Ask a Football Official anything

514 Questions

Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Why in the Jacksonville-Baltimore game were the Jaguars awarded 20 yards when Dumervil grabbed Bortles face mask? He was taken down at the Jaguars 45 and they placed the ball at the Ravens 35 yard line for the next play.

Asked by Chris Barsano over 9 years ago

That doesn't sound too right. Usually a foul like that is tacked on from the end of the run with an automatic first down. Based on what you wrote, it should have gone from the Jags 45 to the Ravens 40. Unless there's something in the NFL rules - which are not always the same as college and HS - that marks it from another spot.

756 Votes

On a kickoff, the ball flys into the endzone and the receiving player muffs the ball but the ball never leaves the endzone and another player from the receiving team recovers the ball in the endzone but his feet are outside the endzone. Safety or T.B

Asked by Nathan ward about 9 years ago

Touchback. It is still a kick since possession wasn't gained until/as the receiver was out of bounds.

753 Votes

On a kick off. Receiving player misses the catch, touches the ball on the one yard line and the ball goes into but not out of the end zone. If the player covers it up and is touched by opposing player, is it a safety?

Asked by Steve over 9 years ago

A kick is a kick is a kick. Until it is possessed, it is still a kick. You have a grounded kick in the endzone, touched by R in the field of play. The receiving team must cover it there or bring it out. If it is possessed in the endzone by the receivers and they "take a knee" there, it is a touchback.

753 Votes

I've been a certified high school football referee for about 14 years. Please explain to me, as it relates to college football, who can leave and go down field when a snap for a punt is made. I always thought that only one gunner on each side and t

Asked by Rando over 9 years ago

No restrictions in NCAA rules. If the coach doesn't like his punter, he can have all ten other players take off.

752 Votes

Also on Jobstr...

CPR Trainer

Just how effective is the Heimlich, really?

Hollywood Executive Assistant

Are Hollywood execs as nightmarish as depicted on TV?

Bar Mitzvah DJ

Why are DJ's so unwilling to accommodate song requests?

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 almost 10 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.

749 Votes

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 over 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.

748 Votes

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 over 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.

746 Votes

Showing 148 - 154

Show All

247 More Answers by Football Official

Last 7

19 20 21 22 23 24

...

Next 7 Answers

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Why in the Jacksonville-Baltimore game were the Jaguars awarded 20 yards when Dumervil grabbed Bortles face mask? He was taken down at the Jaguars 45 and they placed the ball at the Ravens 35 yard line for the next play.

On a kickoff, the ball flys into the endzone and the receiving player muffs the ball but the ball never leaves the endzone and another player from the receiving team recovers the ball in the endzone but his feet are outside the endzone. Safety or T.B

On a kick off. Receiving player misses the catch, touches the ball on the one yard line and the ball goes into but not out of the end zone. If the player covers it up and is touched by opposing player, is it a safety?

I've been a certified high school football referee for about 14 years. Please explain to me, as it relates to college football, who can leave and go down field when a snap for a punt is made. I always thought that only one gunner on each side and t

Also on Jobstr...

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?

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?

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?

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Why in the Jacksonville-Baltimore game were the Jaguars awarded 20 yards when Dumervil grabbed Bortles face mask? He was taken down at the Jaguars 45 and they placed the ball at the Ravens 35 yard line for the next play.

On a kickoff, the ball flys into the endzone and the receiving player muffs the ball but the ball never leaves the endzone and another player from the receiving team recovers the ball in the endzone but his feet are outside the endzone. Safety or T.B

On a kick off. Receiving player misses the catch, touches the ball on the one yard line and the ball goes into but not out of the end zone. If the player covers it up and is touched by opposing player, is it a safety?

I've been a certified high school football referee for about 14 years. Please explain to me, as it relates to college football, who can leave and go down field when a snap for a punt is made. I always thought that only one gunner on each side and t

Also on Jobstr...

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?

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?

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?

Login

Forgot Your Password?

Register