Bad Mechanics? - Spotting
 

As a wing, is it considered bad mechanics to put your hand up (dead ball signal) when spotting the ball? (short of line to gain)

Also, do your feet need to be together when you spot it? (with your up-field foot slightly forward)

Fed Game?

If so it is. The hand up is a pro signal to start the 45 second clock.

One foot forward is better.

In SC we use our downfield foot for the spot.

Suppose you stand one foot forward and the opposite wing does the same and you don't line up, then one coach will think your spot is great and the other will think it's lousy.

Suppose you go downfield after a pass that you think is complete and stand with one foot forward obviously marking a spot and then a fellow official waves it off incomplete.........

Better is to stand with your feet a ball width apart, neither foot forward. That's how regular folks stand anyway. That way if you decide you dont want to be showing a spot, youre not - youre just standing there.

Any half-decent Umpire will know which wing to look to for progress, he doesn't need you to be standing with one foot forward.

If you are using your downfield foot to spot it why do you need to sick it out in front of the other foot?

All the HS camps I have been to...
 

suggest standing with your downfield foot slightly forward.

Also, hand up is a no no in HS. As another poster said, it is a NFL mechanic.

It is an NFL and NCAA Mechanic because it serves a very specific purpose. This serves no purpose for us at our level at all. This is why high school officials should not be using it.

Peace

So I don't tip over.


Also, raising the hand when the ball becomes dead is an old FED mechanic. I started back in the 70's and we used it then.

If you feel the need to do something with your hand while spotting the ball, signal the down.

I just put the ball down wherever I feel like putting it. :)

Put the hand down it is an obsolete mechanic that serves no purpose.

Keep your feet together because you don't want to put one foot forward only to have the U take the other wing and the coach question why his blade of grass was better than yours.

Last thing, if you are near the line to gain yell it out to the R to let himknow if he needs to look or if it is a first down.

...and yelling "Close! Close!" when it is a play to the Linesman's side should encourage him to come further in so he can ensure the ball is placed exactly where he wants it, East/West as well as North/South.

Looks awful when you measure to a spot that is a distance laterally from where the kid was tackled.

I would disagree with this one. If you are close to the first, shout it out to him, but do not come further into the field. place it right at your feet if you believe you have the right spot. Then, bring the chains over to you. You'd be surprised how much deviation there is in 20 yards of running. jmho

I'm with With_Two_Flakes.

I realize that I'm Canadian, and my mechanics have little to do with US mechanics. But when I'm a side guy, I know where the LTG is. If a forward progress mark threatens that line, I can literally focus on a blade of grass that I have determined to be the spot. I trust my mark and will run in to make it clear that I have an accurate spot.

We're way more accurate to spot the ball at the tackle than to judge 20 yards away. You'll be off. Even on a well lined field, you'll be off.

Just my 2 cents and what works for me.

Wingmen who have a close spot should come in no further than where the ball became dead. It is that spot you need to focus on. So, if the ball becomes dead in the middle of the field, you may come in further than the hashmarks, if the ball becomes dead at the sideline, you should stay near the sideline. Relay the ball to the wingman that has the spot and have him spot the ball himself.

The U (on the HL side) or the LJ should indicate if the ball is close to the LTG. Once spotted, the R should determine quickly if the spot is close enough for measurement.

The HL should always have an idea where each LTG is in front of him. When it's anticipated as being close, our practice is for the covering wing to move towards his spot, rather than have the ball be tossed out to him.

Either approach, done correctly, will yield the same result, but going to the spot provides a more emphatic perception.

The wings, especially the LJ, usually go up with the down count.
They mark the spot with feet together, downfield foot is the spot.
Wings will come in for the spot, usually no closer than the numbers, but could come in further if it's close to the LTG or the GL. Of course if there are players in the way they have to stop. No dodging around and trying to re-establish your spot.
If there is a "close" call, the U takes the ball to the spotting wing and hands it to him to spot, throwing it to him only creates a chance he has to move off his spot to catch it, which would be bad.
I then decide if we measure or not.

On a close play on his side of the field, the wing should come in as far as he can without moving off his line; he should not be jumping over or going around players to get to the ball. If he can come all the way into the ball he should, but if he starts coming in and players get in his way, he should stop there.

If he couldn't get all the way in and a measurement is needed, the ball can be moved to his feet and measured from there.