I asked this question last night at an association meeting and didn't really get an answer. When a wideout comes up to the line and looks at you to help them line up on the line, how far do you go to help them? What I try to do is show them where the line is and leave it at that. Especially on the varsity level I feel that they should know where to set up at. Last Friday night the offense ran a bunch formation where 3 players came to my side. The one who was apparently supposed to be on the line would look over at me to verify his position. I simply would say, "here's the line" and show him with my feet. Well this kid was at least 1 yard off the line, so I flagged it. Not 7 on the line. The coach got upset and told me that he was looking over at me to get "my opinion." I told the coach that I couldn't coach his kid on where to line up, especially since I don't really know if he's supposed to be on or off for sure and that if I knew he was supposed to be on and I had him move forward and the QB took the snap, I have just created a false start for him. He understood, but I don't think his player ever did. How do you all handle this?

biscuit, preventive officiating, please! I have worked the wings for several years, when a player looks at me, I help them by putting my hand up to signal stop, means they are good, or point forward or backwards. Coaches don't care as long as you do it for both. I do it for the defense if they ask. However, I personally think your association should be on the same page so schools would have a consistancy from all officials who would work their games.

You're a Back
 

I am a new official, at a clinic I was told as a wingman, when the kid comes out of the huddle and he looks at me to check whether he is on the line or off the line, I should say <b>"You're a back" or "You're an End"</b>. I did that the other day in a Frosh game, #88 looked at me, I said "You're a back", that ended up making him the fifth in the backfield, I of course tossed the hanky. Coach kind of complained that the kid had checked and thought he was okay. I told coach I told him "he was a back", coach said maybe he thought I told him to "move back". I can see the confusion. At the clinic that said if you tell him he's an end or he's a back he should know where he is supposed to line up for the play, guess what...wrong.
From now on I'm going to use "You're on the Line" or "You're off the line" and see what kind of response I get with that.

Just my $0.02

Most of the time, this is a preventable foul. Why throw the flag when you shouldn’t have to? Show the wideout where the line is with your foot and then tell him that he is on the line or off the line.

There is absolutely nothing wrong telling them whether or not they're on the line if they're unsure.

Remember you have the best view of the line and it's your opinion that matters not theirs, so if they're out of position and they make a signal that's asking if they're on the line, I'm gonna tell them. Either, "You're good" "back up" "move up".

I do it for both teams and both coaches appreciate the fact that they're not getting penalized for preventable fouls.

I tell them to ask me if they are on the line or off. I want them to declare what position they want. Then I can try to help them as much as possible.

I was told not to do this because you don't know if they're supposed to be in the backfield on on the LOS. If you tell them to move up when they should be in the backfield or move back when they're supposed to be on the LOS. I thought the "you're a back or you're an end" should of worked, but really the "you're on the line or you're off the line" is probably the best, if they are lining up in the NZ, and they look at me I'll tell them to back up a tad, so they don't get an encroachment foul, that is preventable, but as far as on the LOS or in the Backfield, I think I will go with you're on the line or you're off the line.

It is very important to read the formation to make the formation right, no matter what the level.

If a WR is not quite breaking the plan of the waist of the nearest player on the line...but by reading the formation you know he is supposed to be on the line, just put him on, and tell him after the play to be sure to get up to the line if that is where he is supposed to line up. He is gaining no advantage being 6 inches in the backfield. If the receiver is from the team on your sideline, turn around and tell the coach too, and then he can take care of it.

Myself as a linesman, I give them my backfield foot as a reference to where he needs to line up if he is on the line. I point to it when he breaks the huddle, telling him "here is your line of scrimmage". If he lines up close to it, I tell him "you are on the line". If he does not, I tell him "you are off the line."

Try to avoid "you are good", b/c your 'good' may be different than the receiver's 'good'.

Just let him know if he is on or off, and the receiver can take it from there.

Don't use phrases like "you're good". That implies that you're reading their intentions, which may or may not be accurate and their intentions may change.

tell them their current status. On the line or off the line. If there's a TE, ask them if they're SURE they need to be on the line.

If they're on the line or within the vicinity of the line, and my umpire points out that I need an end, and they put their hand up to signal that they're that end, then I have no problem assuming that they should be on the line and I will try to direct them in.

If I know there's a TE then I won't bother with them, unless they're standing in the NZ.

Friday nights? Put the foot out - they are old enough to know whether they should be on or off.

Below that? Even for JV, I'll tell them "You're on", "You're Off", or even "Back up" if they are hanging over the neutral zone. Peewee - that's where you might try reading the formation.

