GASA Clock

I have been writing about this issue since October 2004 and it is also published under the SAGOA resources web page, has been there now for over a year. Why does this still bring issues of misunderstanding? Really when we hear comments about coaches, captains and QB telling us how to run the clock many a time it is 99% wrong.

Out of 72 quarters of football this year I can think of only 3 timing errors, these were when a false start was blown late twice and the play got underway or a substitution infraction called late allowing a play to continue and then brought back once the officials double checked on numbers and the situation. With so few quarters having timing errors less than 5% of the season then the clock has run correctly for 95% of the time, but changes made accordingly for 100% accuracy.

The clock is a modified rule for SA in which people still do not understand yet SAGOA have run this style of clock under the modified rule since about inception, 1986. (I could be wrong on the year but it has been around for a very long time.)

Below is the updated excerpt for the 2007/08 season: (Some parts have been bolded and italicised for emphasis from the original article.)

Timing

GASA Clock 2006/07 Season (also 2007/08)

GASA run what is called a fast clock for all games. We do not run exactly to NCAA Rules, except inside 2 minutes of the second and fourth quarters.

What does this mean for teams who wish to control the clock better?

The Referees are putting the ball into play 10 to 15 seconds after the previous play finishes. This may extend out further on hot days to 20 seconds. This means a play every 40-45 seconds.

The game clock continues to run at all times except:

• Incomplete pass
• Change of possession – interception, fumble recovery by Team B, and kick plays.
• Play ends up out of bounds
• Officials time out
• Injury time out
• Team time out
• First Downs to move the chains

If the game clock is stopped when does it start?

The game clock will always start with the ready for play by the Referee, except inside the 2-minute warning.

Inside the 2 minutes the game clock will start depending on how it was stopped, according to NCAA Rules 2005 (and now 2007 NCAA Rules). Generally if the teams stopped it first then it will start on the snap. If the Officials stopped it then it will start on the ready for play by the Referee.

As usual there are exceptions. If the Officials stop the clock to move the chains for a first down then a team calls a time out, the next time the game clock starts will be on the snap.

The teams time out override the Officials stopping the clock. The same on a first down and a player going out of bounds. The player going out of bounds overrides the officials stopping of a clock for the first down, so therefore the game clock will start on the snap.

If an Official is unsure about a first down he will signal to stop the clock so that the Referee can check. As soon as it is determined that it is short the Officials will signal for the game clock to start again.

A tip to manage the clock better.

• If inbounds and there is an obvious first down do you need to call a time out? The clock has stopped already for the Officials to move the chains. It will take a while to get the chains moved (20 to 30 seconds depending on the distance to cover by the chain crew.) Generally though as soon as the down marker is placed where the new set of downs begin the ready for play whistle will sound and the game and play clock will begin. The game clock will start on the ready and not the snap. Your intentions may be to have the game clock start on the snap because of the time out. If you want to discuss a play you might have time while the chains set up and not have to call a time out.

Modified from Week 10 2004 SAGOA Articles to Head Coaches.

There are a number of timing changes in the 2006 NCAA Rulebook that do not fit our circumstances. Also these changes may come under more scrutiny before the next season. (disregard this comment for season 2007 onwards.)

Anyhow I hope this can clear this up once and for all so that all coaches, players and captains understand this vital rule in a close game. I also hope that the coaches group can put these modified rules together as SAGOA should not be informing these sorts of issues midway through a season, nor should be the ones communicating this to coaches. SAGOA is only to enforce the rules on the field but should not be taking the responsibility to teaching the rules to participants, unless coaches, captains and other senior players are willing to attend a meeting to get a better understanding. There is no point in me conducting a meeting with just one small group of people as my experience tells me that the message does not filter down to the people that matter, THE PLAYERS.

Happy New Year and best of luck for your last few games. It has been very close with almost another draw happening and a few upsets still to happen along the way. It will be interesting to see just who checks on the blog for updated information ready for part 2 of the season.

