Winding
 

Does anybody else have the back judge wind with the referee?
I hadn't seen it anywhere, at any level.
I was working a playoff game last year and in the middle of the game the referee tells me that I am supposed to wind with him.
The observer told me the same thing at halftime.
I was dumbfounded.
Anyone?

The only time my BJ will do that is if the clock is behind me and for some reason does not start when I wind. When I see him wind, I know we have a problem.

Some NFL Rs have their LJ wind with them. It's a good mechanic, imho. When in Rome...

I don't think I've ever seen it done in the NFL or in college.

By the way, I saw this mechanic in the NFL last weekend for all those who love to copy their work - The HL had his flag sticking out of his back pocket. He had a couple of inches of yellow showing throughout the whole game. I haven't seen that at any level for a while.:eek:

Former R 86 Bernie Kukar had the flag hang out of his pocket - I don't recall if it was his front or back pocket.

As for NFL Rs having their LJs mirror the wind, you wouldn't notice this unless you were at a game - TV rarely picks up both the R and LJ in the same frame. Take into account that the number of times that the R actually does a wind is on the minority of plays, it is even more rare to see it through TV.

Ask him what mechanic manual he got that from. I've never heard of it but if it's in a book that your state is using you should probably be doing it.

As the R I have always been the one to wind the clock. The LJ (4-man) would wind the clock if for some reason the clock operator's hand was frozen in the off position.

Other than on the kickoff the only time the R needs to wind the clock is if the clock starts on the ready and you hope the clock operator is smart enough to know or remembers your instruction to start the clock on the signal. Why do you need to involve the BJ?

The only reason for another official besides the Referee to wind the clock on or after the RFP is the official assigned to the game clock. Crew size
(4,5,6 or 7-man) determines who that is. He would do that as pointed out by aggo66 because the clock operator was asleep at the switch and failed to start the clock was directed to do so.

To wind just to wind is redundent and not a proper mechanic. However as we all know by now, mechanics vary from state to state especially at the high school level. That being said, you do what your state FB association directs you to do.