NCHSAA / IPFO News

1. Position MeetingBack Judge - 2014NCHSAA / IPFO NewsIPFO Back JudgesAssignments & ProfessionalismEjections & DisqualificationsInteractions with CoachesPenalties & DefinitionsBack Judge MechanicsEvaluations & ObservationsJudgmentQ&A

2. NCHSAA / IPFO News • All game fees will increase $6.00 beginning this season. • JV - $66.00 • Varsity - $76.00 • Playoffs - $86.00 • Eligibility for Assignment / Minimum Test Score • Raised to 75/ Regular Season (*Last year we had 2 officials below 75) • 80 / Class 1 or 2 for Playoffs • POD seeding in all sports has been discontinued • Seeds will be placed on brackets and teams will travel based on those seeds and not within geographic parameters. • E-Cigarettes • Added to the Tobacco/Alcohol/Controlled Substances area for coaches, players and officials. Don’t use them on school property. • HUDL • The IPFO now belongs to NCHSAA West. (Metrolina, North State, Southwestern, Western Carolina) • Important Dates: • First day of “7on7” workouts – June 17 • NCHSAA rules clinic – July 30 (Maiden HS @ 6:30PM) • IPFO association meeting – August 3 (Ashe Co. HS @ 2:00PM) • First day for scrimmages – August 11 • First regular season game – August 22 • First round of playoffs – November 14

3. IPFO Back Judge • Your job is difficult and requires concentration. • You are the “Keeper of the Clock”. • You have to make judgments that are easily witnessed by everyone at the stadium, so your mechanics and judgment must be top shelf. • You must work in concert with the wing officials so your keys are not duplicated and the best possible coverage exists for every play in the game. • You, with the help of the Line Judge, decide when every scrimmage kick ends. • It’s easy to lose concentration when a running game is involved and the secondary lacks action, but conversely, it’s easy to “run out of gas” when spread offenses throw the ball 60-80 times in a game. AS AN OFFICIAL MATURES AND GROWS WISER HE TALKS LESS AND SAYS MORE.

4. Assignments & Professionalism • Allassignments are put together with a purpose. • Assignments are made based on what the RSO believes is in the best interest of the crew, the schools involved, and the IPFO. • The RSO knows where the skeletons are buried. • Crew members have the right to be placed in a setting that will allow them to work their game without distractions or negativity. • Any official that elects to openly complain about his or someone else's assignment, the crew makeup, or make comments that are destructive to the Association as a whole, that official will no longer be assigned by the IPFO for the remainder of the season and will have lost my confidence in him. • Simply put, “Cancers will be removed”. TREAT YOUR CREW AS AVERAGE AND THEY WILL REMAIN AVERAGE; TREAT THEM THE WAY YOU WANT THEM TO BE AND THEY WILL BECOME SO.

5. Ejections & Disqualifications • Once a player is given an ejection or a disqualification, regardless of the level of play, it: • Must be properly identified as either a “disqualification” or an “ejection” before notifying the Head Coach. Have a discussion with the Referee before escorting the player from the field of play. • Avoid embarrassment, be sure of your call. • Properly determine if it fails to meet the NCHSAA sportsmanship ideals. • Must be enforced on the field of play at the time of the infraction. • Both the Referee and the ejecting Official to notify the Head Coach • If the Referee is the penalizing official, the closest wing official to witness notification. • Opposite wing official to notify the other Head Coach of the removed player’s status. Don’t get into specifics. • Must be promptly reported to the NCHSAA on the web site. (Within 24 hours / $100.00 fine) Once reported, copies go to: • NCHSAA Supervisor of Officials • Athletic Director & Principal of Penalized Player’s School • IPFO Regional Supervisor of Officials

6. Ejections & Disqualifications • Steps to file a report • 1. Go to www.nchsaa.org • 2. Hover mouse over the heading “Officials” • 3. Click “Ejection/DQ report” • 4. Click the link that says “ Official-Player-Coach Ejection-Disqualification Report” • 5. Select which report (click either ejection OR disqualification) • 6. Fill out all areas of the report • 7. Click Submit • 8. You will receive a confirmation email that reads, “Thanks for submitting your report………. “

7. Ejections & Disqualifications • If you have a unique ejection(s), please let the RSO know. Examples: Head Coach ejection; bench clearing fight; you’re not sure • Ejection Criteria - Examples of conduct that will result in an ejection: • Fighting • Flagrant Contact • Leaving the bench area- coming on to playing area when there is a fight • Biting observed or determined by an official • Taunting, baiting, spitting toward an opponent or official • Profanity (directed at opponent or official) • Obscene Gestures • Disrespectfully addressing an official • Disqualification Criteria -Examples of conduct that will result in a disqualification: • Second unsportsmanlike foul in contest

8. Interactions with Coaches • A coach does not think as an official does, and they don’t react to situations as you would. Coaches are partisan. • Use care when you select your words with a coach. Be direct and precise, particularly if the coach is upset. • Do not try to be funny, use sarcasm or similar choices of words when addressing a coach or player. • Usethe brief officials conference after a score to get messages to the coach if needed. • You don’t have to tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct directed at you from any coach or player. Be clear in your mind that there is a violation, then act accordingly. Don’t react without taking pause first, particularly if a call is being debated. IF YOU TRY TO STRETCH THE TRUTH WHEN COMMUNICATING WITH A COACH, IT CAN BECOME FICTION.

