Ask the ref

#1

RockyTopGolfer

To be the man, you have to beat the man
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#1
Ever wondered anything about officiating at the high school level? Ask questions. I will answer most anything. I am not doing it as of now so I can talk more about it.

Ask away. I will respond as soon as I can....keep in mind I cannot and will not answer NCAA rules questions. I have never owned a NCAA rules book.
 
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#2
#2
no questions now...just thanks for making it available...:salute:

GO VOLS...RUN THE TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#4
#4
Why are targeting calls so subjective. If you had to rewrite it what will you change?
 
#5
#5
Why are targeting calls so subjective. If you had to rewrite it what will you change?
Here is a link explaining it for high school, http://columbusyfl.com/media/541c77342dadb.pdf

I don't know what could be changed to make it better without making it harder to call. All helmet to helmet contact cannot be removed but it seems like they want it removed and I can understand why with injuries and concussions.
 
#6
#6
I know you're a high school ref, but my question pertains to the Vols. I'm sure you're familiar with the college rules, whether you've had to stand on a field and apply them or not.

Do you consider the hit on Berry's kickoff return, where #12 from aTm put the crown of his helmet straight into Berry's facemask, targeting? And why? If yes, why do you think nothing was done by on field refs or replay?

Also, two weeks later, do you consider the two hits on aTm returners vs bama to be targeting? I don't have details on those plays, but CBS talked about them repetitively, so I assume you know what I'm talking about.

Thanks,
AV (HS soccer ref)
 
#7
#7
I know you're a high school ref, but my question pertains to the Vols. I'm sure you're familiar with the college rules, whether you've had to stand on a field and apply them or not.

Do you consider the hit on Berry's kickoff return, where #12 from aTm put the crown of his helmet straight into Berry's facemask, targeting? And why? If yes, why do you think nothing was done by on field refs or replay?

Also, two weeks later, do you consider the two hits on aTm returners vs bama to be targeting? I don't have details on those plays, but CBS talked about them repetitively, so I assume you know what I'm talking about.

Thanks,
AV (HS soccer ref)
My calls have always been made in real time with no replay. I will tell you I agree with most I have seen this season, called and not called, but other times I just scratch my head like everyone else.

Watching the college game for years and "knowing" the rules is 2 completely different things. There are well over 100 rules differences between NFHS and NCAA.

They are trying to take care of things for safety reasons with these rules. You have probably seen in soccer, they make a rule but then there are either loopholes and/or scenarios that make that rule impossible to enforce the way it was written. I believe they are trying to get rid of hit above the shoulders but at the same time I think this is extremely difficult to do when the guy with the ball will lower himself. I don't know how they will fix it.
 
#8
#8
Ever wondered anything about officiating at the high school level? Ask questions. I will answer most anything. I am not doing it as of now so I can talk more about it.

Ask away. I will respond as soon as I can.

Question: In the South Carolina game, Trevor Daniel appeared to make a great punt that was touched by a Tennessee player at about the 1 foot line.

This was the first Tennessee player that ran into the endzone. Then McDowell slid on the ground and touched the ball. And in my opinion the replay clearly shows that the ball did not cross the goal line because of McDowell.

Then the replay clearly shows that the South Carolina player kicked it into the endzone.

What did I miss, and /or what is the ruling on a punt? Isn't a punt dead immediately when touched by the punting team?
 
#9
#9
Question: In the South Carolina game, Trevor Daniel appeared to make a great punt that was touched by a Tennessee player at about the 1 foot line.

This was the first Tennessee player that ran into the endzone. Then McDowell slid on the ground and touched the ball. And in my opinion the replay clearly shows that the ball did not cross the goal line because of McDowell.

Then the replay clearly shows that the South Carolina player kicked it into the endzone.

What did I miss, and /or what is the ruling on a punt? Isn't a punt dead immediately when touched by the punting team?
In high school, that is a touchback. The ball would be dead as soon as it crossed the plane of the goal line. There would have been a bean bag at the spot of first touching by UT and the kick would have continued until it crossed the goal line. The kick was not intentional so it would be ignored.

