1 Contra Costa Football Officials Association New Officials Training Session No. 2 Basic Definitions / Live Ball / Dead Ball

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 2 Player Safety is Your Number One Concern

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 3 Welcome  Sign In  Pay Dues; Pick-up Books  Introductions  Trainers  CCFOA Board Members who are present  Attendees

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 4 Today’s Agenda  Session 1 Quiz, Discussion and Review  Basic Definitions for a New Official (Rule 2) Rich & Bert  Fundamentals – The Scrimmage Formation Pre-Snap (Rule 7-1 and 7-2) Rich  Line Up, Encroachment, False Start, Motion/Shifts  Rules, Mechanics, Keys, Signals  Film  Fundamentals - the Live Ball / Dead Ball (Rule 4) Bert  When is the ball dead / When is it alive??  Rules, Mechanics, Keys, Signals  Stay after if you missed Orientation Bert & Rich

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 5 BASIC DEFINITIONS Rule 2 Bert

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 6 Basic Definitions 1. Neutral Zone, Line of Scrimmage 2. Dead Ball, Live Ball 3. Catch, Recovery, Touching 4. Fumble, Muff 5. Scrimmage Kick, Free Kick 6. Passing, Handing, Batting 7. Player Possession, Team Possession 8. Ready for Play 9. Rules, Mechanics, Keys, Signals

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 7 Neutral Zone, Lines of Scrimmage  Neutral Zone (2-28)  10 yard separation between R and K on free kick  “Width of the ball” and across the field during a scrimmage down  Lines of Scrimmage (2-25)  Vertical planes on either side of the neutral zone during a scrimmage down  A Player is “on the line” essentially if he is within one yard of the line of scrimmage

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 8 The Neutral Zone in Pictures

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 9 Dead Ball, Live Ball  Dead Ball (2-1-1)  A ball not in play; essentially the interval between downs  Seldom does the official’s whistle kill the ball – it is already dead by rule when the whistle blows  No live ball foul causes the ball to become dead  Live ball (2-1-2)  A ball that is in play  Becomes live when it is legally snapped  Becomes live at the moment it is legally free kicked

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 10 Catch, Recovery, Touching  Catch (2-4)  Gaining possession of a live ball in flight AND  First contacting the ground in bounds while maintaining possession of the ball  Recovery (2-36)  Gaining possession of a live ball after it strikes the ground AND  First contacting the ground in bounds while maintaining possession of the ball  Touching (2-44)  Any contact with a live ball  Either touching it or being touched by it  Touching always precedes possession

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 11 Fumble, Muff  Fumble (2-18)  Loss of Player Possession other than by handing, passing or a legal kick  Muff (2-27)  Touching of a loose ball in an unsuccessful attempt to secure possession

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 12 Scrimmage Kick, Free Kick  Scrimmage Kick (2-24-4)  Legal Kick from in or behind the neutral zone  Can be place kick, punt or drop kick  Free Kick (2-24-3)  A “Kickoff” putting ball in play: To start the half After a score (TD, FG, Safety) After a fair catch (don’t worry about that)  Must be a place kick or drop kick (free kick after a safety may be a punt)  “A kick is a kick is a kick” until a player secures possession (catch or recovery)

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 13 Passing, Handing, Batting  Passing (2-31)  Throwing a ball  The ball MUST travel in flight  Forward vs. Backward Passes  Handing (2-19)  Transferring possession to a teammate WITHOUT ball traveling in flight  Forward vs. Backward handing  Batting (2-2)  Intentionally slapping or striking the ball with the arm or hand

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 14 Player vs. Team Possession  Player Possession (2-34-1)  A live ball held or controlled by a player  Player in possession of the ball is the “Runner”  Team Possession (2-34-2)  Ball in player possession  One that is loose following loss of player possession  In possession of K until free kick is possessed by R or until ball is declared dead  A live ball is always in possession of one of the teams

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 15 Ready for Play (2-35)  Occurs when the Referee signals (chop / whistle) that the ball may now be put in play  Start of the 25 second count  Start of various restrictions on position and movement of the players

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 16 BREAK

Fundamentals The Scrimmage Formation – Pre-Snap Rule 7-1 & 7-2 Encroachment False Start Getting Set, Shifts & Motion Rich

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 18 The Fundamentals of the Scrimmage Formation; Pre-Snap  Everyone  Verify Correct Down Hand up until Ready for Play showing down Move to other finger at RFP  Umpire  Stand over ball facing R  When he nods or when there is no chance of quick snap move off ball  Opposite Referee most times  Flanks  Position yourself outside the sideline  Mark Offensive Scrimmage Line “my foot is the line”  Widest Receiver – On or Off? / Signal to other flank If both off; count backfield – no more than 4

