Stepping Into Week 1 

The improvement from Week 0 to Week 1 is usually the most dramatic of the season for both players and officials. I hope you’ve taken time to review your film from last week and are ready to step back on the field this week at 100%. Carry forward what went well, and correct what didn’t.

Mechanics & Positioning
We had far too many instances in Week 1 of officials using improper mechanics and even incorrect starting positions. These things are entirely preventable. Take the time this week to read and review the mechanics for the position you are working. Clean mechanics are the foundation of our credibility.

Referee Pregame Responsibility
Referees: this week, make sure you are holding a full pregame with your crew. Cover mechanics, timing, unusual situations, and communication. Do not assume everyone is on the same page. A strong pregame is the first step toward a strong performance.

Shifts
We received an important reminder from Coover this week: the offense is prohibited from making quick, abrupt movements once the center has taken his position with hands on the ball if those movements could simulate the snap. Entire-team shifts are legal if they are deliberate and clearly not intended to draw the defense offside. Be sharp in recognizing the difference.

Hudl Film
I sent out a playlist of the opening kickoff from every game last week. A lot of things happen on kickoffs that we need to be prepared for. Please ensure your crew has reviewed the film before your contests.

Mentees and First-Year Officials
It has been great to see how many of you are engaged in your own development early in the season. Russell Nygaard had over 15 officials on his weekly Wednesday call this week reviewing film and asking questions. A number of our new officials have volunteered on lower-level games and have come out to watch their mentor crews work on Friday night. Keep making this effort to improve and you’ll quickly become more comfortable on the field.

Mentors
Mentors are reminded to actively include their mentees and be a consistent resource they can lean on. Your guidance, communication, and example are vital in helping our first-year officials succeed and grow into strong members of the unit.

Game Reports
Referees: a number of game reports received this week contained pertinent information that will be valuable to future crews. I will be sharing those with you. Please continue to submit these so that others can learn from your experiences. Additionally, if any atypical events or misconduct situations occur in your game, contact liaison Dwayne Finley, as well as Danny Vargas and myself, immediately after your game.

Clock Adjustments
Back Judges and Side Judges should be communicating with clock operators before the game. Part of that conversation should include how to quickly and effectively adjust the game clock. Our standard is 5 and 5: adjust the clock over five minutes in either half if we have lost five or more seconds. Under five seconds, adjust all timing errors.

If a stopped clock runs erroneously at any time, we must fix this – it is an integrity issue. Help alleviate this by informing the clock operator that if they run the clock erroneously and can immediately fix it on their own, they should do so. This will most commonly occur when we have a presnap foul during a stopped clock and the timer hits the button not realizing a flag was thrown.

Kick Catch Interference
Remember that in high school KCI protections are off once the kick touches the Team R player. If he muffs it he does not have an unimpeded right to finish the catch. That being said, it’s important to remember that he likely is still a defenseless player in this scenario and there are restrictions on how he can be contacted. If you rule KCI, remember it is treated as ‘an awarded fair catch’ meaning the enforcement is from the spot of the foul regardless of which team recovers the ball. If you rule personal foul illegal contact on a defenseless player than it is enforced as you would other K fouls from either the previous spot or succeeding spot.

Final Note
Game 2 is about showing growth. Bring focus, hustle, and professionalism to every snap. Let’s raise our standard from last week and keep improving as the season moves forward.