LSU-SC Game
 

Anyone see this from the game last night?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Z-kAmbZCc

Wow! I know I'm only in my first year at the umpire position but even I know to stand up and don't move in that case. I don't understand why he dropped his shoulder like that. That just didn't look good.

No it doesn't look "good", but I bet it's a lot better than the view from a stretcher as you're carted off the field after getting run over.

I do not work umpire above high school JV for a reason.

Don't know what his intent was but it sure didn't look good. I looked like he had plenty of time to step to this left and turn to allow the runner to pass by.

Why was he moving to his right?

Pivot! And when in doubt, don't move, they usually adjust to you.

Anyone hear the announcers questioning the officials about offsetting a 5-yard illegal shift (??) and a 15-yard roughing the passer?

To summarize what they said,

We are going to need to check the rulebook on that one. I don't think that's right. In the NFL, a minor and a major foul don't offset.

It looks like he did, then got caught in no man's land when the QB tried to bounce it outside. When the QB bounced he stepped towards the runner in an effort to force the runner to make a move off of him, when he didn't make the move he brought his arm up to deliver a blow as an act of self preservation.

That technique is exactly what I was told I was told as a younger Umpire. If if the runner is coming straight at you, to step towards him and force him to react to your movement. If he doesn't react, brace yourself and prepare to deliver a blow. If he can't make a move to "juke" an umpire out he's got bigger problems.

Tough one by the U. I hope the Supervisor asks him about the play.

does anyone know
 

Does anyone know if he got a bud light after that???

A shot immediately afterwards:

http://www.kenn.com/images/ref_tackle.jpg

But, seriously, folks:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...e-tackle_N.htm

SEC spokesman Charles Bloom...said the league reviewed the video, and "we believe that in a move to protect himself the umpire raises his arm."

"And moves forward and delivers a blow," he didn't add, but should have.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier on his weekly teleconference said, "He is trying to get out of the way. … Sometimes that will happen."

That's an odd way to get out of the way...by going into the way.

(Another video)

What is your point? Is delivering a blow not the correct thing to do?

Well the official doesn't know where the way will be ahead of time.

Those of you who don't have the 'nads to assume the position need to http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/i...angry/stfu.gif.


:D

As I was told, if a running back is coming at you - stand still. The back will make a move and go around you.

If a QB is coming at you - get ready. He's going to hit you.

How does an umpire get outside the tackles like that? I've never seen one that far outside before...

I move around on every play to make sure the offense can't plan a play to run a receiver off me. Sometimes I get wider than the tackle to get a good view of the snap and G-C-G. I usually line up in the middle or on the tackle opposite a TE. This was a technique taught to me by a couple Big 10 officials at a clinic this summer.

He started on the left hash. The surge was up the middle, to his left. His natural reaction would be to his left and away from the pressure up the middle. The QB bounced the run outside where the U was standing. The U's position at the time of his tackle was only 2 or 3 steps from his starting position.

Boy isn't that the truth! Full backs running middle screens don't move too well either...or so I've heard. :o

I occationally start outside the O-tackles. I find I need to sometimes when the D is playing tight on the center (noseguard) and I can't see the ball very well.
One of the good angles to see the snap is a very flat angle from the weak side about the normal position of the TE.

The only comment I have to make about the videos is that I OFTEN have to tell myself I am an offical and repeat in my head "not allowed to tackle, not allowed to tackle" when things are comming at me!

Yes, that is my point. Absorb a blow, fine. That's one of the hazards of the gig. And if he was a player, he's not going to get killed by shoring himself up and taking the hit rather than delivering it.

He sure showed good instincts, though, didn't it? Stepped forward and nailed him.

Exactly. With more teams running a 3-4-4 or a 3-3-5 with a nickel back, the noseguard is so close to the ball, you can't possibly see it from the middle of the field.

I work umpire once in a while. Let's just say that the player would go down before I would if I see it coming.

Exactly. It's about self preservation in this situation. I gotta go to work tomorrow.

Well, we have long known that you're Superman, anyway.

I'm not saying you can't protect yourself. I'm sure you know after years of doing this that contact is an occupational hazard. But you can steel yourself against a blow or get out of the way before you have to resort to going forward and into an onrushing player.

I didn't know it was a player's responsibility to avoid us.

Well my theory is "If someone is going down it isn't me"

It's not, you're forcing them to react to you as they would to a defender. Some runners are just better at reacting than others. And if we do collide, its on my terms not his.

I do not think most players would have fallen down. The problem the player did, so all this hullabaloo about nothing if you ask me.

Peace

39 seasons---most games at U--- when a runner explodes like that in front of me I stand still and put out my hands as in an open hand blocking technique--at 6'3" 285 the players usually just bounce off me if they don't make a cut move. The camera sure makes it look like he did more than just protect himself. But--as Spurrier said---things happen !

No, you do NOT get out of the way as an umpire. You hold your ground and give the player the opportunity to move around you. If you move left, he moves right you go down. If you move right and he moves left you go down. If you pivot or stand your ground, he can go EITHER direction.

And the guys who mention going to work are right. I am not wearing pads and gear, the player is. I'd never hurt a player, but I'm OK if the player goes down.

I agree that it is not the players responsibility to avoid us (with the exception of a TE trying to scrape off me to get free).

Ususally I hear from LBs complaining that I was in the way of their path for a tackle (of course the pile is usually already going down, but they believe that they would have made a difference).
My response is
'I'm not really here. I'm just air. Heavy air, but air. You go where you think you need to.'

I do my best to not be in the way, but have been wrapped up in tackles a few times. I appreciate it when the player appologizes afterwards, but otherwise I don't expect anything else out there.

The camera view looking into end zone gives a different look at this. The play basically went to the right, broke down and the QB scrambled to the left. The umpire pivoted to look into the line play to his left. When the QB took off, the umpire shuffled to his right to give the QB room to cut up field. When the QB cut east-west into him, he reacted and protected himself proactively.