Dusting off the rulebook
 

I'm ashamed to say my fellow sportscasters didn't have a clue about this situation. Lincoln County (in red) is leading 21-7, and had just forced a punt by Hawkinsville from deep in its endzone. LC fair caught the ball at the Hawkinsville 32 with 18 seconds left in the second quarter. Then the fun began.

Here's the video

LC HC Larry Campbell has been at Lincoln County since 1971 and has a 403-69-3 record. Not much beats experience.

Was this a six man crew? Is that the norm for Georgia? I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but with 5-man mechanics wouldn't the R and U be under the uprights for the free kick?

I noticed the R behind the kicker as well and thought the same thing. In 5 man the R and U go under.

As soon as I heard "fixin" 3 times I thought this was a game in Dallas. I tease my friend all the time (she's originally from Dallas) for using that term. She's always "fixin" to do something.

I love it! Without that accent it wouldn't be near as funny. :D

Even in a 4-man crew, the R and U would be under. I guess they don't see this play very often.

Hoo-wee!

There are at least 6 officials on the field.

Looks really cold there
 

They've got long sleeves and gloves on. Must have dipped below 60 that night.

Hoooooooo-weeeeeeeeee!

Never knew Boomhauer did play by play.

Ok, here is my question. Why have the U and R be under the uprights? What is the rationale? Why not have the guys who are normally there under the uprights? I know it is the mechanic, but why???? :confused:

Well I guess we can answer this with a couple of questions. Where would the R then go if the LJ and BJ are under? What if the kicker hit the ball wrong and there was a return? Can you see some U's running 80 yards?:eek:

OK U's - I said "SOME U's" ;)

It was probably somebody's personal touch to the mechanics from years long ago.
The thought process might have went.. "say, this is a free kick isn't it? So let's be in free kick positions. But who goes under the posts? Hmm, let's take the closest officials".
Whala... now the R is moved under the post. Why not the U as well? Don't know. Two under would have been the best option. Quite a number of years back, it would have been the R and H until the NFHS mechanics switched those two on free kicks in the four-man mechanics.

Actually it really doesn't matter as long those under the posts know what a good vs. a no-good kick really is or when the ball becomes dead by rule.

That is what I figured, but it just seams odd after explaining how it is all going to work to both teams, (and you WILL have to do that) to have to run up to 70 yards to get under the posts. That might kill a few U's right there! ;)

It's my (as a white hat) first thought after a safety -- crap, I gotta run 100 yards or so now :)

I think somebody should be fixin to educate those announcers. I have thought for a long time that HS ball on TV should have an official as a resource up there in the booth.

As for the coverage of the free kick, I think it is natural for the free kick coverage to be the same as a "kickoff" free kick and have the R and U down there. (5-man) Although, I hope if this play ever happens in a game that I am doing, that I remember what the heck our positions should be.

I bet after the game the announcers went out for some mud-runnin and bass feeshin!

I would LOVE for an official to be in the booth with me as a resource on TV or radio. That would have kept some of my bigger gaffes to a minimum. Problem is in some of those HS pressbox booths, there is barely enough room for a two-man broadcast crew, let alone three people.

I once had to share a booth with my color commentator, the OC, and the DC, all literally shoulder to shoulder, and a third coach standing behind us. The head coach said he could hear me calling the game in his headset. :eek: