Communication signal

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by johnny1784

There is a communication signal in the NFHS book to let others know the play was dead in bounds along the sideline... "wind clock twice then stop clock. Indicate progress was stopped inbounds and first down has been attained (official’s manual pg 24)." Other game officials will use this signal even if no first down was attained but to indicate we are still inbounds along the sideline.

REPLY: Yes...but that's used when the play is over and is a signal to the ECO to keep the clock running. You don't see the wing traiiling the play winding the clock all the way down the sideline while the ball is live, do you?

[johnny1784]

Originally Posted by Bob M.

REPLY: Yes...but that's used when the play is over and is a signal to the ECO to keep the clock running. You don't see the wing traiiling the play winding the clock all the way down the sideline while the ball is live, do you?

Heck no to your question. I have never seen such an action and duh... I do understand the proper usage of the wind the clock signal. Please re-read my previous quotes as I never posted any such statements that a wing official would be trailing the play winding the clock all the way down the sideline while the ball is live. Why did you assume to comprehend such nonsense? My original post referred to a punch extended arm communication signal told to me to be required by wing during live ball with runner advancing along sideline and I wanted feedback from others if they ever heard of such a requirement. You’re coming across from left field with your reply.

[Bob M.]

Originally Posted by johnny1784

Heck no to your question. I have never seen such an action and duh... I do understand the proper usage of the wind the clock signal. Please re-read my previous quotes as I never posted any such statements that a wing official would be trailing the play winding the clock all the way down the sideline while the ball is live. Why did you assume to comprehend such nonsense? My original post referred to a punch extended arm communication signal told to me to be required by wing during live ball with runner advancing along sideline and I wanted feedback from others if they ever heard of such a requirement. You’re coming across from left field with your reply.

REPLY: I never assumed that you or anyone else did this. I was using it as an analogy of signaling while the ball is live. Of course winding the clock during the play is ridiculous. But you were the one who brought it up as a means of comparison to the signal in your original post. I just pointed out the difference--that being that the signal you proposed was used throughout the play, whereas the one you mentioned as a comparison is simply used when the ball becomes dead. If my reply appeared to be coming from left field, I apologize.

[parepat]

We just had a substitute who used this signal. Our back judge liked it. How about this situation.

Long run. BJ has him in. LJ has him out but whistle slips out of his hand and there is a short delay in blowing it. In the meantime, the BJ goes up. Now you have a mess.

This signal is no different than the thumbs up or the nod or whatever. It allows the BJ to signal more quickly and eliminates the bad result that I described. I'm okay with it.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by parepat

Long run. BJ has him in. LJ has him out but whistle slips out of his hand and there is a short delay in blowing it.

Did the LJ stop and mark the spot?

I've had trouble finding the whistle, too, sometimes. But I'd stop and get the spot and kill the clock and make the whistle the tertiary thing. And if the BJ saw me do that, I'd hope he'd wonder why.

Granted, this all happens at speed and with varying levels of experience on a crew, so it may not be realistic. In any case, like Rut says, a few seconds ain't a deal-breaker if it means the difference between looking cohesive and looking scattered.

[JRutledge]

Yes we signal. Yes I make eye contact with my wings. Yes I wait for some indication from them before I go up with a TD. I have gone up with a TD while assuming I had a TD, only to have my partner signal the player out at the 2 yard line. If it is a TD now, it is a TD 10 seconds from now. If you go up with a TD, it is going to be hard to take it back without some explaining to do. For all I know my partner might have been knocked down or is a little slow and I want some confirmation so I do not make a quick TD call.

Peace