Football

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...

Official/Player Communication Influences Conduct

Trying to manage a football game would be nearly impossible without effective and pointed communication. Although managing players is primarily the responsibility of the coaching staff, officials can facilitate the...

Roughing the Passer Enforcement

Ordinarily, penalties for roughing the passer are enforced from the dead-ball spot (NFHS) or end of the run (NCAA). But not if a change...

No Chain Of Fools

In the vast majority of games, the officiating crew is handed a chain crew not of their selection. In fact, at some schools no...

Defining A Defenseless Player

The NCAA introduced the concept of a defenseless player in 2008, at the same time the first targeting rule was adopted. The NFHS followed...

You’ll Kick Yourself If You Don’t Spot These Fouls

If something funky happens in a football game, it usually occurs during a kick play. Such downs are a smaller percentage of all plays...

The 5 D’s Of Football Success

Here's a list of qualities starting with D from Steve Shaw, coordinator of football officials for the Southeastern Conference, that, if employed, can help any official improve and...

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...

Free But Not Easy

By George Demetriou Although every game begins with a kickoff, free kicks occur much less frequently than passing or running plays. Add the fact the...