It's about time...
 

I'd been hearing people saying they don't blow their whistles (on purpose) after plays in such a way that conveys pride in that fact. I've never understood that. Appears the CFO doesn't understand it, either:

WHISTLE: DEAD-BALL USAGE

There has been a disturbing trend in recent years in which officials fail to blow the whistle when the ball has become dead by rule. In some cases, officials have been instructed to officiate in this manner in an effort to eliminate the possibility of an inadvertent whistle.

While this is a noble goal, it has the detrimental effect that players away from the ball may legitimately may be unaware the play is over and may commit a personal foul solely due to the negligence of the official to administer the end of the play properly.

Rule 4-1-3 explicitly requires an official to blow his whistle when the ball becomes dead in his or her area of responsibility. In application, we interpret this to mean, "When an official sees the ball dead, the official must blow the whistle." Certainly there are a small number of plays in a game in which no official can see the ball dead. In those rare cases, there will be no whistle and our coaches must understand that situation. Justifiably, they do not understand when the ball carrier is tackled in front of an official, the official simply raises his hand, and a teammate of the runner is then flagged for a late knockdown.

Starting with the 2013 season, officials are directed that the covering official must blow the whistle when that official sees the ball dead. We firmly believe this will have the beneficial effect of reducing action after the play that often results in dead-ball personal fouls and engender ill will between opponents. We do not believe this will lead to more inadvertent whistles, as the following fundamental principle remains: “If you do not see the ball dead, do not blow the whistle."

I do not believe anyone has purposely tried to not blow the whistle if they see a play had been killed. But when you are looking for the ball and cannot found, I would think there would not be a whistle just for whistle sake. And that is what your voice is for as well. When I do not have coverage on a play, I use my voice to players around me. And even when you blow the whistle, that does not automatically stop players. Sometimes you still have to use your voice. To me this is much to do about nothing and does not address the real world on many levels.

Peace

You haven't worked with the guys who refuse to blow the whistle only because "there doesn't need to be one". I have. I get (and so does the memo) that you may not see the ball. But if you do and you're the covering official, there's *no reason* not to blow the whistle.

I've worked with such a crew. I get not wanting several echo whistles all over the field... but this crew LOVED IT when a play ended without a whistle. I thought it was bizarre, and uncomfortable to work with.

I say slow, but not no, whistles. Plus, I only want the wings and occasionally the umpire, blowing and no echos without a good reason -- and on those, your voice usually works better anyway.

I've seen a fight start during a play where I didn't know where the ball was. You can not have an instinct to blow the whistle; you must know ALL the facts. So I would much rather no whistle occurred on a play than a whistle by someone who didn't know all the facts -- even if it didn't end up killing a live play.

It makes you wonder how a baseball umpire can get by without the use of a whistle. We use our voice to call time, out, safe, foul. In agreement with Rut, use of the voice will get you out of more trouble than a whistle.

I work both sports at the HS/college levels and I find the comparison between baseball and football, in this context, to be completely absurd.

If you think the voice is more effective than a whistle, why do we have whistles in the first place?

Agreed. I've worked with these types of guys as well. It must definitely is a real issue.

Well I had an umpire that did nothing but use his voice. He always got players to stop or react to his voice. The main people that need to use their whistle on most plays are the short wings. Everyone else can use them sparingly or not at all in many situations. I know as a Back Judge about the only time I use a whistle is on a score that I have coverage and a pass in the middle where I have to rule it incomplete. Otherwise runs and most plays outside of the kicking game I almost never use a whistle. I do not need to, I am around where my voice is used to stop players from continuing. And if a whistle is already blown, I do not use my whistle again in most of those situations, I use my voice. I am pretty loud, I can be heard. ;)

Peace

The point of the memo (if you read it completely) was to let players away from the ball know when to stop. Voice-only might work when it's a long run or one-on-one pass (typical BJ coverage plays), but on plays in congested areas we really need the whistle.

I worked two HS games just this past season where the noise level was so high I could barely hear whistles on the field from a few yards away. I shudder to think what might have happened if I had some "no-blows" on my crew.

Actually you do not need a whistle the most during a short run or play that ends closer to the LOS. Those are the plays everyone kind of realizes the play is over. And your contention that the crowd is loud also do not make since when the crowd is apart of the noise that tells players the play is over. The long runs to plays on the outside are when there could be a lot of issues of players not stopping. But a 2 yard dive is usually rather obvious when the play is over and I have seen end with no one blowing a whistle and the players stopping.

Again I am not advocating not blowing the whistle. I just see why officials do not see them sometimes and I think it is a bad practice to echo a whistle on a play you do not see end yourself. When you do see it, then blow the darn whistle. It is really that simple to me. I have never known anyone to advocate not to ever blow a whistle on purpose unless you are clearly not in the play.

Peace

An "old" umpire here, I used my voice more than my whistle. In some of my more competitive games I'd be hoarse by the time it was over. I guess I was pretty effective. My old R still calls me the enforcer.
Kind of wish I was back on the field, but I get over it quickly. :)

And I think that is all the CFO memo is saying.

As far as baseball vs football, I don't have bands playing during my baseball games.

It seems to me that some want a whistle every time. That is my concern.

Peace

Seems like ANOTHER example that, "One size NEVER, EVER fits all". Properly sounding your whistle is proper and appropriate, most times, but relying exclusively on your voice works just as well other times.

We all know you should never kill a play, you didn't SEE die, although the second or 3rd whistle doesn't kill anything, that's the exclusive responsibility of the 1st whistle, that was hopefully blown for the proper reason.