Getting rolled over

[ajmc]

I have no idea where the concept that, "beating him to the goal line" matters, comes from. Following the runner, perhaps as closely as practical, is the usual objective as your primary responsibility would be to observe whether, or not, he may touch the sideline and the legality of any blocks in the runner's immediate vicinity.

Working with 5, or even as few as 4, men is a completely different world than working with 6 or 7 men, as far as the wing positions are concerned.

Sadly, it's human nature for many people on the sideline to tend to step forward to watch a runner who has run past them, which is why there is such emphasis on sideline control at every level.

Umpires, good ones, usually lead their crews in bumps, blocks and sometimes tackles, but it's the wing officials, who when they go down, go down hard and are too often unable to get back up. Sideline collisions can be extremely dangerous and damaging and when they happen surprise everyone involved, much like the first time an old dog bites.