The Pigskin
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2013 Week 5 Clips
TECHNICAL NOTE: For those not aware, when viewing these videos in the You Tube window, you can adjust the resolution for a sharper view. Notice in the lower right hand corner of the video player window a setting icon that looks like a gear. Click on that and you can adjust the setting up to 360p, 480p or even 720p in some cases. This will give you a sharper image.
The video page will continue bringing you clips each week which are good teaching material as we all work together to understand and enforce the sometimes complicated NCAA football rules. The videos are not meant to demean or belittle any official. They are used so that ALL officials can learn from the situations and issues other officials encounter in their games. No official has ever completed a career error-free. But by sharing our errors with others we help them avoid the same pitfalls. NCAA football officials at all levels exhibit incredible rule knowledge week in and week out. We can always get better and this page hopes to serve in that effort.
Two weeks ago we featured a poll play involving a scrimmage kick play wherein team B sent a player onto the field as the ball was being snapped thinking he would be the 11th player. He was actually the 12th. The crew flagged the substitution foul but enforced the penalty using post scrimmage kick enforcement. In our poll we asked how you would enforce. 66% of the team opted to enforce from the previous spot (unlike the crew in the game which used PSK enforcement.) The play made this week's CFO Game Review video and Dr. Redding indicated the correct enforcement would be from the previous spot.
Last week's poll play highlighted the continuing confusion over blocking below the waist rule, especially with regard to the "crack back" provision. Our play included a low block that was very close to the line of scrimmage, back towards the position of the ball at the snap, and after the ball had gone outside the low blocking zone (by a pass). The proof of just how confused we are over this rule was shown in the poll results which revealed 52% believed the block was legal while 48% believed it was a foul. This is definitely an area where we can hope for more clarification as the season progresses
Do Over An official once remarked that "This game will humble you" in reference to the complex nature of the game and the rules of the game. At times some officials will depart from the rulebook, intentionally or unintentionally, to officiate the game as they believe may be best. They do so at their own peril, risking criticism from supervisors, colleagues, and coaches who do not agree with that departure. In this video play, viewers should know that there was a media timeout between the end of the kick down and the 1st down play from scrimmage. It is not known what was reported to the referee. It is possible only 1 official knew (or should have known) there had been an error made in the announcement and subsequent enforcement. Please view the video and take the poll below. (Please remember to scroll down and click on the DONE button after making your choice.)
Targeting and Instant Replay Every once in awhile the announcers demonstrate an understanding of the rules, as they do in this video. With the continued emphasis on eliminating dangerous high hits and hits using the helmet from the game, officials will continue making mistakes from time to time. While these mistakes can be partially corrected by instant replay, the majority of football games played under NCAA rules do not have instant replay available to help "get it right." In those games, the teams and officials are left to deal with the aftermath of the incorrect call for the remainder of the game. There is also continued discussion over the "correctness" of enforcing a yardage penalty once instant replay has determined there actually was no foul.
Ineligibles Downfield, Yes, But is That All?? ...And sometimes the announcers do not demonstrate an understanding of the rules. In this play, the player who originally receives the snap flips the ball to another player who then runs wide to the right, apparently planning to pass or run the ball. Since that player was not the one who received the original snap, he is NOT permitted to throw the ball away to avoid a loss of yardage. (7-3-2-h Exception). He commits an intentional grounding foul if he does so. There clearly were ineligible receivers downfield on the left side of the field. However, since A17's pass was not a legal forward pass, there should have been no foul for ineligible receivers downfield. A17 should have been flagged for the intentional grounding. If the official believed (incorrectly) that A17's pass was legal, then the ineligible receivers downfield foul would be a possibility. (It is noted the CCA Officiating Philosophies document directs officials NOT to flag ineligibles downfield when the pass is legally thrown away near a sideline. It is not known what weight the Rules Committee wishes this document be given in light of the fact it is still not actually a part of the rulebook.)
Flag Placement At times it is critical to know the exact spot of a foul so that the penalty can be correctly enforced. However, there are many times when the spot of the foul is not that important. Those fouls by Team A behind the previous spot which are enforced from the previous spot (i.e. holding , clipping, etc) are such fouls. In those situations officials will do well to avoid throwing the flag anywhere near a player since doing so could result in just what happened here.
False Start and Zap 10 The rule which provides for a 10 second subtraction from the game clock in certain situations also includes a provision that allows a team to avoid that Zap 10 by using a charged team timeout. This can make for some complicated and drawn out penalty enforcement situations. First the Referee must determine if the offended team wants the penalty yardage or not. If they want the penalty yardage, they also have to decide whether they want the Zap 10 or not. (If they decline the penalty yardage the Zap 10 is declined by rule). If the Zap 10 has been chosen, then the Referee must determine if the fouling team wishes to avoid the Zap 10 by using a charged team timeout. The better crews will have officials with each head coach explaining the potential options and will get their decisions quickly so they can be given to the referee and the game continued.
Intentional Grounding or Out of Bounds ? When a passer runs to the sideline and throws the ball away to avoid a loss of yardage, referees and flank officials must coordinate to determine if the passer was actually out of bounds already when he threw the ball. If so, then the ball is obviously dead at the out of bounds spot and then can be no foul for intentional grounding, even if the ball does not first land beyond the neutral zone. In this play, the QB was ruled out of bounds before he passed. While that would have been a good reason not call intentional grounding, the passer was also outside the tackle box and the ball did land beyond the neutral zone so would not have been intentional grounding anyway. The H appears to spot the ball at the previous spot so perhaps he was confused and did not hear (or believe) what the referee announced. Perhaps the old saying is true.."It is often better to be lucky than good."
Dead Ball Officiating Observe the hit at the top of the screen (42 yard line) after the play ends. From the time an official is in New Official Training, he is taught the importance of dead ball officiating. A great game can deteriorate into a brawl and a flag fest if officials do not perform their dead ball duties well. College officials work in 7 man crews (and now 8 in at least one conference) and their mechanics are designed to ensure it is near impossible for players on the field not to be observed while the ball is live or dead. Dead ball fouls like the one in this video (not flagged) must be snagged.