ontario, I'll buy the first round.

The CIS East-West Bowl is held in Waterloo (home of the Laurier Golden Hawks) each of the 2 years they've had it.

Any other quirky, but useful, mechanics that you use?

[cdnRef]

Any other quirky, but useful, mechanics that you use?

You've never seen me run They all look quirky but they're all useful in one way or another

We check off with a closed fist instead of a salute. I suspect our mechanic for 'two sticks' is the same as yours (same as the downbox on illegal forward pass).

We did some work with reminders on the hold-and-go this year because it was new to everybody in the province except the CIS panel of 12 and the 2 or 3 officials who work CFL as well as community ball. Basically the 'go' guy would leave one arm up for a second after he dropped the gates as a discrete signal that he was the 'go' guy -- this instead of the silly mechanics in the officials' manual. With all the bloody saluting and waving going on it would be easy to think the crew was swatting mosquitoes instead of officiating a football game.

I suspect one would find out in an exchange about what bizarre mechanics get used.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by cdnRef

You've never seen me run They all look quirky but they're all useful in one way or another

We check off with a closed fist instead of a salute. I suspect our mechanic for 'two sticks' is the same as yours (same as the downbox on illegal forward pass).

We did some work with reminders on the hold-and-go this year because it was new to everybody in the province except the CIS panel of 12 and the 2 or 3 officials who work CFL as well as community ball. Basically the 'go' guy would leave one arm up for a second after he dropped the gates as a discrete signal that he was the 'go' guy -- this instead of the silly mechanics in the officials' manual. With all the bloody saluting and waving going on it would be easy to think the crew was swatting mosquitoes instead of officiating a football game.

I suspect one would find out in an exchange about what bizarre mechanics get used.

I'm in a unique position being near the man himself. The official SG mechanics are as follows:

Held Guy: Using the arm closest to the offensive goal line, points at a 45-degree down angle to the ground an in the offensive backfield.

Free Guy: Using the arm closest to the defensive goal line, points to the defensive backfield with the arm parallel to the ground.

These mechanics are to be done before the gates are up. By the salute, do you mean tapping hats for 12 men on the field?

I don't know the 'two sticks' mechanic you mention.

[ref18]

I'm taking a guess at the "2 stakes" mechanic.

We have an NAFL tam in our city, so for the game we have a mixed crew (3 from Hamilton, 3 from buffalo) They've got some different mechanics and one of them is the 2 stakes thing.

It's similar to the piling on signal, and it's used when someone might mistake the first stick for the line to gain stick. So if it's like 20 or 30 yards to gain or something like that. Is that what you mean by the 2 sticks mechanic??

[cdnRef]

The official SG mechanics are as follows

I'm fully aware of the official side mechanics and deep mechanics If one uses them or not is another question entirely

Is that what you mean by the 2 sticks mechanic??

Yeah...like...second and 30.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally posted by cdnRef

I'm fully aware of the official side mechanics and deep mechanics If one uses them or not is another question entirely

Yeah...like...second and 30.

I've seen many odd mechanics used by guys not from Ontario.

At Vaniers and such... I wasn't sure how quickly things filtered down from Ken.