1st time

[ctpfive]

I am in an area where there are very few football officials. Well....I was asked to officiate a jh football game. Because they are desperate. I said yes. I will be the umpire. Can someone please give me some basics - so that I can do an adequate job for the kids. Who knows maybe this is something that I will enjoy and look into. I do have 12 years of football coaching experience, but not football officiating.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

A coach moving to official. I'd pay to see that disaster waiting to happen.

Just kidding. Good luck with it. Personally, I think coaches should at least try officiating a game or two prior to coaching.

[schwinn]

A member here has the following link. It contains a bunch of different stuff. The link to Bob M's Penalty enforcement is good. Good luck.

http://home.comcast.net/~minnmo/football.htm

[Snake~eyes]

I'll give you a general idea of what to do on regular scrimmage plays. Kickoff and special teams mechanics may differ in your area.

Some of the following may differ slightly in your area but it will give you a good idea of the Umpire's responsbilities:
Umpire is in the defensive backfield with the linebackers, 3-5 yards deep. Line up somewhere between the tackles and opposite the tight end, if they're double tight then pick a side, this is to avoid being used as a pick.

Once in position check out who your ineligible linemen are, watch the ball to make sure there are no snap infractions or any false starts on interior linemen. Watch the linemen if you read pass move up to the line of scrimmage to rule on illegal forward pass.

Watch the linemen at the point of attack on running plays, do not watch the ball. You have to watch all the players around the ball. The wings have the ball carrier.

Once the play ends get the ball, either someone will toss it to you or you will have to go get it, spot it using the wingmans downfield foot and make sure you put it between the hashes. Once the ball is spotted stand over the ball and wait for the whitehat to blow the ready for play whistle, once he does this run around the defensive huddle if there is one and get ready to move into the position. Start from the top again.

General tips:
-Keep the whistle in your mouth at the snap to blow false starts and snap infractions dead, once the ball is snapped spit it out, you don't need the whistle.
-When a player comes running at you, don't be so quick to try to get out of his way, he will cut off of you. If you cut left and he cuts right you'll be on the ground.
-After a play is over use your voice a lot so the players know you are there and won't try any cheap stuff. "Get up. Plays over. Push up off the ground." Things like this will keep you from having anything go on.

To repeat

Presnap Responsbilties:
-Protect the ball until the ready for play
-Count the offense
-Watch for snap infraction and false start

During Down:
-Watch off ball players for holding and blocks in the back
-Move up to the line of scrimmage on pass plays to rule for illegal forward pass
-Watch for ineligibles going downfield, make a note of who's ineligble before the ball is snapped.

Special responsbilities:
-Walk off the penalties (make sure you start walking the right way)
-Tell the players to stay off the snapper on scrimmage kick formations. You also rule on roughing the snapper.
-On short pass plays to the middle turn around to help on catch/nocatch ruling.

Hope that helps, this is a lot of info but it is just the basics.

[mcrowder]

One tip - instead of trying to memorize the distances on 100 some-odd different penalties, memorize which ones are 10-yarders. It is then relatively obvious which of the rest are 5, and which are 15.

You should, however, read and reread the section(s) on where a penalty is marked off from. That is USUALLY intuitive, but many years of watching on Sundays will cause you do to this wrong on occasion.

[ABoselli]

"Nervous?"

"Yes"

"First time?"

"No, I've been nervous lots of times."

[JasonTX]

I'd be willing to bet you will enjoy it. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.