Apologies for the lengthy bulletin this week but there is a lot to cover – please take the time to read through.

We’re now two weeks into the season and starting to settle in. The improvement from Week 0 to Week 1 was noticeable, and now the challenge is to keep that progress going. Consistency is the key. Bring the same focus, preparation, and energy every week. Crews that keep refining their communication and mechanics will see the game slow down and their confidence grow.

Mechanics
Mechanics aren’t optional. They’re the foundation of good officiating. We’ve already seen improvement, but there’s still work to be done. Take time this week to review the mechanics for the position you’re working. Start in the right spot, use proper signals, and handle your coverage responsibilities with discipline. Clean, sharp mechanics show professionalism and give coaches, players, and your crewmates confidence that you’re in control of the game. It is evident on film when the crew is working as one unit vs. five individuals.

Film Review
We’ve now got a good amount of film from the first two weeks. Make sure you’re watching not just your own work, but also how other crews are handling mechanics, communication, and situations. Pick out the positives you want to copy and the mistakes you want to avoid. Film is one of the best tools we have to improve – use it. Additionally, for your knowledge, I request on Hudl the game film from every school we officiate every week at all levels – this is a time consuming process but has been extremely effective the past few years – I still suggest you mention film to the coaches in pregame and let them know to expect a request from us.

Customer Service Mindset
How we communicate with coaches and players matters just as much as the calls we make. Your tone, body language, and demeanor go a long way toward defusing tense situations. Be approachable, calm, and professional. Listen first, then respond clearly and confidently. Our credibility on the field depends on it.

Dead-Ball Officiating
Most preventable problems happen after the whistle. Keep your eyes on players until they separate. Hustle to get between opponents when needed and use your presence to calm things down before they escalate. Presence and communication usually fix issues better than flags. Recall that players are not to make spectacles and draw attention to themselves in high school football. Use the guide of Prolonged, Directed (at an opponent) or Choreographed. Don’t allow taunting, baiting, or language directed at opponents or officials. At the same time, recognize normal excitement and emotion that doesn’t cross the line. Use good judgment, be consistent, and back up your crew when these calls are made.

Sideline Management
This continues to be a point of emphasis. Officials working the sidelines need to be firm about keeping coaches and players behind the restricted area. Handle it early and handle it often. Waiting until the game is heated makes it much tougher. Set the tone from the opening kickoff. This is for your safety and theirs.

ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS

Heat Delays and Water

Heat was an issue for contests yesterday and could be again today and into tomorrow. Defer to the school staff on whether CIF rules allow play at that time. Be flexible with time – if the game has to be delayed we are expected to stay within reason. If you have another game from the San Fernando Unit that you will be late for contact Danny Vargas asap. The schools are required to have credentialed officials for their contests – the rules also allow coaches to mutually agree to shorten quarters. This is an option if the delay is significant enough that officials would not be able to stay and Danny is not able to accommodate the school with other officials.

Referees should be meeting the sideline trainers of both teams before every game. Instruct them to inform the crew if they see a player that needs to be attended to. It is not always the case that a significant injury is caused by a big hit that everyone sees. Empower the professionals on site. Same goes for heat illness – on hot days instruct the trainers to inform the crew if they see signs of heat illness or feel an additional water break is necessary. As a crew you also have the authority to take a Referee timeout at any time that you feel a water break is necessary. I suggest aiming to do this near the middle of the quarter and after a change of possession – unless absolutely necessary for player safety do not take an artificial timeout in an instance that alters the momentum of the game.

Conflicting Game Assignments

You are all independent contractors and responsible for your own availability. Please ensure your blocks and the games you accept allow for the natural delays that can occur during a football game – including traffic traveling to and from. We should not have officials artificially speeding up games or leaving contests early to work a game for another unit. We have already had multiple instances of this occurring in the first two weeks. It is not fair to the players in your first game if you leave early, nor is it fair to the players in your second game if you arrive late. If you take a schedule that might leave you in this predicament it is necessary that you inform Danny and allow him to determine if it is appropriate to leave you on the game or replace you to ensure all games are properly covered.

Lower Level Clock Rules

Clock rules are prescribed in the rule book. The clock stops on a change of possession by rule and starts upon the next snap. Officials have zero authority to alter this basic concept unless we are operating under the running clock provisions.

The unit has made one exception to this, in coordination with the Foothill League ADs to run the clock on change of possessions when there are double headers and 3 hours or less between contests. This is because the league and coaches have been adamant over the years that they want the varsity game to start on time. In pregame conferences with the coaches you should remind them of this.

The standard is to run the game as normal for the first possession by each team. Then run on change of possessions until the last 2 minutes of the first half and last 5 minutes of the second half (if the game is at all in doubt).

