First play of game and we have a problem already!!!
 

Here in Iowa we started our playoffs last night Wed 10/31, halloween should have know better.

We are working a game in Boone home of the states athletic association the governing body of officials.

Team A returns kick. Not sure which line but for story sakes we will say to A's 30.

Now the fun.

A's first play basic off tackle gains 3 yards to A's 33.

PENALTY FLAG!!!

5 yard incidental face mask. We tack on 5 yards at the end of the run, replay 1st down.

1st and 2 from A's 38.

As the white hat I blow the ready for play.

I am on the right hand side of qb facing the far sideline where the chains are.

I count my players go thru my pre snap.

As the ball is being snappe or even tenths of second prior to the snap i see the line to gain marker on the chain moving down field.

Team A runs a sweep towards the chain side and gain 6-7 yards.

I blow the whistle to stop the clock and my crew is wondering why because they see now whistle and it appears to them it is going to be 2nd down.

Apparently the chain thougth since we added 5 yards and i said we will replay first down they thought they were to move the chains.

My linesman who is very very good said he told them to move. One of the chain guys fessed they moved the chains on their own.

So now i am thinking what to do.

Well what I/we did was some math in our head.

In two plays Team A gained 14 yards in total. Rather than going back and do everything all over we speotted the ball and put the chains down at A's 44 and 1st and 10.

Explained to both coaches what we had and they both were totally cool and the rest of the game went smooth.

Did we handle this correctly in your eyes or what should we have done differently.

Worst part playoff game, associations home town, and the home team was on defense. Not quite the way i envisioned the beinning of the game.

Sorry the length.

How dare you give an accurate description of your play? Don't you know we like being kept in the dark? :D

Nice.

Handled perfectly in my mind!

Sounds like you handled it well. Best way you could have done considering the circumstances. Was anyone from the IHSAA there to "second-guess" you?

BTW, Nebraska had playoff games on Halloween night as well, in Classes B-D2. Class A will have games tonight (11/2-Friday). I was taking my kids trick or treating in their mom's neighborhood, and drove past the local high school where the lights were on, etc. I thought it was nuts that there was this much game and Halloween traffic in a residential area where a playoff game was going.

Called the office on thursday and spoke to one of the big wigs and they agreed i handled it in the best way possible.

Im sure some may have been there but heard nothing from anybody as of now.

I guess thats good.:confused:

I guess I don't see the major problem here. You started with a new series, had a run that netted 3 yds plus a foul on the next RFP, so we are at 8. So in my mind, I am saying two yards to a first. Now the next play got good yardage. Even without the sticks, I can be pretty confident that he got the 2 yards, so I would have said, 1st down, and get the stakes reset. But, I know how being on the field can aggravate the clarity of good thinking, so in this case, well done. If I may, try to say the yard line that is a good first down, i.e. "1st & 10 on the 23, needs the 33." Some mumbling that is heard from my mouth pre-snap.

I would say it's good if they didn't mention anything in the phone call and agreed you handled it in the best way possible. Don't fret just yet. Wait and see if you get bit later.

I'll trust Smokey wasn't in audience....

I always thought working in Boone would be like working in Holy Land.

Did you call to see if anyone in the office was at the game and saw the play, or did you call with a situation without specifying location?

You got it right. Why worry about what the big boys think?

Reason he said that was I asked, since the game was in the same city where the state association office is. I was just curious, because I had a buddy who worked in a city where the state association game was, and he heard from them the next day about a call that was made. He didn't realize someone was at the game, because usually evaluators will let us know if they are there or not. Kind of an unfair thing when you're not being evaluated, and someone from the state association office calls you the next day over a call because he/she was there personally.

we have received no calls so we either had no spectators or we did a good job that night.

personally i was happy as the WH with the work my crew did.

My bet is Roger and Todd were someone else cuz it would be pretty easy for them to get a tape or talk to one of the coaches about how you did. It sounds like you handled it well, but I'm sure you were wondering "what the ****" when you saw him moving. :eek: