1. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
Football 7 Man Mechanics

2. Reminders
LJ will stay on the line of scrimmage on all forward passes and will give the forward or backward signal (this will be for 5 Man Crew Also).
BJ/SJ/FJ will start 5 yards behind the deepest receiver on punts. If the ball is snapped from the 40 or in, the BJ/SJ/FJ will start on the goal line. If you have an exceptional punter, you may start on the goal line if the ball is snapped between the 40 and 50. In this scenario, there may not be an exact answer on where to start…you just need to feel it out according to the game.

3. Pregame/Coin Toss Pregame Meeting with Coaches
All officials will meet with the head coaches in the pregame meeting.
Pregame Responsibilities
- All officials’ pregame responsibilities will be the same as a 5 Man Crew.
- The Side Judge will work with the Head Linesman during pregame.
- The Field Judge will work with the Back Judge during pregame.
Coin Toss
- Referee and Umpire (R to the right) will go out to the center of the field from the press box side just before the 3 minute mark. Referee will then signal to each sideline to bring out the captains.
- Side Judge & Field Judge will come out behind captains on the 50.
- At the 3 minute mark and after the signal from the Referee, all six remaining officials will start walking out with the captains.
- All 6 officials will stop at the hash marks and the captains will continue to the center of the field.

4. Coin Toss Proper Positioning C FJ LJ U R 4 0 4 5 5 0 4 5 L SJ BJ
Press Box C FJ LJ U R
Proper
Positioning
Score Board
<
4 0
<
4 5
5 0
4 5
< L SJ BJ

5. After Coin Toss To Kick Off
Proper Positioning
Press Box FJ BJ LJ R U K
Score Board L SJ
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< 1

6. Kick Off LJ FJ BJ R 1 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 SJ U L Proper Positioning
Press Box LJ FJ BJ
Count R
Count K R K
Score Board
1 0
2 0
4 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
< SJ U L 1

7. Kick Off-Side Zone

8. Kick Off-End Zone

9. Onside Kick – Six In The Box
Referee to Determine When to Go to Six in the Box
Proper Positioning
Press Box LJ FJ BJ
Did Either Team
Touch The Ball?
Did The Ball
Go 10 yards? R
Score Board
Did The Ball
Hit The Ground?
1 0
2 0
4 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
< SJ U L 1

10. Standard Play FJ LJ R U BJ 1 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 SJ L
Standard Play Proper Positioning
Press Box FJ LJ
20 Yards R U
Score Board BJ
25 Yards
1 0
2 0
4 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
<
20 Yards SJ L 1

11. Inside The 20 Yard Line FJ LJ R U BJ 1 0 2 0 3 0 L SJ
20 – 6 Yard Line Proper Positioning
Press Box FJ LJ
At The Pylon R U
On The Endline BJ
<
1 0
2 0
<
<
3 0
At The Pylon L 1 SJ

12. Approaching The Goal Line
Press Box FJ LJ
5 Yard Line R U BJ
<
1 0
2 0
3 0
<
< L 2 SJ 1

13. Reverse Goal Line Mechanics
Press Box LJ FJ
5 Yard Line U BJ R
<
1 0
2 0
<
<
3 0 L SJ 2

14. Pre-Snap Duties FJ LJ R U BJ 1 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 SJ L Counting
Press Box FJ LJ
Count Offense
Count Defense R U
Score Board BJ
1 0
2 0
4 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
< SJ L 1
Chains

15. Collapsing Box Coverage
Boxing The Play In
The “Accordion” Principle
Press Box FJ LJ
LJ and L
Square In
At The Spot X X X X X X
All Officials
“Accordion” In R U
Score Board BJ
“Accordion” Principle
- Dead Ball Officiating
- Talk To Players
- Break Up Confrontations
- Make A Presence
1 0
2 0
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
<
<
<
< SJ L 2 1

16. Collapsing Box

17. Long Run Down Sideline FJ LJ R U BJ 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L
Keep Relative Positioning
Press Box FJ LJ
At The Snap,
BJ And Deep Wings
Start Backing Up R U
Score Board BJ
Trailing Official
Assume
Goal Line
Position
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
Get The Spot
<
20 Yards SJ L
Clean Up
Out-Of-Bounds 1
Leading
Official

18. Long Run Down Sideline FJ LJ R U BJ 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L
Keep Relative Positioning
- Don’t Run Over The SJ Or FJ
Press Box FJ LJ
2 Yard Line R U
Score Board BJ
Trailing Official
Assume
Goal Line
Position
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
<
20 Yards SJ L
Leading
Official 1
Signals Touchdown

19. Ball Down on the 1 Yard Line

20. Initial Keys FJ LJ R U BJ 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L Pro Set
Press Box FJ LJ R U
Score Board BJ
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< SJ L 1

21. Initial Keys FJ LJ R BJ U 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L Double Wing
Press Box FJ LJ R BJ
Score Board U
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< SJ L 1

22. Initial Keys FJ LJ R BJ U 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L Trips Formation
Press Box FJ LJ R BJ
Score Board U
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< SJ L 1

23. Initial Keys FJ LJ R BJ U 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L
“Stacked” Formation
Press Box FJ LJ
No Formal Keys R BJ
Score Board U
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< SJ L 1

24. Initial Keys FJ LJ R BJ U 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 SJ L
Double Tight End
Press Box FJ LJ R BJ
Score Board U
2 0
<
1 0
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
< SJ L 1

25. Punt Mechanics FJ LJ R BJ U 1 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 SJ L
Punt Proper Positioning
Press Box FJ LJ R BJ
Score Board U
1 0
2 0
4 0
3 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
<
< SJ L
If Inside the 45, Set Up on Goal Line 4

26. “Reverse” Mechanics LJ FJ R U BJ 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 L SJ
- Occurs On Punt And Interception Returns, L/SJ And LJ/FJ Duties Flip
R Has Goal Line Duty
Press Box
Assume Goal
Line Position LJ FJ
Signals
Touchdown
Leading
Official
Trailing Official R
Referee Shares
Goal Line Duty
(Don’t Get Beat)
2 Yard Line
Score Board U BJ
1 0
2 0
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
4 0
3 0
<
<
<
<
< L SJ 4

27. FG And Try Mechanics LJ FJ U SJ BJ R 1 0 2 0 4 0 3 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 L
FG And Try Proper Positioning
Press Box LJ FJ U SJ BJ R
1 0
2 0
4 0
3 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
<
< 4
If Blocked or Faked Outside the 25, FJ and BJ move to Pylons on the goal line. L

28. Swinging Gate Mechanics
FG And Try Proper Positioning
Press Box LJ FJ U SJ BJ R
1 0
2 0
4 0
3 0
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
<
< L 4
If Blocked or Faked Outside the 25, FJ and BJ move to Pylons on the goal line.

29. After Try for Point Mechanics
Press Box LJ SJ BJ R
1 0
2 0
4 0
3 0 FJ
<
<
<
3 0
<
4 0
5 0
<
< U L 4

30. Measurement Mechanics
Press Box FJ
Field Judge
Clears Players Away
And Secures A New Ball
If Appropriate LJ FJ R BJ U L
4 0
<
3 0
2 0
1 0
<
<
< SJ
Side Judge
Takes Charge
Of The Box 2 2 L SJ

31. Measurement

32. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
Football 7 Man Mechanics