holding

[BulldogMcC]

I was taught three simple rules on when to throw the flag:

1) When it is a safety concern

2) When the foul gave the offending team the advantage.

3) When it is so blantant that not even one of those loud obnoxious know it all fans won't say a word.

I added one more just because I found it necessary some times to correct things preventive officiating could not:

4) If I tell a player to do something, (Ex: "#76, check your position on the line, you were lined up in the neutral zone.") and they fail to correct it. Then the flag is the added pressure to make them actually pay attention and correct the problem.

Unfortunately rule #4 led to me flagging one team for illegal shift 11 times during first game of the season. They had apparently practiced doing the Dallas shift, two point to three point shift for all Guards & Tackles, on every play. The problem is the QB would put a man in motion then call his cadence telling the linemen to shift.I explained it, explained it again, flagged it thinking it would end, but they proved the saying, "You play the way you practice" because every time the pressure was on, the offense QB would start the man in motion, then call his cadence to put the line into their 3 pt.

McC