Experienced Backjudges?
 

I noticed some real helpful "experienced" people on this forum in the past weeks. Just wondering if anyone out there has any advice for a new BJ, allthough I recently got assigned some varsity games at BJ prior to the season my preparation was 4 and 5 man HL and LJ, and in the past I worked only the flank positions in High school games. We use 5 man mechanics, I got some work at BJ in a scrimmage, and I understand the basics such as pre-snap routine, keys on specific formations, positioning depth, and goal line mechanics.

Im sure a lot of you will have suggestions so please let me know if there are any "tricks of the trade"

Know Rule 6

Don't get beat

Know Rule 6

Don't get beat

I've worked a bit of BJ in my career. Its not enough to get over the feeling that my rear end is hanging out of my shorts when I work it. It is weird to get used to the fact that you've got all that stuff in front if you and all that grass behind you.

Conditioning wise, you've got to adjust from a lot of side-stepping to back peddling.

Lots of good info in these 3 threads:

Advice for new Backjudge

First year as Back Judge...need some tips

Backjudge

You will earn your money on punts and with your dead ball officiating.

On a dead ball when a player goes into hostile territory (the opponent's bench) Go In and get him out.

Never turn your back on the play. You will find on a pass right at you that you'll want to "get spun" away to officiate over your shoulder. Try to spin towards the play.

If you're going to be a BJ for a while and aren't going to have on-field play clocks invest in a Ready-Ref timer or something similar. They are a lot better than taking your eyes off of the play to check a wristwatch.

The Original Ready Ref Football Timer

Keep your distance

Never backpedal with a whistle in your mouth.

Never backpedal into a goal post.

Watch crossing routes for "pick" plays.

Watch WR on potential crack-back blocks.

Never go on the field with just one bean bag. (Its tough to bag both first touching and end of kick with only 1)

Goal Line!

When you drop back with a punt receiver maker sure he know what a legal fair-catch signal is.

And as has been said already, be able to quote rule 6 like its your wedding vows.

At the end of the game, make sure HL gets his clip.

You've got to decide with your wings at what yd line you will go to the end line and they will go to the goal line. Communicate WHO has the GL when you get down to that end. We use the 15-yd line as the time when the BJ goes to the EL and the wings cover the GL.

Backjudge
 

I am starting my second year as BJ. Things I learned from others and the hard way.

Presnap process:

Game clock running/not running and time on said clock.
Count defense and signal to LJ
Ready for play whistle and starting of 25 second clock( I use a very large wrist clock that has beeps on the count down. A must have IMO)
Read formation, know your responsibilities and make sure that your HL and LJ are on same page by having a great pregame discussion B4 every game.)
Know who your problem children are and be wise to their tactics.
Develop great relationships with FS and SS, they are your communication tools for help with above problem children.

At the snap:

Be on your toes and ready to move in all four directions. I found always taking a step back did not work for me. Read the play, go the right direction to see the blockers ahead of runner from inside out look and or move with the receivers that are your responsibility.

End of play:

All plays outside of numbers, be there to help get everyone untangled and to shuttle ball back. Dead ball officiating is your largest assett. OOB plays, go get the players and make sure you see the whole play oob.

For your first few games, work on three things, pre-snap routine (Clock status and 25 second clock, player count, etc.), don't get beat deep and hustle.

As many games as I've done as BJ...I'm not sure I can add anything real constructive that hasn't been mentioned yet. And yes, the Ready Ref is a great idea. Just sent mine back to Joe Grimm after 6 years with mine, and returned working like new....even got a call from him regarding the unit. Worth every penny.

great advice
 

+1

Crack-back blocks
 

[QUOTE=Reffing Rev.;623420]Watch WR on potential crack-back blocks.
QUOTE]

I always hear people say to watch for crack-block blocks? Are they illegal or only if they block in the back, down below the waist, etc.?

