Reporting Penalties

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Our linesman always lets me know whether "five will get you one" or not when the box is close to the tape on the chain. It's routine for us and should be for all crews. Our linesman measures the chains for every game at every level and always puts fresh tape on the chain.

The only time I've ever wondered if there was a good way to use the chains to measure was when we had a PF on a play that ended just about 15 yards short of a first down. In the end I eyed it up and it appeared to get the first down by about half-a-yard and that's the way we rolled with it (although in the back of my head I wondered if everyone simply thought we enforced it as an AFD).

I don't have a strict reporting requirement for my crew -- I have preferences, though -- I really prefer they say "offense" or "defense" or "kicking team" or "receivers." I'm not fond of shirt colors. Personally, I don't care if I get a shirt number, although it's part of the sequence so we can get the number to the sideline. If the official doesn't have a number, but has a position, that's OK. Saying left tackle to me is better than giving the wrong number. Like Jeff said, if a hand comes up and twists a face mask and we don't get a number, it doesn't really bother me -- it's not like not getting the number doesn't mean the foul didn't exist.

I also prefer holding and DPI to be described (arm bar, hook and turn, tackle, bear hug) so we can take that information to the sideline.

It is for too for my local crew, but not every official is efficient at reporting this. Because the situation happens so rarely (the box being close to the tape and a B foul happens), some officials forget this mechanic.

All you would need to do is spin the front stick around to become the back stick, and execute the "Reverse Measurement". I'm sure I don't need to lay out these mechanics.

For those newbies: pivoting around the back stick, move the LTG stick to be 10 yards behind the back stick. Then bring in the sticks and if the mid-tape is behind the new "back stick", no 1D on the PF. Otherwise, it is a 1D on the PF.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

It is for too for my local crew, but not every official is efficient at reporting this. Because the situation happens so rarely (the box being close to the tape and a B foul happens), some officials forget this mechanic.

All you would need to do is spin the front stick around to become the back stick, and execute the "Reverse Measurement". I'm sure I don't need to lay out these mechanics.

For those newbies: pivoting around the back stick, move the LTG stick to be 10 yards behind the back stick. Then bring in the sticks and if the mid-tape is behind the new "back stick", no 1D on the PF. Otherwise, it is a 1D on the PF.

I almost did this, but our chain crews would probably lose 2 of the 3 (or 4) members due to their brains exploding. Fortunately, I was able to ascertain that it was a first down without any histrionics.