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

In Saturdays LSU-Auburn game the officials called a penalty on LSU for illegal motion with 5 seconds to play. The play was nullified and brought back to the line of scrimmage and the penalty was assessed. Should the clock have been reset at 5 seconds

Asked by Rick almost 10 years ago

Couple of things here. If the clock was running and the foul for illegal motion stopped the clock, then there could have been a 10 second runoff and the game would be over. If the click wasn't running, then yes you should have the clock reset to five seconds since the play never happened. But, and I'm not clear from your description, if the play was run and the foul was a live ball foul during the play, then you could have an untimed down or Auburn could decline the penalty and the game ends.

Why can't the ball be snapped to the center of the hash marks for a field goal? Must the ball be snapped directly backwards in these situations? (To move a field goal attempt to the middle versus kicking from the hash marks)

Asked by Football noob almost 9 years ago

The ball is snapped based on where it ends up after the previous play. If the play ends outside the hash (between hash and sideline) it is brought back to the hash for the next snap. If it is incomplete, it is returned to where it was last snapped. If it ends between the hashes, it is snapped at the spit where the play ended. You don't table a choice of where to place the ball.

2 extra point questions:
After touchdown team decides to go for 2 points. T make it but incur holding penalty. Back 10 yards can they now chgange to 1 point kick??
2 - Decision to go for 2 but get up to line calls time out. can they now go for 1?

Asked by Bill Miller over 7 years ago

Yes and yes. A PAT is a scrimmage play and, as with any play from scrimmage, you can call any play you want. A PAT is a scrimmage kick and, as on a punt (another scrimmage kick) you can change your mind after s penalty.

On a kickoff, say the receiver catches the ball straddling the endzone, he hesitates, and here's the other team. He can't go fwd., he may get a safety, so he decides to throw the ball out of bounds. An illegal forward pass but they keep the ball?

Asked by Scott over 8 years ago

Hey, coach! Tell your player to either catch it in the field of play or in the endzone. No indecision!!

Generally, officials will give the player the benefit of the doubt and say he's in the endzone. But if he is obviously straddling the line as you describe, he's caused all of us problems. It matters where the ball is, not the player. But if he throws it, he just screwed the pooch. If he throws it backwards, it's alive and the kicking team could recover it. If he throws it out of bounds backwards, it's a safety. If he throws it forward from the endzone, it's an illegal forward pass and the penalty is marked from the spot of the foul -- safety.

Why wasn't the 10 second runoff rule enforced in the LA Rams - Atlanta game just before halftime? LA received a holding call with 8 second left to halftime and had no time outs.

Asked by Reggie Beasley over 8 years ago

I'm guessing the NFL rule is the same (similar) to the NCAA. In order for a 10-secind runoff to occur, the foul must cause the clock to stop immediately, such as a false start. If it was a hold, then the play went off and the infraction didn't cause the clock to stop; the play ended and the clock was stopped.

Can officials decide to change out during an ongoing game?

Asked by Washington almost 9 years ago

I have no idea what that means. Sorry, can't help.

If a member of the punting team touches the ball on the 2 yard line, and knocks it into the end zone where his teammate covers the ball, is it a touchback?

Asked by James Dean almost 8 years ago

Yes. The axiom is "a kick is a kick is a kick". If K touches the ball, it is "illegal" or "first" touching, depending on the level (HS, NCAA). But the ball as you describe it is still considered a kick, so being downed in the endzone makes it a touchback.