Football

Snap, Lapse, Perhaps?

It’s highly likely no one has ever called a perfect game. Even at the higher levels, where every official is graded in every game,...

Video Tips for Working as the Referee with Legendary White Hat Jerry Markbreit

Retired NFL referee Jerry Markbreit, talks about how to determine what is a pass and what is a fumble. Retired NFL referee Jerry Markbreit, talks...

Wing Officials Are Coach Conduits For Crew

Wing officials face the constant challenge of the game in front of them and having to communicate with coaches who are behind them. Control of the sideline is important...

3 Times When You Can Take Back A Flag

Once a flag is thrown, there are circumstances when it can be picked up — disregarded if you will. Except for some very specific...

Breaking a Ball-Hawking Habit

The desire to rubberneck, gawk, stare and gape is often an involuntary behavior. Humans are innately curious and are often attracted to the most...

Week In The Life of An SEC Football Official

SEC FOOTBALL OFFICIATING WEEKLY PROCESS SATURDAY From the SEC Football Command Center, monitor games as well as internet and social media and note issues for...

For Football Officials, A Fine Line Between Hustle and Over-Hustle

Moving energetically, sometimes referred to as hustle, not only creates a positive perception, but it can help officials get where they need to be to call the play properly....

Coordination, Communication Key to Measurements

One of the oldest sports clichés is that football is “a game of inches.” When a measurement is involved, it might be a fraction...

Ball Placement – The Art & Science

1Because it has to be done on nearly every play, ball placement is one of the most important elements of officiating a football game. My experience is that...

How to Handle a New Crew Member

If you’re used to working on a crew with the same people from week to week, you know that you can quickly reach a...

Foul That’s Over the Top

Hurdling is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or knees foremost over an opponent who is contacting the...

A Strong Case for Keeping a Steady Pace

An important part of officiating a solid football game is maintaining a good pace of play: neither too slow nor too fast in getting the ball spotted and...

A Gridiron Geometry Lesson

Laypeople may think there isn’t a big difference between spots, lines and planes, but officials need a clear understanding of those geometry terms. Very briefly, a spot is...

Eyes Off the Ball

More than one clinician has joked about officials who should have to buy a ticket to officiate a game because they mostly watch the...

It’s a Foul Now or Later (But Not Never)

You observe movement in either line just as the ball is snapped. You know it is a foul, but do you prevent the play...

When to Throw Flags, When Not to (and When to Pick ’em Up)

The idea of a flag being waved off brings to mind an overbearing referee trumping the decision of a younger crewmate. That has happened on occasion but picking...

Judgment Necessary at Line of Scrimmage

Judgments are a large part of football officiating. All rules require some degree of judgment. Perhaps the simplest application is determining whether a team has too many players on...

Things No Football Official Has Ever Accomplished

There are a few things that no official has ever accomplished. By fully understanding the following feats cannot be accomplished, officials will gain a better understanding of how to...

Ditch the Dinosaur Mechanics

The semifinal game was sold out. Although the visitors were seeded lower, their playoff performance made them the favorite. The home team held its...

Deep Official A Key Crew Member

Back judges are often undervalued in a crew of five. Perhaps that stems from the many prep teams that run the ball much more often than pass...

7 Elements of Your Officiating Anatomy

The human anatomy is an intricate structure consisting of 11 systems and containing more than 37 trillion cells. Officiating requires the use of many...