Illegal shift question
 

Should the umpire ever call this? The other night, it was obvious to me (U) that the wingback was starting in motion before the QB went under center. The R did not call it. I mentioned to him at halftime what was happening. Still no call.

I am also a "big ugly" in the middle...I've posed similar questions to my R...Shifts and Motions should be Rs call...BUT if there is something obviously illegal going on, it is the crew's responsibility to get it right, ...just my opinion..

Jaysef

We have a team--every year--that likes to send its slot or flanker in motion the same time the linemen go into their set position. Every year we flag it as an illegal shift and let the quarterback and motion man know to wait for the linemen to be set before going in motion. By the end of the season they get it.

The coach never complains. Yet every year he coaches the same thing.

This is properly the call of either the R or the wings. The wings have a better overall view of the backfield and wide guys setting than either the R or the U. If I were the U or BJ and the other guys passed on it, I'd pass on it too.

REPLY: Albert Einstein described insanity this way: "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

But to the question...this would typically be the call of the R or the wings, but if you're certain you saw it correctly and they don't flag it, in my estimation, you should. And then talk about it at halftime to make sure everyone is on the same page going forward.

if you see a foul, flag it, as long as it's there you can not get yourself in trouble

My first or second season ever I flagged a scrambling QB for an illegal forward pass as a wing a yard past the LOS.

I got into trouble. :o

My first lesson in mechanics. :D

IMO and in our crews when you have a foul call it. Neither team should be allowed free fouls because of a "it's not in my territory excuse". They'll be enough fouls that get missed in a game where we just don't see the whole play good enough to make the call, IMO we should never let an obvious foul go without a flag. If I see a player in motion prior to the QB going under center then I've got a flag (and I'm the U) unless he stops and sets prior to the snap.

I'll also flag the play when I see a WR in motion when I've got 3 backs behind the QB (illegal formation).

After learning the hard way (several times), when these went unflagged, I now go strictly by the, if you've got a foul, flag it.

You can always pick a flag up, but there's no good way to throw a flag when A has just scored a 95 yard TD on a play where we should have had a flag at the snap due to an obvious formation or illegal motion foul.

I agree with Roy, however I also understand that there are some officials who are religious about the "only fish in your own pond" mechanic. While I can agree for the most part because the philosophy of not calling out of your area has probably improved officiating on the whole because officials aren't trying to call the entire game themselves, in truth it has let some teams get away with a foul on occasion.

In my opinion, the key is this. While we as officials obviously try to get the call right and sometimes this mechanic is a hard one to overcome....never, never, never, ever tell the coach that you saw the foul and didn't call it because it's not your responsibility. Ever.....
Instead, tell him that you didn't see it because you were looking at your keys or that you didn't see the entire play so you can't call something that you think was there, etc. At worst, just tell him you flat missed it. He may be pissed, but there's only so much he can do before he has no choice but to let it go. Swallow your pride, take one for the team and let him momentarily take it out on you. Personally, I have quite a bit of confidence in my officiating skills, as we all should if we're out there. Therefore, I would much rather have the coach think that I'm incompetent (at least temporarily) than to compromise the integrity of my crew. Anyday.....

In his mind (and rightfully so most of the time) there is simply no excuse whatsoever for you seeing a obvious foul and not calling it. Take one for the crew so that the integrity and intentions of your crew aren't second-guessed.

That being said, these sorts of things are worthy of private crew discussions regarding how you all want to work together moving forward. Not only that, but just remember that you can always pick up a flag if someone got a better look, just make sure the crew doesn't get into the habit of it.

REPLY: Read the feature article in the September issue of REFEREE magazine that's entitled "That's MY Call!" It's about precisely this topic--making calls away from your primary area of responsibility. A lot of top-notch professional and college supervisors and officials weigh in on the subject with some pretty good advice. It's a good article---but then again I might be biased.