True story from my first year (maybe 3rd day) - I read the formation, noticing that he was the 8th man on the line, and told him to back up. Sure enough, after they get set, the wing on the OTHER side backs up a step, sets for a second, and then goes in motion. The other wing flagged it for formation. It was MY fault that my WR was in the backfield. I'll never do that again at JH or High school ages.

What if your V games are on Saturday afternoons? :D

Personally, if the guy comes out and looks at me, first thing I say is "ON OR OFF?" Then I'll let him know when hes in good position to be where he wants to be. If he just comes out and lines up on his own like he knows what he's doing, that's fine. But if he's looking to me to get lined up, and I'm telling him to move up or back or whatever to get where he wants to be, I'm pretty hard pressed to flag him for a false start if he doesn't get set for a full second.

It all comes down to common sense and preventive officiating. Use those, and you will be in good shape.

But what if he doesn't get set at all. While you are moving him up, back, whatever, the ball is snapped and the coach on your sideline is wanting something called? It just seems to me that if you show him the line, a varsity player should be able to line up right. Not trying be flag happy or anything.

I agree with biscuit. What if he's moving back because you told him and then the other coach complains? I also notice that when I ask the player if he's "On" or "Off" sometimes it's hard to tell what he says because of his mouthpiece. All you hear is "OOoottthhhhhhh" What's that mean ?!?
One thing I did notice, if a player breaks a huddle and is looking at me or pointing at me or something, usually he's supposed to be on the line.

'Round here senior officials tell us to say either "You're on the line." or "You're in the backfield." That way, there's no possibility for being misheard.

At anything below varsity, we'll move them sometimes. Varsity ends are on their own.

When the receiver looks at me, I nod my head if he is in the right spot. If he is too far forward, I give a slight wave of my hand (with my arm down) to move him back. I will always nod if they ask either verbally or with a look at me. I will flag an interior lineman the first time (unless it's JHS level where I will help instruct), but I have never had to do it with someone on the outside. That's an unnecessary flag.

I might tell the coach, too, "Coach, your receiver is lining up in the neutral zone." Coaches appreciate that heads up. If you don't get a correction, then you can flag it, since you tried the preventative route first.

REPLY: I would never say or do anything that could be implied as telling the player to move. I might say (to no one in particular) "Watch where you're lining up" or "Number 12 is on the line" or something like that. But I'd never wave a player back or explicitly tell him to move for fear that the snap might occur as he's moving and then I could be accused of causing hiim to foul.

Most of the varsity players around here--at least for the first few series--will come out and either point toward the line or into the backfield to let me know where they're <u>supposed</u> to be lining up. If they're out of whack, I'll say "Number 22 is in the backfield" to let him know he hasn't made it to the LOS. I also will put my upfield foot on the line and tell them "Here's the line." Then it's up to them.

Why do you need to direct them in if they're aleady there?

What is the vicinity? 1 yard? 2 yards? 1.5 feet?Whatever feels comfortable that day?

Many times a wide out already has his hand up before he enters an area of the field where he's legally considered to be on the LS. Do you direct him then because the U has his arm up to your side? If the player goes up on his own all game do you still direct him up?

You've got me all confused with your methods.

Excellent post! That's exactly what wing officials do here in South Georgia.

If he's still moving when the snap went off and it's cause I was tellin him to move and the coach starts lookin for somethin, I'm gonna tell the coach that I was still movin him, and I'll do the samething for his players too. As long as you're consistent with both sides, it really ain't that big a deal I don't think.

Typically at ump spot, but when I do the wings I am not prone to giving any advice other than " My feet are the lines." I, as others have mentioned, don't know where the kid intends to line up, so I don't want to give advice as where he should be. At lower levels, I do give a quick mention to the kids that look lost and just say that my feet are straddling the ball, the foot closest to him is his los, and that usually takes care of it.

Last Friday both teams were very good in both asking for help correctly and also informing me of where they were trying to line up. On one play the wide guy to my side came out and said that he was "off" and I confirmed back to him that he was "off". There was also a slot inside of him who never checked his position and was also off. So the tackle is uncovered now. HL has 3 on his side and I have 2 on my side so we flag them for illegal formation. After we mark off the penalty, A comes back to the line for the next play. Same guy comes out to my side to line up. He says to me, "I guess I am supposed to be on." I almost laughed but replied that he was "on" now. I guess even when they ask the question correctly and we give them the right answer they may still have it wrong because they just didn't know where they were going in the first place.

Our wings make sure their wideouts know what our signals mean, and we use "you're on the line" or "you're off the line."

