Question:

How do you signal an incomplete pass? I have viewed many officials doing it one of two ways. One being with the finger tips of both hands meeting in the middle of the chest (illegal shift signal) and the other the "scissors" with the opposite hand extending outside the opposite shoulder. Whatin the forum's opinion is the most effective/correct for FED and NCCA?

"Signal 10 shows the "scissors" stile you've described and is the correct way for both NF and NCAA . It’s also the way I do it.

I've seen that illegal shift signal used once for incomplete in a game I worked. The experienced guy on the crew immediately went to that official and fixed it. It is wrong.

What you're calling "scissors" is the correct signal.

i agree that signal 10 shows the scissor style, but most college and nfl officials have adopted the illegal shift style. i think is because it looks more crisp. if you are being evaluated to college use the illegal shift motion. or least this has been my experience.

Another signal I don't see given correctly is for Delay of Game. Most give the "genie" signal.

Don't know where you got that information, but in my NCAA games, it's the scissor style all the way.
TV games I watch is the same. Can't say about NFL as I rarely watch them.

Unless my Ref is Barbara Eden, I despise the I dream of Gennie signal for delay. That being said, should they want it that way, then change the dang book to show it that way.

michaelpr - I think you're mistaken. I work exclusively NCAA rules, and can assure you that the mechanic you prescribe is wrong. I can't recall seeing it on Saturday on TV either.

I use the shift style. I think it looks crisper and have never been told differently from any of the officials that I've worked with or been evaluated by. I just don't like the look of the scissors.

That being said, I should probably switch to using the perceived correct signal.

Kind of like the touchback NFL style. I love seeing that in a HS game.

Unless you're in the SEC, and then you get to tack on an unnecessary "stop clock" signal.

Well if we are getting into this discussion about these signals I signal incomplete with the scissors style and not the illegal shift. However my BJ uses the illegal shift signal so I also use that under the uprights so that we look exactly the same and we look like syncronized swimmers because our arms are moving in sync.

I also use the genie signal for delay of game and I think that you also see that signal at all levels.

The one think I don't like seeing is the "I give up, don't shoot me" signal for touchdown. The signal is not palms forward with arms 30 degrees from straight up. Something like this.

(I don't have anything against this guy. I don't even know who he is.)

http://www.whscrusaders.cc/ATHLETICS...gnal093005.jpg

Lemme get that for ya Warren:

<img src="http://www.whscrusaders.cc/ATHLETICS/FBALL2005/images/king-refsTDSignal093005.jpg">
Holy crap that's huge...Not sure how to shrink it.

You don't have to use the stop clock signal after an incompletion? Everyone I've worked with has done it so I decided to do it too. Hmmm... good to know. I always felt akward going from the "scissors" to the "stop clock".

Oh and how exactly is the touchback signal in the book? don't have mine on me right now or I'd look myself.

NCAA/FED, Signal #7 from the chart, hand straight up and wave side to side. I believe NFL is hand extended straight out and wave up and down. This is what I did as LJ one time this year on a 4 man crew when I was covering a punt that became a TB. I was corrected by my WH, who loves to do just that every chance he gets. :D

Here is a link to page 1 of the signal chart on the NFHS Website:

http://www.nfhs.org/staticcontent/pd...gnal_chart.pdf

WOW! I read that before and my mind must have just translated it into what I've always seen on TV. The way it reads though it's almost a fair catch signal to signal a touchback.

I suppose that's one way to think of it, however, I have yet to see an official make a fair catch signal. :D