The Referee
- 1. Referee Maintain the tempo of the game Communicate with the rest of the officiating crew Set the pucks and announce the down and line to gain Blow the ready for play whistle and begin the play clock count Count the offensive flag belts and give the proper signal to the Line Judge Cover the Goal Line and End Line if needed Keep on your eyes on your area Watch and follow the QB – even after the ball has been released FIRST DOWN SIGNAL
- 2. Ready for Play After the Referee has announced the down and line to gain, the ‘ready for play’ whistle will be blown This is the signal that the ball is ready to be put into play Meaning, the offense will have 25 seconds, counted by the referee, to snap the ball or be penalized for delay of game READY FOR PLAY SIGNAL
- 3. Balls Away If the passer is deflagged before releasing the ball, he has been sacked by the defense. If the passer releases the ball before the defender deflags them the Referee should yell, “Ball’s Away!” This denotes that the pass attempt has gone forward and may be legally caught.
- 4. One Minute Mechanics Until the final minute of the second half, the clock will run stopping only for Time-Outs The clock will stop for the One Minute Warning The clock will now be run according to stop time based on NCAA rules Communication, signals, and mechanics are key to keeping the crew on the same page START THE CLOCK / CLOCK IS RUNNING SIGNAL
- 5. One Minute Mechanics The clock will stop for a: Incomplete Pass (starts on the snap) Out of Bounds (starts on the snap) Scores (starts on the snap) First Downs (dependent on previous play) Penalties (on the ready) Time-Outs (starts on the snap) Touchbacks (starts on the snap) Change of Possession (starts on the snap) STOP THE CLOCK SIGNAL
- 6. Momentum Rule When a player gains possession between their own 5 yard line and the goal line and their momentum carries them into their end zone, if the ball then becomes dead, via fumble or deflagging, the team with possession will receive the ball at the spot where possession was initially gained. A player is not penalized when their momentum carries them into their own end zone; it will not be a safety In Northeastern IM Football this is common on interceptions of long passes
- 7. Penalties and Enforcement Types of Penalties: Dead Ball (Blow Whistle, Throw Flag, Stop the Play) Live Ball (Throw Flag, NO WHISTLE) Simultaneous with the Snap (Throw Flag, NO WHISTLE) A team always has the choice whether to Accept or Decline the yardage of a penalty Enforce all penalties in the order they occurred LOSS OF DOWN SIGNAL
- 8. 5 Yard Penalties False Start or Encroachment (Dead Ball) Illegal Snap (Dead Ball) Delay of Game (Dead Ball) Offensive Illegal Motion or Illegal Shift Player Receiving the snap within 2 yards of the Scrimmage Line Helping the Runner Intentional Grounding (Loss of Down) Illegal Forward Pass (Loss of Down)
- 9. 10 Yard Penalties Illegal Contact Flag Guarding Illegal Player Equipment Illegal Flag Belt Removal Personal Fouls Roughing the Passer ( Automatic 1 st ) Offensive Pass Interference (Loss of Down) Defensive Pass Interference (Automatic 1 st ) Unsportsmanlike Conduct
- 10. Dead Ball Fouls False Start Illegal Snap Encroachment Delay of Game Leaving the field on the wrong side Unsportsmanlike conduct Whistle is blown immediately and the flag is thrown up in the air Enforced from the succeeding spot Usually called by the Referee or the Line Judge
- 11. Penalties: Dead Ball Fouls
- 12. Penalties: Live Ball Fouls Can happen during both running plays and loose ball plays Whistle IS NOT BLOWN on any live ball foul! Throw your penalty flag at the spot of the foul and keep following the play Do not assume that there will be only one live ball foul, do not stop watching
- 14. Penalty Enforcement The Basic Spot of enforcement is determined by the type of play when the foul is committed Running plays End of the Run Loose Ball plays Preceding Spot (original LOS) Dead Ball fouls Succeeding Spot (the spot where the ball will be snapped from next) Simultaneous to the Snap fouls Succeeding Spot Unsportsmanlike Conduct Succeeding Spot
- 18. Penalties and Enforcement If two live ball penalties occur on one team, the other team must choose which penalty to accept If live ball penalties occur on each team (does not matter how many) and are accepted, penalties will offset and the down will be replayed If a live ball penalty occurs followed by a dead ball penalty, both penalties will be enforced
- 19. Penalties and Enforcement The line-to-gain will always be established after the ready for play whistle has been blown Dead Ball penalties that occur after the whistle will not affect the down or line to gain Penalties on the Defense on scoring plays will be assessed on the subsequent try for point or down, if accepted
- 20. All But One Principle Any foul committed by the offense behind the basic spot of enforcement is administered from the spot of the foul. REMEMBER THIS RULE!!!
- 21. Special Penalty Enforcements Automatic First downs Penalties: Defensive Pass Interference, Roughing the Passer, Illegally Secured Flag Belt Loss of Down Penalties: Illegal Forward Pass, Illegally Secured Flag Belt, Offensive Pass Interference, Intentional Grounding Roughing the Passer = Succeeding Spot Half the Distance - A penalty can never move the ball more than half the distance to any Goal Line, this usually occurs when within either 20YL
- 22. Reporting a Foul Once the play is over: Blow your whistle with two short, loud blasts to get the referee’s attention so they don’t move the pucks Make sure the end of the run is being marked by another official (the final official should also guard the penalty flag on the field so that it is not moved) Quickly tell the referee the foul, the team, and the spot where it happened
- 23. Referee Penalty Enforcement The Referee will . . . Confer with the official that threw the flag Give a preliminary signal (pantomime) of what the foul was and what team committed it Inform the offended captain of the foul and their options Mark off the penalty yardage and move the pucks Announce the penalty (both verbally and with the mechanic) Announce the down and the new line to gain PERSONAL FOUL SIGNAL