Football Official

Football Official

Zebra

Somewhere in, NJ

Male, 62

I've officiated football for over 30 years, now in my 26th on the college level. I've worked NCAA playoffs at the Division II and III level. In addition, I've coached at the scholastic level and have been an educator for over 35 years. I have no interest whatsoever in being an NFL official! Ever!

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514 Questions

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Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Best Rated

Do you know when the team logos were added the NFL footballs?

Asked by Gward3 over 9 years ago

No. And I didn't know they were.

Why when a team gains enough for a first down, and a dead ball foul happens after the play. Why is it 1st and 10 instead of 1st and 25?

Asked by carp77 over 9 years ago

Until the sticks are set, you're still in that interval period. So the penalty is enforced, then thesticks are set 1 & 10. If a dead ball foul occurs after they're set, you then have 1 & 25.

A1 go back to pass a2 throws a punch at b2 but misses b3 intercept the pass and takes it in for a touchdown

Asked by Everett over 9 years ago

That's a TD for B. A2 gets disqualified for the swing - contact isn't necessary. Enforce penalty on the try.

Would you say it was hard to get into officiating. I am interested in it at a local level (middle/high school). I am 27 and work a full time job. I don't want to do it for the money. More like a hobby. Do you have any advise on how to get started?

Asked by Kenneth about 9 years ago

It's pretty easy to get in - staying is the hard part. Everybody working high school, college, or even the NFL has another job. When you start out, you may need an understanding boss because there may be JV or freshmen games in the afternoon.

Getting started: you can contact your state's high school athletic governing body and get contact information for the football officials group. That group does the training and registers you with the state so that you are "certified" as a HS official. If you aren't sure what the state body is, contact your local high school athletic director for a phone number.

By the way, it's a good thing you don't want to do it for the money. Even guys working every week in one of the P5 NCAA conferences might make $25,000, before expenses. You don't get rich doing this.

During the Vikings - Seahawks game (4th Quarter), a play when Kyle Rudolph contacted Kam Chancellor and they flagged Chancellor for pass interference, please settle a minor debate, was this actually PI or since Rudolph initiated contact, not PI?

Asked by Justin N about 9 years ago

Initiating contact isn't the issue. Any PI call is based on advantage/disadvantage. Did the receiver create separation? did he gain an advantage with the contact? Likewise, did the defender impede the receiver from making a play on the ball. The initial contact by Rudolph may not have impacted the play. The contact by Chancellor was deemed to have been interference.

I play semi pro football and we use standard college rules in a recent game i was on defense and we blocked the extra point the offense then advanced the blocked kick and was awarded a 2pt conversion. Is this legal i have never seen this happen.

Asked by Dtackle #42 over 8 years ago

It's good. Rule 6-3-1 says: ARTICLE 1. a. A scrimmage kick that fails to cross the neutral zone continues in play. All players may catch or recover the ball behind the neutral zone andadvance it.

The ball was still alive.

So if a quarterback goes into his proverbial slide and the defender slaps the ball out of his hand without actually touching the quarterback while he's on the ground would it be a fumble or dead ball?

Asked by Shane snow over 9 years ago

Dead ball. Might even be consider unsportsmanlike. The beginning of the slide is where the ball gets spotted next, not where the QB ends up. So, in essence the ball and the QB are down at the start of the slide.