Concerned over a play that happened last fri night and how other referees handel this:

Scrimage kick at their own 10 hashed towards HL sideline. Punter stands at his own 3. He gets ball, takes one step punts. Defense (4 of them all agme) is in backfield diving, flying at ball. Never contact kicker, but at WH I am watching very closly. Now for the problem. We were attempting to use a new mechanic here in IN, BJ takes the wide side of the field, and the wing opposite him is the one who is to check the line and then go down for coverage. In this case, HL goes down (but it can be either side.) Ball was a line drive kick and went OB behind the HL who was attempoting to get into position.

My question for referees, how can you protect the kicker AND gert a spot for your wings if ball is line drive ob?
Is this just practice and get a timing thing working or is there a correct mechanic for this?

Quite honestly, I question how this can be done on most any punt. What happens when you're on the punter's right, he punts on the ball goes OOB to that side of the field? There's no way you're going to be able to move to the punter's left, see the punt and know where it went OOB.

My answer is that there's no better way, except to put the U back there as well.

That discussion has been here before. We are going to try this mechanic, because I honestly do not know how else to do it.

We spent 4 minutes in the middle of the field last fri night trying to determine ABOUT where the ball went out. I did not even know it went OB, BJ and LJ on far side of field, U had not looked down yet, and HL had back turned attemtping to get down field. I know R has call of where ball is spotted, but HOW???????????????

My association does it like this
 

BJ






U

LJ x xxxxxxx x HL

x
R x

Ok. Hopefully this diagram will display properly.

The BJ is on the HL side (visitors) side and has responsibility for deep recievers. LJ will release at the snap and watch up backs and action of K/R has they go down field. U has line action and center responsibilities. HL's main focus is th make suer ball crosses LOS. I, as R, have kicker action. After kick is away I rotate to center of field to eyeball trajectory of punt for OOB in air. For shanks over the HL's head I have it. For shanks over LJ's head or behind him HL can help (not the best angle but at least he is looking in that direction).

Well the display is not that good! But if you mentally put the BJ on the HL's side I think you can get the picture.

Re: My association does it like this
 

Get the idea, but still, how as a R, can you judge on RK AND see ball go out on line drive. You still need to focus on K until defense has stopped its charge, and all "flyers" are grounded.

The way I see it if the ball goes OOB that quickly then there is a good chance that it went over the head of L or LJ if they were at the LOS at the snap. The mechanic has R on the punter's foot and that puts him on the side of the shanked punts. You don't very often hit a ball straight OOB off of the inside of your foot but most are off of the outside of your foot. So if it got OOB that fast to the back of R and R didn't get a good look at it then L or LJ has to do their best to keep a wide view of the field and help on that spot. Maybe even going to the spot where the ball landed OOB and working back to the field (just a wild thought).

My state's mechanics has L and LJ leaving the LOS as the ball passes the ENZ for PSK. This way they know if the ball went downfield or was shanked OOB over their head.

There comes a point in time that you just have to "fake it".

You have an idea where it went out of bounds - take your best guess and play on!

May years ago, an old referee told me this. After the kick is away, go to the spot of the kick. You may pick up the spot were it ends up. The wings go deep and come back to the LOS. When they walk back, listen to the fans. When they start booing, take three steps back and spot the ball. May not be right but both sides a pleased as they can be.

On a side note, several years ago back when R was on the side line, on a Kick-off the ball went on a line drive out of bounds. I come running up field hoping my U could help me. He'd gone brain dead on the play. As I'm coming up the field, yelling help to my umpire, the radio announcer on the sideline said it went out right here. I stopped beside him an nobody was the wiser. YOur right, sometimes you just have to fake it and get as close as you can.