Checking Footballs
 

Is there a maximum number of balls a team can have checked? I can't find anything in the rule book so I assume there is no limit. What is the most balls you would check for one team? Or would you let a team check as many balls as they want? Let me know...we had a coach insist that we check about 15 balls last Friday because is his words "he didn't want to limit himself"....

Like you said there is no limit. If it's raining or muddy they may want more so the ball boy's/ girls can get them clean and dry. Even then the most our U has checked is 6 or 7. Just don't let them slip in the "kicking ball"!

Why does your umpire check game balls?

I'm also the umpire and check the balls. The referee delegates it to me.

The NFHS mechanics book dictates it. We found it last year and had no idea. We always used to have our R do it.

Do you mark them somehow?

I have been the U on my crew for 10 years and always check the footballs. I mark them with a sharpie marker. From looking at the footballs around the middle of the year, it appears that I am the only one that marks the acceptable balls.

Our line judge checks the balls while the U is with me talking to the coaches. Manual or no manual, I'm using time in the wisest fashion.

Then again, we do the coin toss at 20 minutes.

Umpire:
1. Accompanyrefereeashe/shevisitswitheachheadcoach,examineand
rule on any player equipment about which the coach has a question of
legality.
2. Reviewanyappropriatedocumentationforequipmentandpa ds.
C. Linesman:Checkline-to-gainequipmentandmeetcrew.
D. Line Judge:
1. Securegameballsforreferee’sapprovalandmeetwithball persons.

John, you're not having a seizure are you?

Who cares who checks the darn footballs. All that matters it is done.

Peace

I do it (U) after we (all 5 of us) meet with both coaches and right after the conclusion of the toss, which is almost always with 25 minutes before kickoff. We mention the ball check at tail end of pregame conference with each and ask HC's about any dedicated personnel for his game balls.

I look for two balls and will check what they have ready, if prepared. I have had heavy passing teams ask that I check 3 or 4, and if rain is imminent. Lots of times these are younger kids, I tell them the deal, get their names, we have them mirror the wing to that side and to always be ready.

Pump, gauge, and a mini green Sharpie I bring with me right out of the gate. I put a small x on both white stripes at opposite ends furthest from the laces toward mid seam on ball.

While that is taking place, R and LJ review field markings, pylons, field conditions, etc....(R visits clock operator if he doesn't come down, which he/she usually does). BJ and L will visit chain gang and confirm chains are properly set.

We walk out with captains from respective sidelines the wings are working, with R at midfield prior to toss. U with LJ and BJ with L. R goes with LJ, BJ with L off the field and U breaks away for ball check.

Actually checking the footballs, and/or marking them, before the game can serve a useful preventive purpose, but EACH time ANY ball is brought into the game it should pass through the hands of the Umpire to assess it's viability, whether marked or unmarked.

Here our mechanics manual state that the B checks and marks the balls. If a ball isn't marked, it doesn't come in.

It takes 5 people to meet coaches? Or are the B/L/H there to protect you if the coach tries to injure the U?

R/U is sufficient. Let others do what they need to do and stop ganging up on the coaches.

On a kickoff the umpire touches the ball?

You know how dangerous it is to let the U talk without being monitored. :cool:

This is probably true in NY since they still use 4 officials in a lot of places.

You jest, but we had an Umpire who was threatened by a HC prior to a playoff game last year.

Teams can have balls inspected for approval at any time.

Sad, but unfortunately TRUE. For 4 man Kickoffs, the Umpire delegates that responsibility to the Head Linesman. The point is, anytime a new ball is introduced into the game, it should pass through an official's hands, even for a brief second.

Working a rare Saturday afternoon HS game this past week (rare for me, the college season doesn't start for another 12 days) and I'm working with a fill-in at the umpire position since our usual umpire was working the LLWS.

I asked the coach for his captain's numbers and when I got those, the umpire interrupted and said, "Who are your speaking captains?"

(Personally, I've contemplated losing asking for the captain's numbers line entirely since B/L/H can always record them during the coin toss.)

I guess he read my glare pretty well, cause afterwards he said, "I shouldn't have asked that, should I?" I said, "No, you just need to STFU." I didn't use the letters.

(Let me say that the U is a friend and a newer football official and I had a smile on my face.)

Probably should've handed him a Snickers as we were heading to the coaches.

Us umpires just can't catch a break around here!

You'd be SOL here, Rich. Somebody here decided a few years ago that we should turn and face our sideline to look for unsportsmanlike acts prior to and during the coin toss. Guess what most of our teams do, ....stay in the end zone. So then we send B down there if they are coming out of the same end to keep them apart. We end up staring at a couple of coaches, the ball boys, and a trainer, monitoring their behavior.

