Ready for Play

[Scooby]

When should the ready for play be blown. Does it vary on the game situation or if a team is running a hurry uo offense the whole game or if a team is behind in the last two minutes? I would like to hear your thoughts.

[SouthGARef]

Originally Posted by Scooby

When should the ready for play be blown. Does it vary on the game situation or if a team is running a hurry uo offense the whole game or if a team is behind in the last two minutes? I would like to hear your thoughts.

It's called a "ready for play" for a reason. As an R, when me and my partners are ready... I blow the whistle. Not a minute before, not a minute after.

I absolutely hate it when crews speed up the tempo when a team is behind in the last two minutes. I'm not saying we shouldn't hustle -- but just because your team is down doesn't mean my crew is going to run around like a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off. It's not our fault you're losing.

Hustle, don't hurry.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Scooby

When should the ready for play be blown. Does it vary on the game situation or if a team is running a hurry uo offense the whole game or if a team is behind in the last two minutes? I would like to hear your thoughts.

It really doesn't matter whether it's 10 seconds, 20 seconds, whatever. The important thing is to be consistent. We don't speed up during the last two minutes. When the ball is ready and we're ready, it's blown.

[daggo66]

Be consistent, especially when one team uses the no huddle and the other doesn't. Never blow the RFP with 26 seconds on the clock!

[Scooby]

Something that I heard (it may not be true) that in the Big Ten they expect the RFP to be blown 12-14 seconds after the end on the last play are there any guidelines like that in NFHS?

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by Scooby

Something that I heard (it may not be true) that in the Big Ten they expect the RFP to be blown 12-14 seconds after the end on the last play are there any guidelines like that in NFHS?

Not sure if it is a league expectation but a few years ago when he was still officiating Dick Honig stated that was his goal.

I personally like to shoot for no more than 15 seconds after the end of a running play, in fact, my crew slowed me down from an average of about 12 seconds. When you hustle and keep a consistent pace all game its enables the offense to get a tempo and you get more snaps.

[Simbio]

I say be consistent through the whole game, and echo what was said before "Hustle, don't hurry." No team should get a special priviledge.

[Sonofanump]

Originally Posted by Scooby

Something that I heard (it may not be true) that in the Big Ten they expect the RFP to be blown 12-14 seconds after the end on the last play are there any guidelines like that in NFHS?

In 2008 NCAA will be going to a 40 second deadball clock for inbound plays.

[Niner]

I don't think a team should have to wait for a crew. An experienced crew has little trouble having the ball ready for play regardless of the pace of the offense.

[daggo66]

Originally Posted by Niner

I don't think a team should have to wait for a crew. An experienced crew has little trouble having the ball ready for play regardless of the pace of the offense.

A team with a no huddle offense that just ran a play wide to one of the sides, or threw a pass that went out of bounds will definitely be waiting until we are ready. They may be lined up for the next play, but my BJ is digging the ball from somewhere on the sidleline or over on the track and relaying the ball to the U. The U will set the ball and wait for my whistle. That whistle will not blow until the BJ is back in position and I have glanced at both wings to make sure they are ready, especially making sure the HL doesn't have a chain crew issue, and then, and only then will I blow the RFP.they may have been lined up for 10 seconds, but they will wait.

[Texas Aggie]

When I'm on the R, I run a pretty fast clock. I try to be aware of the chains/marker location and when the ball is spotted, we go -- unless we have other business to take care of. A lot of our teams, even down to the jr. high level, have gone to the spread and no-huddle offenses. I don't think I've ever had a complaint about my tempo being too slow. Only a couple of times did guys think it was too fast. The only guys I want to hear that from is the ump and maybe the HL.

[jaybird]

Originally Posted by Scooby

Something that I heard (it may not be true) that in the Big Ten they expect the RFP to be blown 12-14 seconds after the end on the last play are there any guidelines like that in NFHS?

The Big XII also has it's crews strive for this time frame. They started this a few years ago and some of the smaller (D2) conferences have been using this same guide.


...but my BJ is digging the ball from somewhere on the sidleline or over on the track and relaying the ball to the U.

Not us. We will get another ball from the ball boy and then they can fetch the other one. We are paid to officiate not be ball chasers.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by jaybird

...but my BJ is digging the ball from somewhere on the sidleline or over on the track and relaying the ball to the U.

Not us. We will get another ball from the ball boy and then they can fetch the other one. We are paid to officiate not be ball chasers.

We never have the luxury of more than one ball per team and usually the ball boys aren't very good. Also, if the ball is on the sideline or near the track, it is a situation where the clock stopped on an OOB or incomplete pass so there is no panic. We hustle and do the best we can. The reality is that we have to chase the balls frequently.

[Jim D]

If we had the same number of officials, ball boys and the same field conditions as the Big XII or Big 10 we could run at the same speed. I also think a coach who wants to run a hurry up, no huddle offense needs to come equipped with a sufficient number of balls and quallified ball boys to aid in the flow of the game. Unfortunately, neither situation is common around here so we do the best we can.

I was watching film of our games and I noticed I was turning away from the field to get a ball much too soon after the play was over. Now I'm trying to watch the players untangle and start back to their huddle before I start worring about getting a new ball in.

[ajmc]

Let's not forget, even though sometimes we allow the wrong perception to exist, coaches, and certainly not ball boys, do not decide when a replacement football is required. That is a decision reserved ENTIRELY, for the officiating crew.

When a field is wet, a pass is incomplete or the ball bounces way out of bounds is one thing, but when the field is dry and there's no delay getting the ball ready for the next down, the ball we're using will continue to work just fine.

This is not hockey, so when running a deep pattern that goes incomplete, receivers simply exiting down field while a new ball and replacement receivers simultaneously enter, up field, looking for a quick snap before the defense is ready is not appropriate. As others have suggested "Hustle" is the objective, "Hurry" is not what we should be looking for.