[QUOTE=stegenref;628545]The term crack back block is only a phrase used at the NFL level to describe an illegal act. There is no such terminology at the high school level or the college level. Only lineman can block below the waist and a WR is not a lineman by definition. So there is nothing special to watch out for, this block would be obvious to almost anyone if they understand the rule. There is nothing illegal about a WR coming back to the ball and making a legal block (above the waist and on the side or in front).

Peace

I don't think that the term wide receiver is defined. WRs lining up as linemen is very common. Usually they are not lined up within the free blocking zone but if they do line up there then the blocks would be legal.

[QUOTE=JRutledge;628548]A "receiver" can certainly line up on the line and in the FBZ, so the block *could* be legal.

[QUOTE=RichMSN;628625]Anyone can line up anywhere and block legally. But a wide receiver or back cannot line up where they are expected to be and block below the waist or block in the back or even clip unless they are on the line and in the zone. If you are saying a TE could do this, yes they could. But they would have to be awfully tight to do so.

Peace

You are making it sound way more complicated than it is. You shouldn't use fan terms like WR, TE, SE, RB... All you have to think about is 1) Is the player a lineman? and 2) Is he in the FBZ?

I disagree because a Wide Receiver suggests that the player is far away from the interior line just by definition. You cannot be very wide and be in the FBZ. And a "back" of any kind cannot block below the waist, clip or block in the back. I do not know how complicated it can be at this point unless you want me to quote the rule word for word to a person that might not understand all that language in the first place. The term "crack back block" is not in our code.

Peace

Yes but a lot of people think that a team can line up with 3 tight ends. They assign positions to players by what is listed on the roster, not by where they line up on the field. That's how it gets confusing when you use these non-defined "fan terms".

The term Wide Receiver means they are wide on the formation. This is a pretty "vanilla" or common term. I have never heard this suggested as a "fan" term.

I really do not see why this is hard to understand. I do not think this is a roster issue, the guy was asking a rules question, not for us to classify who is on his or their roster. And if he did not understand he can ask for clarification.

Peace

At the snap there are only 3 defined positions for players to line up in and they are snapper, lineman, and back. Those are the only ones that matter when it comes to the rules.

You seem to be mixing up actual football definitions with words used by fans. Earlier you said a WR cannot be a lineman. I'm sure that is what John Madden would say but if the WR's shoulders are parallel to the goal line and he's breaking the snapper's waist then he is a lineman.

The point about the roster thing is that you cannot make these statements and say that ____ (undefined roster position) cannot do ________ . Sure it may be true a lot of the time but these absolutes cause problems without actually learning the real rule. You can't say that a defensive safety can't be blocked below the waist on a blitz. He may walk up and be on the line and in the FBZ at the snap. You can't say that the interior linemen for A can block below the waist. Some teams run weird formations where the snapper is 10+ yards away from the other linemen.

OK man whatever. The term "Crack back block" has a very specific definition at the NFL level. I was conveying the NFL wide receiver coming back to the where the ball was snapped and blocking below the waist. If you have a problem with the explanation, you will just have to have a problem with it. Life will go on.

Peace

I confess when I made that statement a month ago I slipped into coach language as in what coaches always yell..."Thats a crack back block..." I admit I should have said watch the player you are keying on (widest receiver on strong side by the NFHS book) especially if he is blocking back towards the ball to see if he blocks below the waist or in the back. And as you watch blocking ahead of a runner to the weak side be mindful of ends and backs outside the tackle blocking down for the same thing.

Sure I used a coach word mea culpa mea culpa. But as officials if we can't understand an occassional coach word then we need to hang up the whistle because we have to be in tune with the game as it is being taught and played today. We may have to sometimes translate "coach-speak" into code language but we do have to be fluent in it.

Oh and to the guy who said there are only three defined positions for A at the snap as far as the rules are concerned...you are mistaken there are 4. snapper...lineman...backs, and I would argue ends have enough rules specifics to list them here...ends can remove a hand from on or near the ground, ends are elligible recievers, etc.

