Checking Footballs

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Sturno

I don't really disagree, and would have no issue the other way....I'd like to see Wade's take on it, because there's at least 8 to 10 crews I know and/or have subbed with do it the same way, and quite a few of those go pretty deep in the playoffs or to Mad-town every year.

As far as the other jobs to do....you guys must come out late or really go deep into conversation with the chain crews and trainers with all the time you have left.

We are on the field by 6:25PM. Every week. We're required to be there at 6:30PM, so I make sure we leave the school at 6:20PM.

We take the time after the coin toss to observe the teams, talk to the ball boys, etc. We put 4 officials on the 30 yard line on each sideline and the BJ on the 50. No huddling, no congregating. It's all bidness.

At some point, we'll talk to ball boys, greet the trainer, and at some point in the last couple of minutes, I'll personally thank the chain crew and remind them that I keep a fast pace (I act like I'm kidding, but I'm not).

Knowing Wade, he'd ask "what's in the manual?" That said, it's not the kind of thing that would make or break a deep playoff run, IMO.

Oh, and love the wide stripes.

Originally Posted by Welpe

Quite often around here we will have the actual coin toss off the field about 20-30 min before the game. Then we'll do a mock toss right before kick off.

The "simulated coin toss" has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen written in a manual/book. Thankfully, we simply do it at the 50-yard line -- at 20 minutes.

Conference rules dictate these kind of things.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by Rich

We are on the field by 6:25PM. Every week. We're required to be there at 6:30PM, so I make sure we leave the school at 6:20PM.

7:30 kickoff?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by CT1

7:30 kickoff?

No, 7PM. We're required to be on the field 30 minutes prior.

If they made it 60 minutes prior, I think a substantial number of officials would quit.

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by Rich

No, 7PM. We're required to be on the field 30 minutes prior.

If they made it 60 minutes prior, I think a substantial number of officials would quit.

As anyone familiar with Ohio knows, we have an extremely detailed and specific list of steps, starting at 6:00 required arrival (for a 7:30 kickoff). It is what it is....it has brought a level of uniformity and predictability in mechanics, especially when mixing officials from the various urban areas in the state as well as the many rural areas in the playoffs or filling in on other crews.

U's check the footballs here. It works pretty well, teams bring a bag with all their balls to the locker room between 6:00 and 6:50 when we're dressing, U marks the ball (the timer usually comes by around the same time to talk with R/LJ), entire crew meets with coaches at 6:55 (or so), coin flip at 7:10 (20 mins prior), and off we go.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by scrounge

As anyone familiar with Ohio knows, we have an extremely detailed and specific list of steps, starting at 6:00 required arrival (for a 7:30 kickoff). It is what it is....it has brought a level of uniformity and predictability in mechanics, especially when mixing officials from the various urban areas in the state as well as the many rural areas in the playoffs or filling in on other crews.

U's check the footballs here. It works pretty well, teams bring a bag with all their balls to the locker room between 6:00 and 6:50 when we're dressing, U marks the ball (the timer usually comes by around the same time to talk with R/LJ), entire crew meets with coaches at 6:55 (or so), coin flip at 7:10 (20 mins prior), and off we go.

Our crew arrives no later than 5:45PM for a 7PM kickoff, so we're only 15 minutes behind Ohio. Sometimes we're there by 5:30PM.

My 5-person crew has been together for 8 years as a group now. We've taken on a sixth (a rookie) and he's in his 3rd year and works 4-5 games a season with us and also subvarsity and also works on other crews from time to time.

I admire Ohio's efforts at uniformity, actually. Some of the things I find odd, but from a macro perspective, there's a lot to like about it.

[CT1]

We're to be at game site 75 minutes before kickoff, and on the field no later than 45 minutes prior.

That said, travel distances & work schedules often preclude such timing. In my experience, most coaches around here are happy to see us 30 minutes prior.