There was a thread here yesterday that apparently had the college rule posted.
 
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#11
#11
What are some of the better/worst venues that you have worked?

How many years did you call games?

During your tenure what is the biggest change(s) that you have seen in regards to attitudes, skill level, fan engagement, etc.?

I just thought I would get the ball rolling on this thread. Thanks much.
 
#12
#12
What are some of the better/worst venues that you have worked?

How many years did you call games?

During your tenure what is the biggest change(s) that you have seen in regards to attitudes, skill level, fan engagement, etc.?

I just thought I would get the ball rolling on this thread. Thanks much.
That's the kind of stuff I'm after.

Some of the best are 1A games deep in the playoffs. The schools may be small but man they love their football. The larger schools get the crowds but small school live for their football. Great atmospheres.

One of the worst places I went was a Knoxville area school, won't name the school, that we had to walk through the crowd to and from the dressing area. That half time and post game walk was miserable.

Worked over 10 years.

The skill levels stay about the same. For the most part player attitudes are generally pretty good. Sometimes they fuss a little. The fans are what takes the fun out of it across the board. The lower the level of football (youth-varsity) the worse it is.
 
#13
#13
Ever wondered anything about officiating at the high school level? Ask questions. I will answer most anything. I am not doing it as of now so I can talk more about it.

Ask away. I will respond as soon as I can....keep in mind I cannot and will not answer NCAA rules questions. I have never owned a NCAA rules book.
That place, where most people have a soul, what do refs have in its place?
 
#16
#16
How are the officiating crews decided for playoff games? Is it the home team's district's officials or does TSSAA assign them?

One other question: have you ever felt scared at any venue because the fans were upset with you or your crew's calls during the game?

Thanks in advance.
 
#17
#17
How are the officiating crews decided for playoff games? Is it the home team's district's officials or does TSSAA assign them?

One other question: have you ever felt scared at any venue because the fans were upset with you or your crew's calls during the game?

Thanks in advance.

I'd like to know the answer to this myself,. We played Kingston in a semifinal in 1998 and I was told that the officials were from Chattanooga.
 
#18
#18
How are the officiating crews decided for playoff games? Is it the home team's district's officials or does TSSAA assign them?

One other question: have you ever felt scared at any venue because the fans were upset with you or your crew's calls during the game?

Thanks in advance.

Starting just a few years ago, you never work the schools you cover come playoff time. I have traveled as little as 10 minutes to a playoff game and as much as 3+ hours or so. You are required to be on site 2 hours before kickoff. The TSSAA gives the games to the associations across the state (there are 13 of them) and from there the association assigns the officials to each location the state has given them.

At one point we were allowed to work schools that we covered if the game involved 2 schools that we covered. This was true for the 1st and 2nd rounds.

For your second question, never really felt scared for a varsity game. You always have policemen with you leaving the field and coming back after half time. I have been to locations where we had to walk through a pretty mouthy crowd. It is my best interest to not react to it and keep moving.

I have felt more threatened at youth games than I ever have at the varsity level.
Thanks for the question, this is the kind of stuff I like.
 
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#19
#19
Starting just a few years ago, you never work the schools you cover come playoff time. I have traveled as little as 10 minutes to a playoff game and as much as 3+ hours or so. You are required to be on site 2 hours before kickoff. The TSSAA gives the games to the associations across the state (there are 13 of them) and from there the association assigns the officials to each location the state has given them.

At one point we were allowed to work schools that we covered if the game involved 2 schools that we covered. This was true for the 1st and 2nd rounds.

For your second question, never really felt scared for a varsity game. You always have policemen with you leaving the field and coming back after half time. I have been to locations where we had to walk through a pretty mouthy crowd. It is my best interest to not react to it and keep moving.

I have felt more threatened at youth games than I ever have at the varsity level.
Thanks for the question, this is the kind of stuff I like.


Thanks for the response. I will have some more for you a little later.
 
#21
#21
Hope you are still around. I've always had this question:

Do referees actually get to enjoy a/the game or are you to focused on a specific area to see the entire field?
 

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