No Whistle on FG
 

Situation last weekend:

A lines up for FG. Unlike on a PAT (when I have the whistle in my mouth and blow it dead soon as ball is kicked)) I always have whistle in my hand and telling myself "this is just like a punt." You guessed it. the FG was blocked. I began back peddling with the ball, R #4 scoops it up and in a moment of hesitation, stops, looks at me and is about to toss the ball to me (thinking he could not return it..maybe he thought it was a PAT or brain locked..who knows). my eyes got big with this..."NO I DON'T WANT THE BALL" look on my face. #4 realizes he can advance the ball, takes off and would have scored had he not slowed down initially and given K time to catch him.

two things entered my mind:
1. Always glad I do not officiate with my whistle in my mouth (exept on kicking formation on PAT) and was thankful that I reminded myself as I waited for the snap I told myself to treat this just like a punt.

2. Thought what if the kid did toss me the ball? I hopefully would have resisted the urge to catch it and instead let it bounce off my chest remaining live...

situations like this can create some discussion and learing so have at it...

This is exactly why this is a bad mechanic for us. Too much chance that someone will hit the whistle in this type of scenario. If that occurs K gets another bite at the apple. I never understood what the big deal is about hitting the whistle so early on the PAT.

I do not think the Referee should be blowing the whistle at all on PATs or FGs for this very reason. It should not be a thought process in your head to even have to talk to yourself about what kind of play it is. Let the BJ or people under the uprights blow their whistle as they are the ones that will likely have the ball in their area and need to know they are responsible for the play continuing or being ruled dead most of the time. All the Referee can do is screw this up as they are thinking one thing and killing the play when it is not appropriate.

BTW, I have done both mechanics as a Referee and BJ and I think you letting the BJ blow the whistle all the time is better and will not create an expectation to do something that will cause an IW.

Peace

BJ blows whistle on our crew, but ONLY AFTER he sees it behind the goal line.

No Whistle on FG
 

Guys, I totally agree with Pat and JR. I am a former BJ in HS and now white hat. I also BJ in college. By having your whistle in your mouth, it will only get you in trouble;)....Have a great week guys!

thanks for the feedback....different strokes for different folks.

Also, talking to myself on a FG is not related to the whistle not being in my mouth...although in the case above it sure reenforced it...I always talk to myslef as an R saying things like: "arm going forward or fumble?" "helmet contact on QB or clean?" "Roughing or running into kicker..blocked into or not" etc.

Plus talking to myself assures coaches and fans I am in fact a bit crazy! :D

But if you do catch it, do you know who the best runner was on your officiating crew, so you could lateral to him? And which way your goal line was?

I did see a rugby player with poor peripheral vision (I guess) pass to the referee, who unfortunately caught it and let out that kind of snort laugh (at his own mistake compounding hers) thru his nose before whistling it dead.

This year in Ohio, they want the umpire to hit the whistle as soon as the ball is kicked on a try.

I'd love for the BJ to hit the whistle. Week 1 we had a FG attempt that was about 38 yards that was good. I waited...and waited...and waited.....and blew my whistle just before I turned to signal the press box.

It's something we need to fix, certainly, and probably the big problem is that I *do* blow it dead on the PATs. Maybe I'll stop and let the BJ do that instead.

As BJ, I have the whistle for a FG too.

So lets say this does happen...

On a FG, B44 blocks the FG at B's 20. For whatever reason, he tosses the ball to you (the Referee) at B's 30. B13 knowing B44 has messed up and the ball is live dashes after the ball and advances it to A's 40.

Foul?

What if it's a forward pass to the referee?

I don't get this at all. what happens if it's blocked. does the umpire yell PLAY ON! ;)

I must be missing something:

How much time elapses between the ball being kicked and the ball going thru (or to the side of) the uprights? 1 second? 2 maybe?

And why the urgency to begin with? it's not like PATs are cheap shot hotspots that need to be shut down quickly.

what possible harm can come from waiting 1-2 seconds to make sure the ball is dead?

You tell me: When is a try dead?

What mechanic do you use when a FG is no good and the ball lands in the endzome or past the end line? Do you signal no good first and then the touchback signal? Or do you just signal no good for the FG and then head to the 20 yard line?

i think, and I might be wrong, but that is what the mechanic book says to do.. I know when i BJ I blow it after it crosses the goal line so no one can advance it.

If it lands short of the goal line (not in the end zone), we come out and officiate.
If it lands short of the end line (in the endzone), we give the touchback signal.
If it crosses the end line in flight, we give the "no good" signal.

Works for us.

Sounds right. I don't recall reading this anywhere.

how bout when it goes flying past (or into) an upright? or when it touches the ground in the endzone (untouched by B beyond the neutral zone).

yes, there could be a hurricane wind out of nowhere that blows it all the way back across the neutral zone. but practically speaking the chances of that happening are negligible. whereas the chances of PAT getting blocked a split second after the umpire blows an inadvertent whistle are not negligible, imo.

How can you have an inadvertent whistle on a TRY after it's kicked?

In Illinois you are supposed to do both. Give the "No Good" signal then give the TB signal. And that would be the calling official that gives both, not both officials.

Peace

You're confusing NCAA rules with NFHS.

In NFHS rules, the try is over as soon as it is obvious the try is not successful or if it scores. For all practical purposes, the try is over once the ball is kicked.

Here in TX, the BJ has the whistle for both the try and for field goals. There is a lot more that can happen on a try in NCAA rules.

ah, yes, my mistake. I'm going off Mass. (NCAA) rules.

carry on....:)

That's what we've always done....

Because technically the ball becomes dead when the whistle blows if it's not already a dead ball by rule. If you blow it when the ball is in flight, the ball becomes dead before it scores the try. That's an argument used by those who oppose the R blowing the whistle as soon as it's kicked. A coach could challenge the application of the rule by saying the whistle blew before the kick was good and he would technically be right.

Wow. I don't do FED, and even I see what you're "missing". Wanna try this one again?

The bigger issue is that this mechanic sets you up to have an inadvertant whistle on a field goal. The mechanic should be the same for the whistle on a field goal and try. As many are quick to point out when it suits them "the whistle doesn't kill the play". Thus, I don't endorse this mechanic.

I pled guilty to not realizing it was FED, but now you've got me confused--again, haha.

My (admittedly irrelevant) point was that the umpire blowing the whistle as soon as the try is kicked could be a recipe for disaster under ncaa rules. Are you saying that's not the case? Or that I'm missing something else.

Little help?:)