Timing and penalty enforcement help.

[Rob4092xx]

Hello all!

I am going to Referee my first game next week and wonder of anyone has a brief outline of the below...something I might be able to keep in my pocket if I have a question come up in my head during the game.

1. When to start and stop the clock.

2. Penalty enforcements.

Anything you can provide would be extremely helpful!!!!

[IAUMP]

I'm sorry but this is going to sound very disrepectful, but I can't think of another way to put it. How can you be the R in a game and not know when to start/stop the clock or know your penalty enforcements? Afterall, the R should be the most knowledgable official on the field. If you don't know these items, I suggest your spend copious amounts of time reading rules 3 & 10 before the game.

[MD Longhorn]

Goodness.

Yes, there's a handy reference for this - it's the rulebook.

Seriously though ... sounds like someone's putting you in a position to fail. When we had people who wanted to referee, we'd work on it in JV or JH games - with them as umpire. He would signal to R whether he thought the clock would start on the ready or on the snap on every play. When he began to get it right 100% of the time, he's whitehat a JV or JH game himself, with an experienced R at U to tell him if he flubbed it...

And as umpire, you should know all the penalty enforcements - long before you think about R.

[Rich]

Quite frankly, this is the biggest problem with football officiating.

EVERY OFFICIAL on the field needs to know the rules -- and that includes clock status and penalty reporting details. Why some people think that they can push all of that onto the white hat and guess through the rest is beyond me.

[ajmc]

No matter how eager, or hungry, you might be, STILL the only way to eat an elephant, is one bite at a time, and that is a meal that should (and as far as being a Refee) will take YEARS to digest.

[Sturno]

Agree....if you're not confident in that role, you have no business being in that role, IMO.

[HLin NC]

I started to respond last night but was just too astounded to put anything down that didn't make me sound like a total jerk.

Perhaps this is youth league and he (I assume he's a he) is getting his break-in. I hope he isn't going out there with an entire group of inexperienced officials.

Rob- I hope you are sitting down with a veteran referee this week and are asking these questions. If you are going to R, I hope you have a veteran crew that will guide you along.

[bisonlj]

A good trick for remember the yardage on penalty enforcements is there are only a couple 10-yarders (holding, illegal use of hands, block in the back are the main ones). Everything else is either 5 or 15. The big ones are obvious (UNS, PF, RTP, RTK, DPI, OPI, IP). Everything else is a little one.

Basic spot/ABO can be a little more complex, but understanding play types and the basic spot associated with each makes it much easier.

95% of your starting/stopping the clock will be obvious. If you make a mistake on the other 5% you will learn from it.

[Rob4092xx]

Yes, I am meeting with an experienced official tomorrow. Always have a "cheat sheet" with me has helped me in life in a variety of scenarios. At the minimum it gives me some confidence going in. Sorry to those who I offended with my question. It was sincere however!

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich

Quite frankly, this is the biggest problem with football officiating.

EVERY OFFICIAL on the field needs to know the rules -- and that includes clock status and penalty reporting details. Why some people think that they can push all of that onto the white hat and guess through the rest is beyond me.

Rookies aren't going to step onto the field the very first time and know all of the clock rules, or all of the penalty enforcements. There's a reason newbies spend a lot of time on the lines at first - it's the position that can be taught the quickest. If we waited until every rookie could comfortably white hat before putting them on the field for the very first time at HL, we'd never get anyone on the field.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rob4092xx

Yes, I am meeting with an experienced official tomorrow. Always have a "cheat sheet" with me has helped me in life in a variety of scenarios. At the minimum it gives me some confidence going in. Sorry to those who I offended with my question. It was sincere however!

I don't think you offended anyone. I do think we all agree that the PTB in your area are throwing you to the wolves before you're ready.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Rookies aren't going to step onto the field the very first time and know all of the clock rules, or all of the penalty enforcements. There's a reason newbies spend a lot of time on the lines at first - it's the position that can be taught the quickest. If we waited until every rookie could comfortably white hat before putting them on the field for the very first time at HL, we'd never get anyone on the field.

Rookies aren't. I know 15 year guys that think it's the WH's job, though.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich

Rookies aren't. I know 15 year guys that think it's the WH's job, though.

I have run across a few of those. My crew chief used to have us work JV as a crew and we'd rotate whitehat.