For singular lower level games there is no policy to alter the timing rules. As stated above, NFHS rules do allow by mutual agreement the shortening of the quarters. For most kids at the frosh and JV levels this season is one of their only opportunities to get on a football field. We often talk about how limited our season is as officials – for the players on these teams it’s 10 games maximum – and for most kids on a frosh team it’s significantly less playing time than that.

Final Note
Game 3 is about locking in good habits. Keep building on what you’ve done, support your crew, and remember that every snap is a chance to get better. Stay sharp, stay professional, and keep enjoying your time under the Friday Night Lights.

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.

Welcome to Opening Week!

Play begins today with lower-level games and our first varsity contests tomorrow. We’ve waited a long time and put in many hours of training – sadly the season will be over in less time than we’ve spent preparing for it. I bring this up to say we must be ready from Game One. Treat every assignment this week as if you were working a championship final. Trust in your preparation and bring your best effort from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

Emotions will be high as players finally get their first chance to line up against an opponent. That means dead-ball officiating and sideline management are critical this week. Use calm communication and presence to manage situations. When tensions rise, use your feet over your flag whenever possible to defuse problems before they escalate. When you throw your flag be decisive; we want BIG, CLEAR, OBVIOUS fouls.

Game Day Professionalism

Arrival: Be at the site early enough to handle logistics without rushing. Check in with game administration.

Appearance: Walk in looking the part. We represent the unit before the first whistle is blown.

Pregame Walkthrough: Review timing, communication, and unusual situations so the crew is on the same page.

Heat & Hydration
Temperatures will be very high in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys this week. Be proactive in checking with schools in advance if afternoon lower-level games are impacted by heat. Game management is responsible for monitoring WBGT and will let us know if conditions do not allow play.

Trainers should be alert for signs of heat illness in players. If a trainer or coach recommends additional water breaks, support them and allow it. If you feel a break is needed yourself, you should initiate one. Always listen to the guidance of /training/medical staff and coaches when it comes to heat and hydration – player safety comes first.

Take care of yourselves as well. Hydrate throughout the day, not just at the field. Use halftime and timeouts to rehydrate. Watch each other for warning signs of heat illness – dizziness, nausea, cramps, or confusion. Step in if a crewmate is struggling. Your safety matters just as much as the athletes’.

Forward Progress & Clock Management
Be precise with forward progress rulings, especially near the sidelines:

If a runner goes backward out of bounds untouched, the clock stops and restarts on the snap.

If a runner is driven backward out of bounds by a defender, spot the ball at the forward-most point reached before contact. In this case, the clock continues to run (unless a first down is achieved, in which case it stops and restarts on the ready).

Too often, clocks are incorrectly run in situations where forward progress was not stopped in bounds. These games are not so long that we need to “shorten them.” Officiate the play as it happens and apply the correct ruling.

Forward Fumble Out of Bounds – New Rule
Review this point in your pregame. Anytime a ball carrier (for either team, before or after a change of possession) fumbles forward and the ball goes out of bounds beyond the spot of the fumble, the ball must be returned to the spot of the fumble as if the run ended there.

The 40-second play clock runs as normal.

The game clock starts on the ready-for-play.

This is a significant change for 2025 — be consistent and prepared to explain it when it comes up.

Quiz Applications:

A 1/10 @ A-45. A21 runs to the B-30 where he fumbles forward. At the B-27, A82, in an attempt to prevent B from recovering, bats the ball forward and out of bounds at the B-25.

The foul for illegal batting on A82 does not change the ball’s status as a fumble. Therefore, the forward fumble out of bounds is returned to the B-30. The foul occurred beyond the B-30, so it is enforced from the B-30.

A 1/10 @ A-45. A21 runs to the B-30 where he fumbles forward. At the B-27, B22 illegally kicks the loose ball out of bounds at the B-25.

The foul for illegal kicking on B22 does not change the ball’s status as a fumble. The forward fumble out of bounds is returned to the B-30. Since the foul by B occurred beyond the B-30, it is enforced from the B-30.

Uniform & Equipment Standards
The first games of the year often bring preventable equipment issues. Address them during warmups, not after kickoff.

Pants must cover knees.

No tinted visors. (Sunglasses are OK.) There is no process for obtaining approval.

Mouthpieces must be attached and worn.

Pads and braces must be properly covered.

Crew Communication
Headsets should be tested before kickoff. Confirm they are working properly as part of your pregame routine.

Summer Study Guide and Referee Classification Exam
These are due tonight at midnight – most but not all have completed them. Get this done today so you don’t have to worry about makeups during the season. 

Final Note
The first week sets the tone. Hustle, confidence, and professionalism are contagious – bring them every snap. Take pride in your work and enjoy being back under the Friday Night Lights!

Thank you,
Jon Stein
Instructional Chair
SFVFBOA
818-679-4912