Ask A Back Judge: Fundamentals Of Officiating

Tristan Raisch

August 24, 2023 43

“Man, the refs really screwed us on that one.” “We woulda won if we only had to play one team instead of two tonight!” [Insert meme of ref with sunglasses and a red-tipped cane here.]

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43 Comments

RonSwansonsAlterEgo September 2, 2023 at 12:24 PM

Great idea and execution of this article and look forward to reading them! Happened to go to the local HS game last night and saw a couple things that you mentioned. Within 2 series, both sidelines got sideline warnings. Both for coaches getting way on the field. One of them after a pick which was almost returned for a TD. At least 4 coaches were almost on the numbers and the coach actually got mad at the flag. Reading your description of the deep wings was very timely as the SJ/BJ had done their job and was deeper than the receiver and DB. He had to negotiate the coaches. Apparently the first flag for this is a warning and they didn't impede any players, but definitely an issue for guy in stripes. How do you calm the coaches down? Yea it's a big play, but with the HC 6 yds onto the field and wearing a headset, now the FJ needs to move around people and stuff. Seems like a tough gig. Made me wonder if there is still a getback coach like we had 45 years ago.
Pinehursthokie65 August 26, 2023 at 5:33 PM

I remember a game a few years ago where "illegal player downfield" was called. The play was a long pass (completed) down the far right sideline. The Illegal Player was on the left sideline , easily 60 yards from the action. Did not impact the play in any way. I believe it was a critical call during the game.
1. TechHokie13 August 26, 2023 at 6:11 PM
  
  And as you described it, that's the correct call. Illegal man downfield is essentially like defensive holding: the *entire field* is "the point of attack" because there are so many ways that foul can confer an advantage, even well outside the immediate vicinity of the ball.
Cheesehokie August 26, 2023 at 2:36 PM

An excellent article, thank you! One of the best I’ve seen on TSL. Looking forward to your insights in the future, and thanks for doing a thankless job!
2003pilot August 25, 2023 at 5:37 PM

Great idea for a series of articles - looking forward to them this season
Buzzardlip August 25, 2023 at 5:00 PM

@TechHokie13. It has always bothered me when announcers say the refs did this or that during a game. In football, as you first stated, there is only one Referee, the rest are officials. However, I must throw a flag on you - in your last sentence you said "The game is too fun and too special to get bogged down in blaming the refs anyways." I know it's nit picking, but a foul is a foul! ;). But seriously, this is a series of articles that I look forward to reading. Keep up the good work.
1. TechHokie13 August 25, 2023 at 5:35 PM
  
  I'm actually quite tickled someone caught that. Thanks, hope it lives up to the hype!
kimbrunnen August 25, 2023 at 12:45 AM

50 years ago, I refed intramurals at Tech, sometimes alone. The worst was football on Mondays. I got real tired of explaining that in college football, only 1 foot needed to be inbounds.
SaltvilleChuck August 24, 2023 at 3:57 PM

Hopefully you will talk about the emotional side of being a ref. Sometimes it seems like fan’s verbal abuse seem to make more calls go against the team. Or from a fan’s perspective there are certain crews I don’t like because it seems like they have something against the Hokies before the first play. Also refs feeling bad about blowing a call, then having a “make up” call a few plays later. Like the saying goes “two wrongs don’t make a right “. I understand emotions play a role because we’re all human.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 8:39 PM
  
  In my experience, the biggest emotional challenge is dealing with a particularly irate coach. And even then, the issue isn't being consistent with my calls on the field, it's trying to walk the line between letting Coach do what he needs to do and not allowing him to act in a wildly unacceptable manner. Fan displeasure is kind of baked in. We don't really expect to get any standing ovations - at *best* the fans of precisely one team will be happy with our call, and they will express said happiness with perfect silence. I'll say we as fans tend to be hyper aware of "makeup calls," but those really don't cross my mind when I'm on the field. If I know I passed on a hold earlier for one team (and I feel good about my decision), I'll know full well when I let my flag fly for a similar play which actually rises to the level of a foul that I'm gonna hear it. But that won't impact whether or not I actually call something. We call what we see and we see what we call. There really isn't time or mental bandwidth to factor in a bunch of external forces. Probably the funniest instance of this I've experienced was with a team playing against a triple option offense. They kept screaming for an illegal low block foul, but the blocks were legal cut blocks in the free blocking zone. Sometime in the 3rd quarter or so, I flag *that team* for an illegal low block on a kickoff. Coach was pissed, but it was really hard to keep a straight face telling him what the foul was.
MDHokie79 August 24, 2023 at 3:08 PM

