Checking Footballs

[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.