The Pigskin
Page
2013 Week 6 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.
Last week's poll play featured a situation which occurred when a crew miscommunication resulted in a penalty being enforced against the wrong team and a subsequent play being run before the crew realized the mistake. In the video play, the crew went back to the spot where the penalty had been enforced from, "re-enforced" it, this time against the correct team, and started the series over. This was a clear departure from the rules which do not provide for such late correction. 170 of our "crew" answered the poll question and 66 % said "Thank the line judge for his LATE information and continue the game, 2d and 9 at the 21" (i.e. no "do over"). 27% elected to permit the some version of a "Do Over" . We await the official word from Indianapolis or Birmingham as to what they prefer be done.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Personal Foul, Nothing ? This year's rule change concerning extracurricular activity being charged as Unsportsmanlike Conduct instead of Personal Foul continues to be a work in progress for some officials. The Rules Editor has made clear that dead ball extracurricular should be charged as Unsportsmanlike Conduct when the fouling player's action is not a part of continuing action or is not a normal football-related act. While the penalty yardage is the same either way, the unsportsmanlike foul puts the player in danger of disqualifying himself should he commit another Unsportsmanlike Conduct foul. A player does not automatically get disqualified for 2 personal fouls (although he could be disqualified on the first such foul if the crew deemed his foul was "flagrant." Please view this play video and take the poll. (Please remember to scroll down and click on the DONE button after making your choice.)
"Simultaneous Catch or Recovery" One very important part of the rule regarding simultaneous possession is not well known among the sports media and even among some officials. That critical piece is that in order to have either a "catch" or a "recovery" a player has to have some part of his body touching ground in bounds (and no part touching out of bounds.) If two players are airborne and each have equal control of the ball, neither has caught or recovered it....yet. If one comes to ground first, he will be awarded the catch/recovery (assuming all the other requirements for a catch/recovery) are met (2-4-3). In this video play, B3 is clearly on the ground first and all that must be determined if he had a firm grasp and control of the ball while doing so. It should be noted there is nothing that prevents a finding that opposing players both have a firm grasp and control of the ball. That may be true in this play, however, since only 1 was grounded while doing so initially, it is NOT a simultaneous catch. If both players were grounded at the same moment and both judged to have a firm grasp and control of the ball, the rules direct awarding the catch to Team A (7-3-6 and AR's 7-3-6-I and 7-3-6-II)
"Pull and Shoot" One of the most difficult fouls for many umpires to get is the illegal holding by defensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. Since the defenders are given so much leeway as to what they can legally do to get to a ball carrier or the ball, many umpires miss the holds by defensive linemen that actually ARE illegal. The umpire in this play made a great "get" to see this foul and flag it. Defenders cannot hold an opponent simply to help a teammate get to the ball carrier or the ball (9-3-4).
Targeting by Offensive Linemen Despite the protestations of defensive coaches, players , and defense-minded fans, it is not just the defense being flagged for targeting and having players disqualified. This video is an example of another type of targeting often done by team A players who make blind-side blocks. If those blocks are at the head or neck area of the blockee, the blocker risks the flag for targeting. In this play, the Team A blocker would have been prohibited form blocking below the waist since that would have been a "peel back" in this situation. He is also prohibited from throwing the blind-side block at the head or neck area. That gives him a very limited target area but players must learn to use that target area to avoid drawing flags.
Delay of Game and Zap 10 The 10-second subtraction rule can get very confusing in certain situations. It is also one where officials can rarely assume they know what option the offended team will choose. In this play, the clock was running with less than a minute in the half. Team A's delay of game foul caused the clock to stop so it qualified for the Zap-10. In many circumstances, team B might decline the Zap-10 so they could get the ball back after this 4th down play and then have time to try to score themselves before the period ended. That is clearly what the announcer thought would happen and why he claimed Team A "used a loophole" to gain an advantage. As much time as it took to enforce the simple penalty here it is obvious the crew asked Team B if they wanted the ZAP-10 or not and Team B elected to take it. That process can be time-consuming and as we see here, the choice is not always obvious.
DPI on an Ineligible Receiver When an eligible receiver voluntarily steps on the or outside the sideline, he makes himself ineligible. It is impossible to have defensive pass interference where the player "interfered" with is ineligible. The viewer can decide if this receiver stepped out of bounds voluntarily. (Although the fact that no official is hatless suggests nobody saw him touch ground out of bounds voluntarily or involuntarily. ) "We report, you decide."
Giving Team B a Chance to Match Up While Team B has to be given a chance to sub and match up after a Team A substitution in most cases, they have no inalienable right to do so after an official's conference. When the 1st play ended, Team A hurried to the line to run its next play. It was incumbent on Team B to start making whatever subs it wanted to make at that moment. The fact officials were conferencing does not mean Team B cannot or should not sub. Furthermore, in this play it is not even clear that Team A even subbed. If they had not subbed, Team B would have no right to having the snap delayed for their subbing.
"How do you say that" Anyone who has had the pleasure of talking officiating football with Bill LeMonnier knows what a great experience that is and has also heard some very interesting stories. One many of us may have never heard was related in this video. It is also some great advice for those of us with unique names us to consider when asked how we pronounce our name.