What I don't get is: why do officials seem to let more and more go every season, instead of calling the rules as they are written. The argument is: well, if the officials threw a flag on every down, it would disrupt the game, blah, blah, blah. Problem is, by letting so many offenses go unpunished, players keep pushing the limits to where the game is often NOT fun to watch. For example, no contact on a receiver after 5 yards. All the clutching, grabbing and pushing is so pervasive that what used to be an automatic flag is now often shrugged off as "not that bad." But (especially when it's intentional), "letting them play" cheapens the game....and then during post-season the calls get even more lax, like: refs don't want to be the game changer. But do your job! Call the game as the rules dictate, and all this non-sense will start to be reduced very quickly. Players and coaches will adjust. Clean up the game! Or just change the rules if you want, but rules on the books are there to be enforced!!!
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 8:27 PM
  
  This is a great question, and illustrates one of the biggest challenges we as both fans and officials face: working off the correct rule book. There actually is no "5 yard rule" in college (or high school), only the NFL. In fact, a defensive player throwing a block that would be legal anywhere else on the field (not below the waist, etc.) and knocking down a receiver 10+ yards downfield is actually explicitly offered as an example of a legal play in the college rule book. To your broader point, I'll get into the philosophy of when we do and do not throw on potential fouls as the season goes on (might do one or two more pre-season pieces), but the general rule of thumb is we only penalize actions which 1) are safety fouls, 2) give one team/player an unfair advantage, or 3) are unsportsmanlike. I hope as we go through I can help my fellow fans recognize when a potential foul was passed up because the action didn't impact the play, or when and why an official might have gotten one wrong.
  1. Pinehursthokie65 August 26, 2023 at 5:32 PM
    
    I remember a game a few years ago where "illegal player downfield" was called. The play was a long pass (completed) down the far right sideline. The Illegal Player was on the left sideline , easily 60 yards from the action. Did not impact the play in any way. I believe it was a critical call during the game.
TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:59 PM

Thanks for reading, y'all! This piece was a lot of fun to put together, and I'm really looking forward to applying this stuff throughout the season. I really hope I can bring a different and interesting perspective to the game, and those of you who have officiated before (or do currently), please feel free to chime in! I'll definitely be taking suggestions from the subscriber board throughout the season, so be sure to drop a line if there's a play/call you'd like to see broken down! Stay tuned for a little more before the season starts!
1. tylerhokie August 24, 2023 at 8:13 PM
  
  Hang in there with this new feature. You're gonna get push back, people who think they know the rules and just down right homerism. It's amazing to me how many times during a basketball game especially....that we have never fouled once in a game but yet, the call is against us. It's coming, with you doing this series of articles. My advice is to ignore them. Write your articles and hang tough. I for one love it.
  1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 8:41 PM
    
    Thanks very much! I'm quite sure the proverbial hornets nest will be kicked from time to time, but as the saying goes, them's the rules. Hope you enjoy the series!
2. VTownie August 24, 2023 at 8:26 PM
  
  As a fellow HS FB official I am thrilled to see this series. I completely agree that officiating will change your view of the game and the calls made. It also helps you enjoy and marvel at some of the P5 officiating. The men and women calling games on weekends are VERY, VERY good. I look forward to this series.
  1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 8:43 PM
    
    Co-sign 100%. The game moves so fast and there are so many distractions, the discipline and quick thinking of a typical P5 official is truly incredible. Hope you have a fun and safe season!
Hokie101 August 24, 2023 at 2:25 PM

Great article and idea for series Thanks
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:53 PM
  
  Thanks for reading!
DonQuiHokie August 24, 2023 at 2:09 PM

Thank you. I am very much looking forward to these articles. What a great opportunity for TSL readers to gain a different perspective on the game.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:55 PM
  
  Thanks for reading, that's very much the goal!
2. HOKIE SEAN August 25, 2023 at 9:03 AM
  
  +1. Really like the idea of this series. In the 70’s, my dad was a ref/ump/official in Tidewater for HS football, baseball, and basketball, and me and my little brother would tag along. One basketball game, when we were 8 & 10, the home fans were screaming bloody murder at him and we were terrified. After shooting baskets on an empty court for a while, my dad and his crew came out of the locker room showered and ready to go (might have had a beer or two) and we asked him about the screaming fans and he said he doesn’t hear it; just blocks it out. I just retired and have his umpire equipment and am thinking of getting into umpiring. Baseball seems much easier than football and basketball.
vtgreg August 24, 2023 at 2:08 PM

Very interesting and welcome addition to the TSL lineup. One aspect I would love to hear more about is the different approach/philosophy that crews take in games where replay/video assistance is available vs those where it isn't. I could see that impacting keys and some of the positioning aspects.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:49 PM
  
