Another season begins
 

Outstanding night for my crew. Worked a game where the score was 3-3 with about 6:00 left in the game. I covered the overtime procedure with my U and my L during an injury timeout. I passed the test :) . Visiting team scores a touchdown and converts on the point to make it 10-3. Home team drives down the field and benefited from a dead ball personal foul where the yardage took it from 3rd and 12 to a first down. The game ended on an incomplete pass in the end zone that got batted around a bit. I still, since 1995, have never worked an overtime game.

I wore a microphone for the game and all my penalty announcements (12 accepted, 4 declined) went well. The first penalty was with about 4 minutes left in the half – a hold on a sweep around left end that my L nailed. He also made a great call on a pass interference that led to the tying field goal for the visiting team. The LJ called the late personal foul, but it probably could’ve been termed USC as the push in the back was minor, but the taunt was there for everyone to see and hear. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

My penalties were pretty routine – 6 on the line during a field goal attempt that was blocked (only 10 on the field and nobody slid up onto the line to make 7). Running into the kicker (declined as it was the last play of the half). A couple of false starts. 12 on the field lined up (illegal substitution) on the try after touchdown. A hold that was more like an armbar on a linesman’s thigh (it worked, the lineman went down).

The game was on the area’s first HS FieldTurf field. Let me tell ya, if I could do every game on this wonderful surface, I would. I hope this is just the catalyst for other school to spend the coin on one of these.

Finally, apparently our game was the lead game on all the local sports channels. Doesn’t get any better than this. Especially Week 1 after missing out on the local scrimmages last week. It felt odd putting a uniform on the first time and going out and working a varsity game.

Next week we go to some school in the middle of nowhere :). Lucky if our game makes the list of scores in Saturday’s morning’s paper. But it’s Friday night and there’s no place I would rather be than on the football field.

Anyone else open up last night?

We had a good game as well. Pretty sloppy on the penalties (11 on one team, NINE false starts/encroachments.) Other wing had a great PI that gave the team a nice field placement, but then fumbled. Greatest remark from the sidelines was the enforcement of the penalty. LOS was 30, so we go to the 15 and an auto 1st. Coach is going, "this isn't the NFL, there is no auto 1st." I said, you're right, it isn't the NFL.
Other than that, very smooth, nothing too major. I'm finding that using the intent rather than the letter of the rules makes the game smoother. My only issue was the coaching box. They were in it, but not interfering with me or the play. Only once did I do the "sideline bump" into a coach. I'm a big guy, he's a big guy. Next time I came to the line, everyone's saying, "back up, he'll take you out."
Oh, the love of the game. 10 weeks to go.

We had a DPI call that the L nailed. Defender arrived early and banged into the receiver before the ball arrived. Home coaches were yelling and all I could think as I was about to announce the penalty was that they'll change their minds if they ever watch the film.

Had a good college game today. 16-9 with the ball being turned over on downs insidet the 30 with 8 seconds left. Pretty uneventful penalty wise, but quite a few, 10-11. Go ahead TD was a punt where the receiver got popped after taking two steps, ball went 15 feet in the air and a K player caught it in full stride and went 30 yards or so for the TD. A lot of rain in the last 10 days and it was pretty sloppy.

Really big HS game next week. Two great state tournament teams in the same county and is the game of the year for both.

Actually opened up on Tuesday night with a 9-man game. The final was 54-8 and the home team was up 24-0 and only ran one offensive play. The V were very young and inexperienced. Running clock in second half :)

I got my own crew this year and we opened up last night with two equally matched sloppy teams. The H team ran the second half KO back for a TD. It was a pretty uneventful game and I'm glad to have the first one as WH out of the way. BTW, bought the Ready-Ref and love it. Now I don't have to keep looking at my watch.

Hope everyone has a great season!

Opened last night with a big AAA game. Had a helping he runner call and a late hit PF and USC that should have sunk the visitors but the home team let a receiver get wide open with 42 sec. left. He went 66 yds and they lost the game which they should have won. New L on the crew and it was not as smooth as I had wished. But, like the teams, we will get better. I need to coach him and the others on some mechanics. Seems they have forgotten to signal to stop the clock on change of possession, etc.

This afternoon we had a 9-man game. Nothing unusual. Pretty clean. One thing about 9-man. It's easier to count the players! I count by three's and I usually don't have any left over. :) Coaches in both games have been good and I suspect we have something to do with it. One of our crew said that the coaches are seeing the same things that we are. That's good. sometimes it's hard to convince them of what we see.

Next weekend off. I will probably video another crew next Friday.
This week I will do the Fed test online. Anyone do that yet? I understand they've cut the number of questions down to 50.