We have always done it that way...and I do it that way with my 4 man JV crew as well, unless for some reason we are running late. That conference takes maybe a minute and a half to two minutes +/-, unless coach explains razzle-dazzle play or wants clarification on something.

Every crew I've been with or heading up since the early 90's has done it that way. Must be a Washington County thing.....

That said, we may be the one of the only crews in WI not into the wide stripes yet.

I think it's healthy to question practices from time to time. I can't imagine a single positive of a coach being ganged up on by 5 officials.

The R/U have specific reasons for being there. The rest? Have other jobs to do.

We do our coin tosses while the teams are still warming up, about 6:40PM for a 7PM kickoff. The rest of the players keep warming up on their sides of the field while we do this.

I like the timing, myself, but I always wonder how this became standard practice around here, when the rest of the football world (at least NCAA/NFL, anyway) does it right before the opening kickoff.

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. :)

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.

As a basketball official I have been lurking on this thread am curious about this playoff game.

MTD, Sr.

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.

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.

Not having the burden (luxury) of 6 and 7 man crews, I've found it a positive exchange to have the wing official working a specific sideline participate in the coach/official discussion befor the game. It's a way to "personalize" the entire "get back" issue and introduce the official who will be helping the coach with penalty details, or understanding who those details should be directed to if not the HC.

Starting the game on a friendle, helpful note has never caused a problem.

Our wings find "his" coach at an opportune moment in the 10 minutes before kickoff and does this one-on-one. I don't need to be there for this and this lets the coach and the wing start their working relationship without the R hovering nearby.

Lots of stuff happens in the 17 minutes or so between the coin toss and the kickoff. That's why I like that while we're meeting the coaches, the wings walk the field, fix the pylons and yard markers, and look for issues.

During the R/U conference with the Home coach, the coach said to the U: "Hey, I remember you. You screwed me ten years ago when I was at (wherever) and we played (whomever). If you do that tonight, you won't get out of here alive."

After the conference the R found the Home AD & related the conversation to him. He said "I'll take care of it", and stood within earshot of the coach all night.

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. :)

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.

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.

With most things in life, there's usually more than one way to successfully accomplish most any task. If a process works as intended, there's not much reason to change it.

There's value in the schools and coaches seeing a uniform experience every week.

BTW, one of our association officers talked to 5 big school varsity coaches after preseason scrimmages, and every one of the coaches said how much he hates the 5-on-1 meeting prior to the game. They all much prefer talking to the R/U only.

Our state office dictates the 5 on 1 meeting and that the entire crew attend and be a part of the coin toss. They are by the strict letter of the mechanics manual usually, expect on coin toss mechanics.

No Welpe, that is just the way it pasted! Thanks for checking on me though!:)

Your state must have its own mechanics manual. The NFHS manual only has the R/U meet the coaches.

We take the field at 7:00 pm. Here all 5 meet, first with the home coach, R goes over the Big Question, any casts/splints/braces for my U to check, halftime, unusual plays, non-conference game- do you want to play OT?, LH/RH QB, introduce his wing official. Then on to the visiting coach- same thing. I've never had an HC ask to do the early coin toss, they always say "Nah let the kids do it".

We then go to our pre-game field duties, stretch, prepare for the coin toss.

Properly equipped, anything for the umpire to check, anything he wants to run by us.

If it's more than 90 seconds, my umpire tells me to STFU. :D

Actually, the rule book states the referee checks the footballs.

1-3-2
Each team shall provide at least one legal game ball to the referee at the time the game officials assume authority for the contest. Only legal game balls approved by the referee may be used during the contest.

Each team may use any referee-approved ball of its choice to free kick or start a new series of downs. If a touchdown occurs following a change of possession and the scoring team did not put the ball in play, any referee-approved ball may be used for the try.

Just didn't know if there was a reason some delegate it to the umpire. Here, the coach usually presents a ball during the coach's meeting.

* Intro of all by each - R/U/L/LJ/BJ
* Properly Equipped?
* Unusual plays/anything razzle-dazzle by design?
* You Calling the TO's? Kind reminder that he's only one recognized.
* Reminder of 3 in box when dead / all out when ball is live
* Halftime length reminder/being back on field in time reminder.
* Going inside at half ? Staying out?
* Any questions for us, coach?


Wish him good luck - then either mention we will talk with visiting coach and then take the captains or if it's visiting coach, mention we'll take captains right away.

If that takes more than 90 seconds, I'd be shocked.

We're all there by 5:50 or sooner. Dressed and out the door by 6:20, unless we have one of those lengthy hikes which are prevalent at some facilities here, then sooner.

Around these parts the B checks and marks team balls.