Need your input

[DrMooreReferee]

Ok guys, I have a question for all the football officials here, especially high school guys. As we approach the 2005 season, I can't seem to forget a game I had last year. This game was near the end of the regular season. The 2 teams involved were both undefeated in their conference and this game would certainly decide that conference championship. I was so excited to have this game. It was one of the biggest games I've ever had. I am a Referee and have been for 6 years. I moved to the Referee position after my 1st year as an official. The reason I did this was because we really needed Referees in our association and there weren't very many people stepping up to take the responsibility. I am so glad I made the move. I love football officiating and I love the referee position. Now, with said, I wanna get this off my chest. And please, everyone chime in and tell me your honest opinion. The reason for this post, for me, is to finally get a good sampling of how everyone feels about this situation I'm about to describe. And I will learn from it and move on.

Here's the situation. A is leading the game 14-7 with about 3 minutes left in the contest. A has punted at least 3 or 4 times during the game. Each time they would come up to the line in a very normal punt formation. With double tight-ends, and the front 7 all standing with hands on their knees. On a signal from the upback, the ball is snapped and we have the punt. Now, there's 3 minutes left and A has 4th and 4. They are around midfield. A comes up to the line with their punt team. Again, the front 7 are in a standing position. On the signal, they ALL (except the snapper) shift sharply into a 3-point stance. And they do it with a vocal also. In other words, they all grunt as they snap into their 3-point stance. As you probably have already guessed, B encroaches. We have flags flying from the LJ and the HL. I'm making my way towards the LOS and I'm thinking false start all the way. Both the LJ and HL tell me that they have encroachment on B. Now, I certainly didn't want to take much time here. But I got them both together for about 10 seconds. And I asked them if they were sure. I reminded them that ANY act by A/K that is CLEARLY intended to cause B/R to encroach is considered a false start. To that they replied that they still had encroachment. Now, I realize that what A did here was a shift, plain and simple. They shifted into their final position. My problem is that they haven't done it all night and they pick NOW to pull this. The referee's decision is final in all matters pertaining to the game, we all know that. But I have never done anything like what I was THINKING about doing at that moment. As it turned out, I addressed the pressbox and gave the signal for encroachment against B. 1st down for A and they proceeded to run the clock on down. B did get the ball back later. But it was more of a desperation kinda thing. A won the game 14-7.

I welcome ALL comments on this. I will tell you that I got scolded by the association for this. I did not lose a game because of it. But they told me that I should have ruled there. So, why didn't I rule? I'll be honest. In my association, we rate each other on the games we do. In the back of my mind I knew that if I did what I was thinking, I would be downgraded by those 2 fellas. Thats the wrong reason to make a decision, but I'm just being honest. It bothers me still today. But I tell ya. I know I learned a valuable lesson with it. And now I'm gonna shut up. Sorry for such a long post. I do sincerely hope that some of you will reply. Especially some of the veterans.

Thanks,
Dr.Moore

[mikesears]

I'm not exactly a veteren. I am startng my 7th year (4th as an R) but I will respond.

First and foremost, I would say that you try to put this behind you. It is tough to have crewmates who disagree with how you feel it should be called.

I had the exact play (K shifts to new set position on 4th down) happen to me in a game and I caved into the pressure by my crewmates. It is tough to look at a crewmate and say (in essence), "Tough luck, we are doing this MY way!"

I agree that this should be a false start. After the game, my crew and I had a lengthy discuss about the rule you cited. I think things turned my way when I pointed my crewmates to the handbook where it says something like, "Team A has the responsibility to avoid any shift or other action that simulates the start of the play." I then asked my crew if they had first reacted as if the play had started. My philosophy is that if I react like the play has started, then most likely, this is a foul on Team A.

Hope this helps.

[MJT]

I had the exact scenario, only time late in the game, and exactly as you described, vocal and quick. We went with FS, and A's coach was not happy. I explained it, he said they have never had it called that way and I said, that was clearly stated in the rules. It did not matter how others called it, and we would continue to call it that way if they ever did it again. We had them several times before, and they never did it, and they have not done it since.

As Mike said, forget about, but learn from it. If you know you are correct, you may have to "overrule" your crewmates.

[The Roamin' Umpire]

In this situation, especially if my wings were relatively inexperienced, I'd call them in, but I would start the conversation myself: "Gentlemen, I've got a false start on A for simulating the snap. You have the same thing?" If they say encroachment, your question is: "Was B in the neutral zone before A shifted?" If their answer is no, call the false start.

This is an easier thing to do if, as R, you have your own flag down. If it's enough to make you think it's the snap, throw the flag.

[Edited by The Roamin' Umpire on Jul 21st, 2005 at 10:33 AM]

[JDLJ]

On any scrimmage down, as a Linesman or a judge I am concentrating very intently on the neutral zone. The backs, although in my vision, are more of a side issue to me. I'm locked in on the hands and arms of the linemen. I would not mind a referee changing my encroachment to a false start because all I'm ruling on is who jumped. The referee has a better view of the whole play, the movement of the backs and all. He can change it to false start because he saw an upback or QB do something to cause B to jump.

I agree that the play as described should be a false start.

[waltjp]

Do you work with the same crew from week to week or are you rotating officials? This is something that should definitely be discussed as a crew as to how you're going to call this.

That being said, you explained the rule to the officials who threw the flag. It's their call. Unless you're definitely going to overrule them in this case and lead to suspicions in the future I think it's best to let them make the call.

Like all mistakes, if you and the crew learned anything then it can be a positive going forward.

[JDLJ]

I don't see this as being overruled. If a downfield official throws a flag for PI and the referee tells him that the pass did not go beyond the line of scrimmage or was an illegal forward pass, he is not overruling the other official. He is saying, yes, that would have been PI but it's not because...

Same thing on this play, I throw my flag because B jumps offside. The referee or the umpire says yes he did jump but A caused it by a false start. It happens all the time. I have B jumping but the umpire sees the center move the ball, etc.

Finally, same thing as an incomplete pass. I rule complete but the Umpire sees the ball hit the ground from his view. No problem at all if he waves it off.

Those are plays where nobody is saying your call was wrong, only that their call "trumps" your call. That's different than someone telling you to pick up your flag because there was no foul

[Warrenkicker]

Now you knew that there was a problem with the shift and would have ruled that way if you had been just a little more confident with your judgement right then. The bigger question to me is why the wings didn't also understand that the shift was illegal. Either of them could have also made the correct call. Were they also scolded for ruling incorrectly? We had a junior high game a couple of years ago where K tried the stand-up-then-go-set shift like the Cowboys used to do. As soon as they shifted like that the defense jumped but I ruled to K's coach behind me that they came right up to the neutral zone but did not encroach.

A varsity coach in my area was doing this for a couple of years and was getting those calls so then my state made it a emphasis point and that season he got a call go against him and when that happened he stopped using the technique. So better emphasis by each state will make sure that they don't try this crap to get cheap yards.

[whaddayouknow]

I've been officiating one sport or another for about 20 years. My advice to you is just make sure that you realize that if you had made the FS call, you still would have been scolded by your association.

Associations are great for helping you study, getting you games and organizing an off season golf outting. But as for leadership and integrity, most of them will be the first to stab you when you are caught in the middle of a tough situation.