  Mechanics are pretty similar, but I believe the biggest difference in philosophy is to "let it play out" a bit more when replay is available. On the field of a HS game, we've got to make split-second decisions and live with the outcome. In college/NFL, the game is faster, but officials do have the additional tool of replay to lighten the load a bit. So you'll see a play that might be called dead in high school (say, a ruling that forward progress was stopped before a runner fumbled) that might be allowed to play out in college, and allow replay to weigh in on the outcome. Of course, the officials on the field will always do their best to get it right on the first try, but if it's close, they're more likely to default to letting it go.
IB4TECH August 24, 2023 at 1:33 PM

This is a great edition to TSL. Thank you for that and your contribution to high school football.
Hokietech August 24, 2023 at 12:57 PM

Great article. Will you consider writing an article on past games where the fan base thinks that they were robbed by the officials like in the game against Michigan where Danny Coale absolutely caught that ball or the game against USC where an offensive pass interference call turned the tide of that game? I think it would be great to get an official's interpretation of some of these moments. I applaud you for officiating as a former baseball official myself. Parents and fans definitely made officiating less appealing.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:43 PM
  
  Chris may or may not have received a draft of a piece you'd be interested before he headed off across the pond....
  1. Hokietech August 25, 2023 at 12:10 PM
    
    Thanks for the reply and adding to TSL.
  2. Hokietech August 25, 2023 at 12:16 PM
    
    Thanks for the reply and adding to TSL. I look forward to all your future contributions.
Hokie MCPO August 24, 2023 at 12:56 PM

Great article and a good idea for a series. "I call this the Danny Coale rule. He caught that ball, dammit." I love it.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:42 PM
  
  I will be salty about that until the day I die... I mean, the actual wording of the rule couldn't be any clearer (don't quote me on this, but that wording was added after the 2011 Sugar Bowl essentially in response to that call).
SavannaHokie August 24, 2023 at 12:50 PM

Love this new series!
ArdbegHokie August 24, 2023 at 12:47 PM

How did all of this BJ talk get past the TSL Terms of Use?! ;-)
1. MoreBaconPlease August 24, 2023 at 8:15 PM
  
  It's OK, because the U is back.
Hokie67 August 24, 2023 at 12:47 PM

I appreciate men and women who get into 'officiating' at any level. It's not much different than running for local office - especially the Board of Ed. However - from the negative standpoint - the universal question: why is officiating across the board in any sport - at any levels - gotten worse? I watched a lot of Women's basketball this year - and it seemed the worst. And college football - probably the next worst. In any case - it's a very creative piece of journalism. That's why TSL is worth every $$$.
1. TechHokie13 August 24, 2023 at 2:52 PM
  
  I hesitate to say officiating has gotten worse across the board. I think there's a case to be made that with replay in particular, fans are just more aware of the impact of close calls on the outcome of a game (particularly when replay isn't acailable). Still, to my closing point in the article, it's a huge concern. We're already seeing the effects of officials shortages at the high school level, and that's where college officials come from, so the quality of college officiating is unlikely to improve in the near future. It's a problem that will take years, if not decades, to solve. Glad you enjoyed the piece!
SCHokie1103 August 24, 2023 at 11:57 AM

Cool stuff. I have friends that are officials and I have learned a lot about how a FB is called from them and have learned to spot penalties when they happen no matter if it’s the home team or visitors. It makes watching the game a lot more enjoyable and fair because I have a better understanding of what is being called and why so as to help me keep my blood pressure in check ha ha. I am very much looking forward to this regular post to get even better at being able to truly understand the game of football not just from a fans standpoint but from an official standpoint so I can see the game completely and how it’s supposed to be legally played within the rules of American football. To me, it will make the overall experience as a fan much more satisfying.
HoustonGobbler August 24, 2023 at 11:57 AM

Great addition!
TomTurkey August 24, 2023 at 11:54 AM

I officiated rec FB, so safety was paramount. Our crew was a small fraternity and I immensely enjoyed [just about] every game. One thing a fan doesn't notice is how quickly the game moves when officiated efficiently.
Hokebury August 24, 2023 at 11:43 AM

Cool....just like a magician, you're pulling the curtain back on all the magic that happens in officiating. Should be fun to read.....
saret August 24, 2023 at 11:33 AM

Good article, and a good addition to the TSL staff. I look forward to your future articles. Welcome!
Freighttrain August 24, 2023 at 11:24 AM

Looking forward to seeing your takes. I officiated for 11 years, mostly HS, some ODAC, but haven’t worn the stripes for over 20 years now.

Ask A Back Judge: Fundamentals Of Officiating

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