A wide out once asked by linesman, "Am I good." My linesman replied "I think you are, but your coach (who was standing right behind him) doesn't." Got a huge laugh from everyone.

1) Tap backfield leg to indicate LOS, "I got the line here."

2) Punchback signal to indicate to my wingmate I have the nearest player to me off the line. "I got you off the line" when WO looks to me for guidance

or

3)"I got you on the line" along with a nod if he looks my way, with no signal to my wingman.

If WO is in NZ, a hard "You're in the zone!" seems to work well.

JH to Soph I will wave them back and forth if they're confused and mention something to the OC/HC, "Coach, you're WO's need help lining up"

WM

Here's a situation I had this weekend:

WR comes out and lines up. There was also a Tight End on the play. I recognized the formation from previously in the game, and was pretty sure the WR was supposed to be Off the line. I said to him, "If you're off the line, take another step back." He never moved. TE went out for a pass. I threw the flag for ineligible downfield. WR got reamed by the coaching staff. Coach that was right beside me said to me, "You didn't even have to talk to him about that. Just throw the flag next time." He didn't have a problem with me flagging it at all. I did explain to him that it's not my goal to throw the flag everytime, I'd rather help the kid get lined up right.

I probably went too far Friday night but it's early in the season. When the ready for play was delayed slightly and the wide receive came out past the numbers/tic marks, I chased them back in until the ready for play sounded. I did this a few times for both teams and the wide outs finally caught on. I never had to flag it and maybe now no one else will have to flag these guys this year.

Are you referring to 7.2.1 where A players need to be within the 9yd mark? If you are, I'd have a tough time tossing an IF flag if they came out of the huddle and R delayed the RFP for an equipment repair or something.

Even if I "chased" them back in I doubt they'd "catch on" to it. Most are fixated on having you tell them if they are on or off the LOS!

WM

While working chain crew this year, I've seen the following techniques:

The receivers would come out talking to the wingmen, telling them "I'm on the line" or "I'm off the line." The official (both sides of the field) would then help them out if need be.

Also, when the receiver would look over, the officials simply would hold up their backfield arm straight toward the ball (indicating "on the line") or parallel with the sideline toward the backfield (indicating "off the line"). Granted, this also is for their counterpart on the other side of the field to read, but the kids knew how to read it as well.

If the kids didn't see what they liked, they moved themselves until the officials changed their arm position.

If the player is telling you he is on or off, get him there. I always ask. If they ignore me then I read where they are at. If they misalign then it is their problem.

As a WH I tell my wings to find out where the players are supposed to be and get them there. I hate 6 on the line fouls as I feel they are 99% preventable. If I am on a wing and I put a player in a spot then I will not hold it against him which is basically what you did Biscuit. The way I read your post, you stick a foot out and say line is here and then player lines up on that and then you flag him for it. I'd bet my house that kid told his coach that he went where you told him to go. Make it obvious to the kid. NFL officials do it, why not you.

Re: You're a Back
 

I only get ½ ¢ since it is not my position, this this is exactly what a couple of our experienced wingmen do. At the same time they give the on/off signals to each other and to the umpire, they will say just loudly enough for the receivers to hear "One one, one off" or "Both off."

[QUOTE]Originally posted by cowbyfan1
If I am on a wing and I put a player in a spot then I will not hold it against him which is basically what you did Biscuit. The way I read your post, you stick a foot out and say line is here and then player lines up on that and then you flag him for it. I'd bet my house that kid told his coach that he went where you told him to go.

I don't know what the kid told his coach. What I do know is that I didn't TELL him where to line up, I SHOWED him where the line was. There's a difference. If he can't get within a yard of the line after you show it to him, I'm sorry but that should get a flag.

Our wings use fist straight out as "on the line", and fist straight back as "off the line". If you explaing this to both coaches at the pre-game, or even to the captains, and the players coming to your side on formations, they know where they are simply by glancing at the wing.

Jaysef

On or off the line
 

I have been doing this for a few years and before that as a coach. I have always heard from fellow officials the answer is "You are on the Line" or "You are off the Line". That is not coaching that is answering the question if they look to you. I have also always been told never to tell them to move forward or back...that is coaching and you could be wrong or have them moving at the snap.

It is a good idea to tell the coaches and captiains that the ends/receivers should indicate to you what they are supposed to be "I am on the Line" then by responding witht he above you have confirmed or denied that. Makes it clear. Also -- If it is close or marginal you can error to the placement they said rather then guess what they want.

It has worked well fro me for 8 years as an official.