Moving to Back Judge...
 

...for just one game. Never worked this position, help me out. Keys? Responsibilities?

I guess I've done back judge in scrimmages and stuff like that, but never in a full game.

Keys depend on your associations mechanics, it's really best to talk with your wings during the pregame to discuss who you will key at the snap, (TE or outside receivers, etc.).

Rule 1. Don't get beat deep.
Rule 2. Hustle

1. You have the 25 second clock. You give the count for the last 5 seconds.
2. Set up 15-20 yards deep or deeper than the deepest man.
3. You have the outside receiver to the strong side or the two outside guys on a trips formation.
4. You have the goal line outside of the 10 yard line going in. You have the end line if inside the 10 yard line.
5. Do not get beat deep by a pass.
6. Hustle and get the ball back in play on long runs or passes.

Peace

2 bean bags! 1 for First Touching and 1 for end of kick!

Dead Ball Officiating especially at the sidelines!

When I work BJ I almost never blow my whistle. Obvious exceptions are fair catches and timeout warnings but I have the wings blow on routine dead balls even if the play is long.

First 2 steps are almost always back. While sidelines need to be covered by someone in addition to the wing, don't leave 16 players for a wing on the opposite side of the field to be responsible for. Work with your R on that, depending on how often he goes to the sideline. If the R is strong right, you need to make sure you are on the sideline to your right on sweeps and short passes out of bounds.

I would get one of those long toss flags. You might have to launch one and you want it somewhere near the yardline of the foul, if possible.

Finally, whatever you do, don't look for ways to inject yourself in the game. If you have no flags, that's fine. I think my best games at BJ have included a couple without any penalties, or only a delay penalty. Don't run from them, but don't make something fit into a foul either.

On the right side we have a split end and a flanker. How wide does the one remaining player have to be for it to be considered trips? A RB sanding to the right of the QB, a player behind the right tackle, a player outside the right tackle...?


SE______________ X_ X_ X_ X_ X_________________ SE
____________________________________________FL
__________________RB_ QB

Enjoy the vacation! ;)

The only receivers you should be concerned with are tight ends or an eligible receiver outside the tackle. the 3rd receiver would have to be outside the right tackle for this to be considered trips.

I'm a backjudge on a five man crew and I love it!

You are out in the middle of the field, you can talk out loud to yourself and people won't think you're crazy. I always say to myself the down and distance, who my key is, etc.

The B is should be the EXPERT on kicking rules! On punts it's all you (with some help from the LJ in a five man crew). If white is punting, and red is receiving, I say to myself before the snap, "First touching white, hot potato red." That reminds me that if white touches it first, we have a first-touching situation, and if red touches first it we have a live ball! On punts hold your beanbag in your hand and hold your whistle in your other hand. Bag the catch/touching/etc. If you have a foul, you can get your flag in plenty of time. HOLD YOUR WHISTLE. I killed a muff and denied a kicking team recovery one time after the receiver signalled a fair catch and I hit the whistle when it touched the ball, then muffed it. I have never done that again.

On kickoffs ask the kicker if he plans to kick it deep or onside. Develop a DISCREET signal you can use with your fellow officials to tip them off to an onside kick. That question helped our crew cover a suprise onside kick to start the second half of a game one time. If you don't want to develop a crew signal, at least YOU will know it's coming.

Participate in dead ball action. Relay the ball in on gains over five yards. If a run goes to a side zone, pinch toward that side zone (but don't get burned if the runner cuts to the middle), and help clean up dead ball action. The B's head should be on a swivel after the ball is dead looking for nonsense. The B can best spot trouble and clean it up, or flag it if necessary. If a play goes out of bounds hustle over to the sideline (especially if in the bench area) and help observe. You may go out of bounds yourself or cover the wing's spot while he wades into the bench area. Discuss this with your crew. A good B can really help of keeping a situation under control.

I line up 20 yards deep (sometimes deeper depending on the situation) and start moving back at the snap, even if its a running play. I'm not the fastest guy in the world and I don't want to get beaten to the goal-line! This may require you to pivot and turn your head over your shoulder. I've seen college and NFL deep officials do this.

Some guys say the B is in a rocking chair all game, but you can make this position an active and integral part of any crew and any level of play.

Great stuff Fred. I may be subbing for a varsity crew next Friday at BJ and this is pure gold.

I think that dead-ball officiating distinguishes the great from merely good B's. As the action slows down, watch for the kid who's still running: he's trouble.

A lot of great tips Fredfan.thanks!
I really especially appreciate your emphasis on the BJ moving toward the sidelines, especially on plays that are downfield. Too many BJ's simply want to stand in the middle of the field and seldom move to help get the ball in or clean up behind the terminal.
As an R, on a wide play,especially one away from the QB's arm (where I am standing) that ends up downfield, if the BJ is not over near the sideline then we have a lonely L or H trying to get the spot, get the ball, clean up, etc.

We work mixed crews and I am very thankful when I have a BJ that gets involved, especially getting the ball in from the sideline!