Illegal Forward Pass

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by verticalStripes

This is my third year working as R in HS. My former position was umpire. I feel that the referee should own this call and the umpire should provide back up in case the referee did not see it. This is such a huge call that the crew must get it right. The umpire has to watch for inelligbles downfield and he must turn on short passes over the middle.

If your U is moving to the LOS when he reads pass, he should be able to do both, plus watch for illegal blocking and for the passer crossing the LOS. No one is in a better position. Trailing the QB, I don't see how the R is going to know where those feet are at the instance the ball is thrown. It's no different than the U trying to call encroachment on the defense.