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-   -   Proper Referee mechanic on a QB rollout (https://forum.officiating.com/football/59127-proper-referee-mechanic-qb-rollout.html)

ppaltice Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:33am

Proper Referee mechanic on a QB rollout
 
I had a play last Friday and I fear I erred on my mechanic.

Play:
QB drops back to pass. As a defender is closing in on the QB A35, A72 holds the team B player. I drop the flag and get the number. As this is happening, A35 rolls to his right, (in front of me but out of my view). I turn to look at A35 and he is on the ground after throwing a forward pass.

A72 (hold)

__________A35 ...................> A35

__________________R


How should I handle this in the future? The QB was out of my field of view for about 2s.

MD Longhorn Tue Sep 21, 2010 11:58am

As R, QB should NEVER be out of your view. You can back up to get a wider view as he goes by. If you're going to lose either QB or Linemen from your vision, lose the linemen. You do have an umpire over there - and your PRIORITY is the QB while he still has the ball (and a few seconds longer on a pass).

Rich Tue Sep 21, 2010 12:19pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppaltice (Post 693224)
I had a play last Friday and I fear I erred on my mechanic.

Play:
QB drops back to pass. As a defender is closing in on the QB A35, A72 holds the team B player. I drop the flag and get the number. As this is happening, A35 rolls to his right, (in front of me but out of my view). I turn to look at A35 and he is on the ground after throwing a forward pass.

A72 (hold)

__________A35 ...................> A35

__________________R


How should I handle this in the future? The QB was out of my field of view for about 2s.

Deeper and wider. When the QB drops back, drop back yourself at a 45-degree angle. Start deep and wide, too -- I start 14-15 yards deep on every play and it gives me the wide vision to be able to pick up the tackle through the passer when dropping back.

With_Two_Flakes Tue Sep 21, 2010 08:45pm

When you saw the hold, were you stood still? I find that if I am stationary, it is tough to start moving again. The diagram is fine, but it doesn't show YOUR movement. Certainly you can and should look through the QB to help out with holds on the far side. But that is secondary since the QB is your main concern. You have to react to what he is doing as your primary key - he moves, you move.
On a drop back pass, I drop back as well to keep my separation and to keep on the move. As soon as he rolls left or right, I change my backward movement into sideways movement to try to keep the same relative position to him.

As others have already said, starting deeper and wider is better. I start 15yds deep. Back in the day I'd be behind the guard/tackle gap, now I line up two or three times as wide as that. I don't work as wide as I have seen recently on TV, but I do find that wider is better. The downside of being as wide as on TV is that a run play away from you leaves you trailing the play by a big distance. You have to remember that TV games (NFL, NCAA) have 7 man crews. On a 4 or 5 man crew that most of us work, the WH has to think a bit more about his sideline to sideline responsibility.

If you ever have this situation again, forget trying to get the number of the guy holding. I'll bet you already knew his position, eg left tackle. Don't get hung up on numbers on fouls and miss some other big stuff such as your possible roughing call. Being able to tell a captain or coach that it was the left tackle or right guard etc is good enough. That'll allow them to chew out the person who fouled.

GoodwillRef Wed Sep 22, 2010 08:18am

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichMSN (Post 693236)
Deeper and wider. When the QB drops back, drop back yourself at a 45-degree angle. Start deep and wide, too -- I start 14-15 yards deep on every play and it gives me the wide vision to be able to pick up the tackle through the passer when dropping back.

I totally agree at times I might even be between 15-18 yards and this year I have gotten even wider than in years past.

ppaltice Wed Sep 22, 2010 09:32am

I start about 12 yards back and just outside the tackle. You are right Two Flakes, I took extra time to get the number and I probably was stationary. Wider is nice and would have helped with this play, but you are well behind the opposite sideline coverage (for 5 man).

Still, I think I will try and go a bit wider and deeper and see how that feels. I will also keep moving as the QB is moving.

Good points and thanks for the comments. I knew that I had screwed up, but was not sure the best way to fix it.

Rich Wed Sep 22, 2010 09:38am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppaltice (Post 693343)
I start about 12 yards back and just outside the tackle. You are right Two Flakes, I took extra time to get the number and I probably was stationary. Wider is nice and would have helped with this play, but you are well behind the opposite sideline coverage (for 5 man).

Still, I think I will try and go a bit wider and deeper and see how that feels. I will also keep moving as the QB is moving.

Good points and thanks for the comments. I knew that I had screwed up, but was not sure the best way to fix it.

I try not to get too wide, as I still feel in 5 man I need to be able to help on the other side of the field (and need to be able to follow the passer there if that's the direction of the rollout). I line up just outside the tackle and position my body in the direction of the opposite side tackle (who I key on at the snap).

I think *deeper* is key. I don't think 12 yards is deep enough. The only people I run into saying that I should be closer to the LOS are old-timers who haven't really adapted to modern mechanics.

Maybe in a youth/freshman game I might be closer to 12 yards deep than 15, but probably not.

NoAlaUmp Wed Sep 22, 2010 03:57pm

Been There, Done That
 
I agree with the forget the number of the offender part. It's far harder to explain to a coach why you let his star quarterback get creamed than it is to say you didn't have time to get the number. :eek: They will probably know who it was holding anyway.

I also start 12 - 13 yards back but usually just outside the end. It does take a little more to chase down the roll-out or scramble to the far side but it gives me an extra step or two to react if he rolls my way.

MD Longhorn Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:44am

I'm generally 15 yards back, and about 5 yards outside the end with a 4 or 5 man crew. With 3, maybe 2 yards closer in both directions, moving more quickly forward on handoffs once they've crossed the LOS.

Rich Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:53pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbcrowder (Post 693564)
I'm generally 15 yards back, and about 5 yards outside the end with a 4 or 5 man crew. With 3, maybe 2 yards closer in both directions, moving more quickly forward on handoffs once they've crossed the LOS.

I think "just outside the tackle" is me not estimating my location very well. I think I'm probably a yard or two outside a tight end, but probably not 5.


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