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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Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Best Rated

I have noticed while watching a game, the play clock will be down to a certain number say 8 then change to 25 before the ball is snapped. Please, tell me why or should this be happening?

Asked by Rick Greenberg over 11 years ago

If the ball isn't set for some reason by the time the play clock reaches 20 seconds, the referee will pump one hand in the air to reset the play clock to 25. That's to give the offense a fair opportunity to run their offense. But 8 seconds? Something else must have happened - was there a timeout or some clock malfunction or an injury? The 25 count is "sacrosanct" and generally you don't interrupt it.

Ok a punt goes thru a players hands, as he turns to go after the punt he steps out of bounds. He then comes back in grabs the ball in the end zone and starts running. He is then tackled in the end zone. It is called a touchback. Is that the proper ca

Asked by Brad over 10 years ago

The kick is still a kick - it was never possessed by anyone. In college, the player is out of bounds once he steps out, and if he touches the ball in play, it is dead. But go back to the kick: in HS and college, a grounded scrimmage kick (punt) in the endzone is dead - it's touchback. Sounds like they got it right.

My son's junior football teams have been penalized 3 times for assisting the runner. I have watched MANY MANY examples of this same thing in D1 college and the NFL and never seen a call. Examples ... first TD for Ducks vs Huskies Oct 12. What is rule

Asked by kc8333 over 12 years ago

I cannot believe the number of questions about helping the runner. In a long career of officiating at the high school and college level, I have never - honestly, never - seen it called. Your son's coach needs to speak with the league and there needs to be clarification on the rule.  In college the rule was changed this year (as I previously wrote) to make it only pulling the runner creating the foul. No one wants to make that call - really, they don't.  I obviously didn't see your son's game, nor did I see the Oregon-Washington game. And based on what I just wrote, there probably wasn't a foul in that college game.

if the ball crosses the goalline but is knocked out of the players hand and is recovered by the defence is it a touchdown or fumbule

Asked by nsane over 12 years ago

I'm assuming the ball is in player possession when it crosses the goal.  If a runner puts the ball in his possession over the line, it is a touchdown; play is over and the "recovery" is irrelevant.  You use the concept of a "pane of glass"; if you break the glass, it's a TD.  If a receiver catches the ball in the air over the endzone, he must come down to the ground with possession. So if a reception is made in the air, and the ball is knocked out of the receiver's hands before he establishes contact with the ground, it's incomplete.

If you intercept the ball on about the 10 yard line and you run a little bit and then get tackled in the endzone, is it a saftey , touchback, or is the ball just place at the spot of the interception?

Asked by Cole over 12 years ago

This was mentioned a few questions ago. If you intercept a pass inside the 5 (at least in college, probably NFL, too) and then go into the endzone where you're tackled, it comes back out to the spot of the interception. That is momentum.  If it is intercepted at the ten, as you describe, and you take it into the endzone, it is your fault the ball is there, and that will be a safety.

So if one team commits two penalties and the other commits one on the same play. Neither is a personal foul penalty do they offset?

Asked by Evildeadted over 11 years ago

yes

Between 3rd & 4th down, what is the proper use of the play clock assuming there is an incomplete pass, no timeouts and no injuries? Is it a 40 second clock that starts immediately after the ball is ruled incomplete? If this expires can it be reset?

Asked by Orange. over 12 years ago

I'm not sure why you reference the 3rd and 4th down interval. In college, and as far as I know in the NFL, when the play ends (in this case the pass is incomplete) the 40 second clock starts. If it expires, it's a delay on the offense.