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 19 Counting Players  Umpire Count Offense (4 Man) Defense (3)  Flanks (4) count Defense  Every Down & Signal to Referee  If 11 – Fist outward  If 10 – spread fingers; hands on chest  If 12 – count again; then penalty  VERY STRONG PREFERENCE to flag this before the play (5 yard dead ball penalty – illegal substitution rather than 15 yard live ball penalty - illegal participation)

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 20 Encroachment  Rule  After RFP no A or B player may be in neutral zone  Immediate foul no “getting back”  Youth and early in season – Use some judgment  Mechanic  Throw flag, blow whistle, signal timeout, come down line to report to Referee  Primarily Flanks’ call; U has wrong perspective  Key = Snapper to your sideline Off & Def  Signal & Subtleties  Throw flag up and slightly towards side of line of team that fouled

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 21 False Start  Rule  Applies only to A  After a player Is set he can make no motion simulating a snap  A “down lineman” once down is “locked down”  Don’t be fooled – sometimes everyone goes except the snapper = false start  Mechanic  Throw flag, blow whistle, signal time out, come down line to report to Referee  Keys  Flanks (snapper to sideline, wideouts)  U (Interior line, primarily snapper to opposite tackle)  Signal & Subtleties  Flank - Throw flag up and slightly towards A side of line  Umpire – Toss flag underhand to feet of player who fouled

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 22 Snap Infraction  Snap must be single, continuous backward motion  No ball “jerks” pre-snap to draw defensive  Ball must leave hands of snapper  Ball must touch a player not on the line or the ground before it touches a lineman

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 23 Is it Encroachment or a False Start?  Come in to center to discuss with crew  Must establish which happened first – that is what it is

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 24 Getting Set, Shift, Motion  Rule:  After RFP and after each shift at some point prior to the snap all A players must be simultaneously motionless for 1 second  Shift = two players moving at same time  At snap only one player can be in motion and that motion must not be forward  Mechanic  NOT a foul until the snap (what you might hear)  Key  R, HL, LJ all can call illegal shift  Illegal motion – HL, LJ take motion away from them  NOT the umpire’s call  Subtlety  Throw flag up, let play go and continue to officiate

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 25 Film

Fundamentals - the Dead Ball Rule 4 When is the ball dead? Where is the ball dead? Keys for dead ball coverage Mechanics of the dead ball Bert

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 27 When is the Ball Dead? 14 Reasons (see Rule 4-2)  Running the ball 1.Runner goes out of bounds 2.Runner touches the ground with other than a hand or a foot 3.Runner’s forward progress is stopped 4.When helmet comes off runner  Passing the ball 4.Forward pass is incomplete 5.Forward pass is simultaneously caught  Kicking the ball 6.Legal kick breaks the plane of R’s goal 7.Kick is recovered or caught by K 8.After a fair catch signal if kick caught or recovered by R

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 28 When is the Ball Dead? Continued  Loose balls 9.Ball goes out of bounds 10.Ball is motionless and no one attempting to gain possession 11.Touches anything in bounds except a player or official who is in bounds  Scoring 12.Upon a score 13.When a kick try is obviously no good 14.When B secures possession on a try  Other 14.Inadvertent whistle

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 29 Where is the ball dead?  At the spot of the ball when in player possession in bounds  At the spot the ball crosses the sideline when a player goes out of bounds  At the spot the ball crosses the sideline when a loose ball goes out of bounds  Progress is the forward point of the ball

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 30 Keys for the Dead Ball Rule on dead ball in your coverage area  Flanks  Your third of the field for tackled runner  Your half of the field for forward progress  Your sideline  Downfield on passes on your half of field  Umpire  Only if you clearly see runner on ground with ball in possession in middle third of field

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 31 Mechanics of the Dead Ball  In-bounds – if you rule the ball is dead:  Blow whistle (Do not echo other’s whistles)  Mark progress with feet - together – downfield edge of down field foot at downfield tip of ball  Out of bounds - if you rule the ball is dead:  Blow whistle (Do not echo other’s whistles)  Give time out signal (two times)  Get to out of bounds spot  Mark with foot  Observing action of players in and out of bounds  Do not move or retrieve ball until someone releases you from your spot

June 23, 2012 Anatomy of a Play 32 Wrap up  General Questions?  Next Meeting  Time  Date / Day  Venue  Adjourn  If you missed 1 st Session (Orientation) Please stay around