No one saw it!

[prosec34]

First of all, I would never be yelling to anyone that I didn't see what happened. You can communicate to your partners without letting the coaches and fans hear you.

As a wing, you have to set up close to the nearest end on this play, and come in hard if it's going up the middle. Hopefully one of the wings gets a clear look. Sometimes they don't, despite their best efforts. That's when it's the umpires duty to extrapolate what occurred. We had a play like this last week in a varsity game, where both of us wings were blocked out. When everyone unpiled, most of the ballcarrier's upper body as well as the ball were in the endzone. Our umpire promptly ruled touchdown. I would note that he knew to take over the call without either of us wings saying a word. After all, we hadn't blown the ball dead, we hadn't shown a spot, and we hadn't ruled touchdown. There's no yelling required for him to know it's his call to make, and if he has to guess, so be it.

The bottom line is the wings need to hustle and do their job, but the umpire has to be ready to make a quick call if we don't.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by prosec34

As a wing, you have to set up close to the nearest end on this play, and come in hard if it's going up the middle.

Great advice if you want someone to beat you to the pylon. Wings, stay wide where you belong.

[parepat]

I'll give you a little more information on the original post. The film shows the line judge running in to a spot. Once he gets to this spot he yells that he does not have the ball. He admits he has no spot. The puzzling thing was that he never leaves this spot during the entire episode. He leans over and tries to talk to the umpire. I believe the umpire thought the ball was in a pile at the goal line; but. it was behind him. The back judge stood at the back of the end zone and never speaks a word. The linesman is never seen in the film and verified that he did not see the ball. The Referee spoke to the umpire but no one else. For about the last 15 seconds prior to waving it off, he stands by himself with a, "I think I'm gonna be sick" look on his face. The crew never got together in any way shape or form.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by parepat

I'll give you a little more information on the original post. The film shows the line judge running in to a spot. Once he gets to this spot he yells that he does not have the ball. He admits he has no spot. The puzzling thing was that he never leaves this spot during the entire episode. He leans over and tries to talk to the umpire. I believe the umpire thought the ball was in a pile at the goal line; but. it was behind him. The back judge stood at the back of the end zone and never speaks a word. The linesman is never seen in the film and verified that he did not see the ball. The Referee spoke to the umpire but no one else. For about the last 15 seconds prior to waving it off, he stands by himself with a, "I think I'm gonna be sick" look on his face. The crew never got together in any way shape or form.

REPLY: Bad time for the back judge to go "stationary" and "mute" on the crew...

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: Bad time for the back judge to go "stationary" and "mute" on the crew...

There was one BJ I worked with who had me wishing he came with a 'mute' button.