Umpire Mechanics

[lwhicks3]

I have been told that when working the umpire position, I need to wear 2 down indicator bands.
Can anyone please tell me how to use the second one?

[GBFBUmp]

Originally posted by lwhicks3
I have been told that when working the umpire position, I need to wear 2 down indicator bands.
Can anyone please tell me how to use the second one?

One for monitoring the down, the other for monitoring position of ball on the field from hash mark to hash mark.

The scheme you come up with is really up to you. What I do is if ball is on left hash mark I put indicator on left index finger, on left goal post, on left two fingers, center of field is middle two fingers, etc.

[lwhicks3]

Thanks alot, I appreciate your help!

[michaelpr]

if you are new to it, don't forget which one is for downs and which one is for ball position.

[Snake~eyes]

You don't need one though, as long as you can remember what hash the ball goes on.

[l3will]

Four keep downs ( R, L, LJ, BJ ), one keeps postion of the ball.. U. Umpire still mirrors the down with the rest of
the crew.

That's just the way we do it.

[Matt-MI]

When I work as the U I have a black indicator on my left hand for downs and a white one on my right for field position. GBFB listed it the same as I do it.

No offense to 13will & his crew but I would bonkers if I didn't keep track of downs and I would never just mirror what the others have.

[l3will]

No offense taken. You have to do what works for you and
your crew. Saw a crew lose a down in a high school varsity
game I was attending... appox. 1970. I asked them after the
game why they didn't use rubber bands or something to keep
track of the down themselves... none of them had ever heard
of doing such a thing.

Think about how uncomfortable you would have been working
on that crew

[waltjp]

I wear 2 indicators. One for down and one for ball position. I couldn't work without the down indicator, my R is always verifying the down with me.

[Forksref]

Originally posted by l3will
No offense taken. You have to do what works for you and
your crew. Saw a crew lose a down in a high school varsity
game I was attending... appox. 1970. I asked them after the
game why they didn't use rubber bands or something to keep
track of the down themselves... none of them had ever heard
of doing such a thing.

Think about how uncomfortable you would have been working
on that crew

Or working the crew that did the Colorado game about 15 years ago who messed up. I think that either Colorado or Nebraska got an extra down inside the 10 yd. line. Anyone remember?

[REQ]

If I remember CO and they scored to win the game

[SWFLguy]

36 years--i can't remember who
showed me the two indicator thing-
but i always use them---same as descirbed
above---
you'd be surprised how many times in a game
with a lot of incomplete passes that I need
that indicator for ball position--
sometimes I have to help realy the ball to the
R and call to him--"ball on the hash mark--or middle
of the field" etc.
That officials can miss what down it is is always
perplexing-- you have 4 or 5 officials and I think
what happens is action happens that
the R and maybe the U forget to
"add a down"--- they call for the wrong down and
the other officials thinking they made a mistake, go
along with it ! It's more likely to happen when the R
and U are the vets and the other younger guys are
afraid to speak up !!
Please---feel free to speak up if you think the R and U
have it wrong !!