1st and goal from the 1.....
 

Scenario: Ball on Team B's 1 yard line, first and goal for Team A. Ball spotted at right hash mark. HL lines up between 9 yard mark and sideline, L lines up on sideline furthest away. I was the R. I instructed my L to get closer to players on this situation. IMO the L shouldve come just outside of the furthest player on his side, any suggestions on goal line positioning?

Around here, wings never start on the field. Ever.

Our goal-line mechanics (ball inside the B-10) have both wings 2 yards OOB and, when inside the B-5) moving to the GL at the snap.

Same here. Wings never start on the field, even on a tight formation with an expected crash play up the middle.

It is too easy for the play to go wide (TE running an out, bootleg, a run bounces outside). It is far worse to get caught scrambling to get out of the way than to delay calling a TD up the middle.

How old are the players?

V or JV, stay off the field. I can see cheating in somewhat from the wide side on a goal line play with junior high or possibly 9th grade teams --- definitely cheat in on youth (below JH) games.

Wings should NEVER start on the field, no matter where the ball is. Stay wide, get to the goal line, and you don't have to worry about back-pedaling if a sweep comes to your side.

What mechanics manual do you use? Whatever that says is what they should do, your position as R should not supercede that. Only in an obvious victory formation would I ever squeeze in. Wider is better, you can observe more action around the play. A good U will signal the wings if the ball is across anyway.

By the local mechanic we utilize, it sounds as if your HL would have been in about the same place I would have been in that situation. For most normal plays, our wings start on the sideline then adjust to the circumstances.
A goal line or close 3rd/4th down play then we crash in.
If the ball is on my hash, I am on my sideline, wide receiver or no.

Even old standard mechanics wanted the wings at least 9 yards off the widest receivers. On goal line offenses, most teams I see are pushing the receivers out wide to spread the defense, even if they are going to run up the gut.

You can call a touchdown from the track. Stay off the field and then crash in when the play is over. With offenses being un-predictable, being on the field puts you in a potential play disrupting position. Or worse, the play comes your way and you have to retreat. When you are retreating, you aren't officiating.

Thanks for the advice. I happened to be R that night when our regular R was unavailable and I usually am one of the linesman. Good Stuff .

REPLY: +1 ... Never

Agree both wings should be on the sideline, and would suggest when you first take up that position MAKE SURE the area off the field (behind where you are, all the way to the end line and beyond) is VERY clear of spectators, security personnel, photographers and "special" people who may be wandering the OOB, as the area ajacent to the goal line has a magnetic pull that attracts people, whose presence can cause you a lot of trouble, when you have to back up, off the field

Except in parts of Louisiana, of course.

Too soon? ;)