9. Penalties & Definitions • At a Minimum, Know the Definitions Associated with Your Position • What is a catch? • What is the difference between a “Safety” and a “Touchback”? • When does a “Kick” end? • What is momentum with relationship to the goal line? • Consult with the Crew • When there are penalties involving double fouls, fouls during scoring plays, fouls during turnovers……….discuss the administration with the Referee and others in the crew. If it looks wrong, say something. This is a crew decision, use them. • Know Penalty Administration • Know penalty administration, don’t rely on the Referee. You have an observation position to witness the penalty administration from a distance. Think it through as the process unfolds and step in if something looks askew. WHEN YOU HAVE ONE OF THOSE “WHEN IN DOUBT” CALLS, USE COMMON SENSE AND DON'T CREATE A NEW PROBLEM.

10. Mechanics • Coin Toss • Penalty Coverage: • Assist in coverage of all “live ball” penalty flags. • Do not come in and cover dead ball, “prior to the snap” flags. • Keys: • BJ always has the first key. • Discuss keys and zone coverage with the wing officials in the pregame. • Incomplete Pass Signal: • Process what you see and take your time when making the call. • Remain stationary when giving the signal. Do not give it on the run. • One wave of the arms in a controlled manner. Two will be permitted if it’s necessary to sell it. • Do not follow-up with a time-out signal, an incomplete pass stops the clock. • Time-out signal can be given by the non-covering officials. (S-3 twice)

11. Mechanics • Additional Signals: • Clock Status • On the Snap - Snap of the fingers. • On the Ready – Circular wrist movement. • Except for signaling a “delay of game” to the Referee when the 25 second clock expires, do not use any visible penalty signals when reporting penalties. • If possible, avoid giving head nods or similar body expressions when working with a wing official on a catch or the status of a runner at a pylon. Eye contact, then yelling what you have is a better approach since it doesn’t show up on HUDL. • FG/PAT • Position yourself at a comfortable location for viewing kick. (Upright & Crossbar) • Confirm status of kick with LJ, using “Yes” for successful, “No” for failed. • Take one step onto the field of play, shoulders parallel with the end line, and signal in unison. • One S-10 signal for failed attempt. • S-5 signal for successful. Hold this signal (around 3 seconds) until BJ yells “OK”.

12. Mechanics • Working Your Position – Back Judge: • Pregame • BJ will gather footballs and instruct ball boys. • LJ will witness the chain crew instructions. • Clock • You must be precise when there is a visible 25 second clock, and especially when time is nearing an end of either half. • Always check with the Referee about the game clock when a period is nearing an end. • Two toots of the whistle when 15 seconds are remaining in a time-out interval. • BJ always has the first key. • Read the play and react accordingly. • Pre-snap position: • 15-20 yards from the LOS at a minimum, and always deeper than the deepest Defensive Back. (By default, BJ position is on the end line when the ball is at the defensive team’s 10 yard line.) • Punts – 10-12 yards wider and 2-3 yards behind deepest receiver on the Linesman’s side of the field.

13. Mechanics • Working Your Position – Back Judge: • OPI & DPI • Know who initiated the contact or was it incidental. • Don’t be overly technical. • Ball Boys • Make sure that they are instructed to hustle the ball in and out. • When possible, secure the ball from them as quickly as possible in order to minimize the amount of time that they’re on the field. Underhand all tossed ball transfers. • *NCHSAA Mercy Rule • Removes the conflict of how to “control” the clock when the game score is “out-of-control”. • Point differential of 42 or more by halftime. • Start of the second half and any point thereafter, the game will resort to a “running clock” or be terminated by mutual agreement. • The clock will only stop for charged timeouts, injuries and scores. • The “try for point” will always be an un-timed down. • The clock will start when the ball is legally touched on the kickoff. • The clock will start on the snap after a timeout.

14. Evaluations vs Observations • Observations made by Technical Advisors: • An “observation” is the result of a TA’s comments after reviewing a play on a HUDL video. • TA Video review Report • Each play is reviewed with the purpose of identifying your performance within a 6-12 second interval, that’s it. Nothing is assumed, nothing is implied. • When appropriate the TA will highlight both positives and negatives. (Think of it as a practice exam.) • Evaluations made by Technical Advisors: • Are made when a TA attends a game and witnesses your entire body of work. (Pre and post game, live and dead ball intervals) • Are used for post-season assignments. • New format will be used which minimizes gray areas in TA grading. Evaluation Form • Average evaluation score of 130 or more will make the official eligible for the final three rounds of the playoffs. (150 max.) OFFICIALS WISHING TO IMPROVE LISTEN CLOSELY TO OBSERVERS WHILE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PROFITING FROM PRAISE AND ACCEPTING CRITICISM.

15. Officiating Judgment • Every Official Must Do His Best to Exercise Proper Judgment • The difference between a good official and a great official is being in proper position and exercising proper judgment regardless of the game situation. • If avideo shows something that was thought to be missed, the RSO/TA may point it out on the report for you to review. • Judgment will not be second-guessed when the official is properly positioned to make the call. Remember: You own the call. • You may be asked to explain your judgment so the RSO/TA can understand your position in what you saw. This is important when a coach/school complains about a call or how your evaluation is prepared. • The camera doesn’t have your angle. • Your decision is made within seconds and you don’t have the luxury of slow motion or replay. • Honesty with yourself is important. If your judgment was wrong on a particular play, analyze it, learn from it and move on. That’s all that can be asked of you. Mistakes are made, your job is to reduce the number of them. • Judgment can’t be taught, but proper mechanics can be.

16. Questions? “AN OFFICIAL MUST BE BIG ENOUGH TO ADMIT HIS MISTAKES, SMART ENOUGH TO PROFIT FROM THEM AND STRONG ENOUGH TO CORRECT THEM.”