Field Goal Attempt Question

[daggo66]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Exactly when do they give it?

It's done discretely between officials when it is obvious a FG will be attempted.

[Jim D.]

Our signal is to grab and hold our whistle in our fist. We hold it out from our chest a few inches. That reminds everyone that it's a live ball and to lay off the whistle.

[Reffing Rev.]

Not in the book, but...

Anytime Scrimmage Kick Formation is in use (snapper protected) R and U signal each other with travelling signal just as players are coming to their positions. (Before that its not a scrimmage kick formation)

Between downs when a wing observing substitutions on his sideline sees a kicking tee come in he makes the letter T with 2 fingers in front of his chest, while making eye contact with crew-mates. This signals the crew to get in position for a scoring kick, proper wing move to post, etc.

If it is not a try R pulls his whistle (we don't use finger whistles) in his fist out from his chest. HOLD THE WHISTLE.

We used to have a U who had been around for a long time. Kick tries were the 1 time the game he blew his whistle because when he went to a clinic in 1947 (year approximate) the mechanic was to have the U blow the whistle as soon as the kick try past his head, and no matter how many times we told him to stop he kept it up. He would regularly, 40% of the time, blow field goals dead. He retired before last season. (Thank goodness)

[bisonlj]

We give the rolling signal for 2 reasons...one to remind ourselves the ball remains live and the other (only on 4th down but this is when most scrimmage kicks occur) as a reminder the clock will stop after the play regardless of what happens.