No, end is not a player designation. NF 2-32, NCAA 2-27. Rather than saying "An end is eligible to catch a forward pass" the rules use phrases like "A player positioned on the end of his scrimmage line..."

Referring to a position is not "coach's speak." I guess as a basketball official I should never say "point guard" even though there is no such reference in a rulebook (at least I have ever found).

Peace

I cannot ever remember using the term "wide receiver" on the field.

The issue is certainly communication. We frequently must explain a ruling to a coach, and the question is whether to use his terminology or that of the rule book.

If you're asking a question about a rule on the forum and you sound like a coach, it comes to pretty much the same thing.

IMO, an official who answers a rules question without applying the proper terminology risks being misleading, wrong, or both because the rules are not couched in coach-speak.

If I'm talking to a coach, I might summarize the rule in rule-speak and then explain how it applies to the situation on the field: "That means that your players must ALL be set for 1 second before your WR goes in motion."

We are not on the field right now.

That being said I have used the term and other specific position terms sure to explain who was not lined up properly or who was covered or who might have been called for "holding" or any number of penalties.

I believe in using rulebook language too, but most people know what a wide receiver is, they might not know what an end is or better yet split end. And who cares anyway, because the terms are not contrary to what the rules are like someone referring to a cut block or a chop block and mean something completely different that what the rules say and means.

Peace

No the don't. Just yesterday on TV I heard the announcer say something like the team is setting their tight end up wide. The player who usually lined up at TE was lined up far to the side, in the backfield, and there was a split end out even wider than him. I've also seen this happen where it is a RB lined up wide. Isn't this what you are saying a WR is? Then why is this ESPN announcer calling him a TE? It's because he is referring to what his normal position is, what he is listed as on the roster.

[QUOTE=JRutledge;628632]That's always going to be a touchy subject...where exactly 4 yards is precisely for the definition of the zone. We've had this discussion between our crew and have come to the point where unless the center/guard/tackle gap is a tad bit wide..the TE (in HS) is probably going to get the benefit of the doubt and be considered in the zone. I've walked this off nonchalantly during gametime as an ump and more often than not, 4 yards from the ball usually gets me into TE space...at least somewhat. I'm not very tall with a big stride either. If half of his foot is even in the zone...he's considered in the zone. Any split at all and we'd have IBBW. IMHO, they should make it illegal for anyone outside the tackle slot to participate in the FBZ and that would clean up some of the clutter and confusion.

I guess I am missing your point. No one in this thread mentioned the TE and depending on where the TE is located in the formation, they might not be in the FBZ. If we use your logic only TEs can line up on the end and on the line of scrimmage. They often do not depending on the skill set of that player. But they still call them a TE.

The term was very generic and you have made a simple thing complicated more than it needed to be (and you are the only one making this point like your life depended on it). Gates for the SD Chargers is a TE and moves around all over any of their numerous formations. But if he lines up in a wide, he is restricted in how he blocks (and the reason they have a definition for a crack back block in the NFL). And the reason the question was asked so the person could get clarification to what a blocker wide of the formation could do. I will stick to the term even if you do not like it. Trust me, you will get over it. ;)

Peace

That is the point. People call it a tight end even when he is lined up wide. People call it a wide receiver even when he is lined up tight.

You said "The term Wide Receiver means they are wide on the formation" It doesn't. Just as being a tight end does not mean they are tight on the formation.

LDUB,

I will still use the terms and I have never had anyone not understand what I was talking about except with you or on this website. I have never had officials not understand the term or get confused until now. And the fact that someone online has a problem with it tells me a lot honestly after 14 years of officiating. Do what works for you; I will certainly do the same.

What we call the position really does not matter. If you are not in the FBZ and on the line (at the snap), you cannot block below the waist anyway. It is that simple. What we call the position is irrelevant. But I have never had anyone ever think a wide receiver was someone as someone clearly on the line and in the FBZ. First time for everything I guess. ;)

Peace