Grant Martin

Sideline 2 - Severe brain injury to Assistant Coach

Just a reminder that 6 feet from the sidelines belong to the officials and them only. I have read a very sad article where an assistant coach was standing in the restricted area and an official collided with him. The assistant came off second best and has not worked a game, nor his job, for the past 2 years because of a brain injury. His insurance company is now suing the officials for $10 million for not enforcing the 6 foot rule.
SAGOA actually started moving the orange numbers further off the sideline a few weeks ago for our safety and those standing on the sideline. This leaves one side under the stand very cramped but a necessary evil.
Coming into the second half of the season officials will be trained to allow only one coaching staff member into the restricted area between plays. This can include an assistant or head coach but it is only one person. That players only substitute through the zone.
If an official reminds you once he must then inform the Referee the second time he reminds you about the sideline enforcement. If the sideline officials run into a player or coach during a play it will be an automatic 15 yard penalty and possibly an ejection, depending on the intent or number of warnings given about staying back.
On the flip side if the sideline official does not also heed warnings from the Training Officer or Referee and keep moving the sideline personnel back they may miss future games or require retraining for the position and begin to enforce the rule about the 6 feet safety zone.
This may seem a petty rule but I was LJ a few weeks ago and backed up into an assistant coach in the 6 foot area, I heard a sorry but that was to late. I had warned the sideline once already. I flagged a warning on a head coach standing inside the chains on a previous game and that also is not a place to stand safely.
If you have cheerleaders please ask them to go to the extreme ends of the field but well back from the sideline so that large squads like the Eagles and Razorbacks still have room to move on the home sideline. The Referee may suspend a game until the sideline is deemed safe.
I thank you for your cooperation in future games and hope we do not have any severe collisions that require medical attention in the future.

Grant Martin

Numbers 50 to 79 - Start of Game

During a season it may become difficult for teams to put the correct player numbers in the ineligible positions. This is a clear breach of the rules as there must be at least 5 players numbered 50 to 79 on the LOS. SAGOA has allowed at times 1 player to wear an eligible number in an ineligible position but over the past few weeks having 3 or 4 eligible numbers in ineligible positions makes it very hard for officials to determine for ineligibles down field. If you have injured linemen being replaced by previous eligible numbered players then please use the spare jersey so that your team is playing within the rules. (Rule 1 Section 4 Article 2b)

After the Christmas/New Years break the officials will be penalising this from the start of the game if teams start the game playing eligible numbers in ineligible positions. If injuries occur during the game then it is courteous to let the officials know that this has happened so that we can adjudicate the game according to the rules on ineligible players by position.

Please check that your team matches this rule at the beginning of a game and let the officials know if it changes during the game.

Grant Martin

The Official Missed That?

Comments are made many a time towards officials and in reports that certain calls were missed. Sometimes they are and sometimes they are not worthy of a call by the judgment of the official.

Some calls are missed just by having players standing in the line of vision of an official. An official may hear something happen but not have the actual vision of what occurred.

There has been much discussion about holding calls and officials not seeing it. As with other NCAA officials in the USA we have a set of standards and philosophies to work to when looking at holding calls. One of these is looking at the POA (Point of Attack.) This is critical as we could call holding on every play yet 90% of these wouldn't be affecting the play in the direction of the ball carrier. One player mentioned that he was held so badly that he couldn't chase the ball carrier yet the hold was 10 yards away. How could that actually affect the play? The only way it could is if the ball carrier cut back and created a POA closer to where the holding was occurring.

Another may be where a ball carrier runs past an opponent and the opponent turns to chase the ball carrier but is legged and held by his lower leg. His team mates tackle the ball carrier a yard or 2 further on. Technically a hold but it had no affect on the play as the POA had already passed the would be tackler. He had his opportunity to bring the ball carrier to the ground but missed it. Just because he is then held after the fact should not bring him a 'freebie' 10 yard penalty because he missed a tackle and then was held.

Another situation may be right at the POA where a hold occurs inside the frame of the body holding the jersey of the opponent. The opponent holds his arms out to show he is being held 'Aussie Rules' style. By this very action the player has shown he has given up and is no longer fighting to get to the ball carrier. In fact by this time he is probably being pushed back and his opponent has won his position on the field allowing the ball carrier to pass right by him. This can occur in crucial plays and end up allowing the ball carrier to score a touchdown.

In these situations are the players being held challenging an officials judgment which is final? I appreciate that players wish to bring situations to the attention of the officials and many of you do this in a polite manner such as 'Sir please watch the holding.' But if the official says that he saw the hold and it had no bearing on the play then the reasons may be that you just weren't at the POA and it had no bearing on the play whatsoever or you actually gave into the hold and no longer fought for your position on the field.

I hope that brings some understanding about how the official judges the call for holding.

Grant Martin

No posts

Sorry guys there are no posts this week as I was not at the games last weekend and then had an urgent family matter to deal with.

Grant Martin

Safety

Well when it rains it can pour Safety for some teams. A very rare event indeed but two of them this season.
The latest being a scrimmage kick formation with the kicker standing close to the end goal line. In last weekends case the kicker took possession and while in possession of the ball stepped on the end line making him out of bounds. On the line is out and so the play is immediately stopped. 2 points to the defending team.

Grant Martin

Celebrations 2

Last week I wrote about a player diving into the EZ and not getting a flag for USC. While each case will be taken on its merits and how opponent players perceive the action a line will be drawn about what is appropriate or not by the officials.
Celebrations are a team effort and individuals should not be bringing attention solely to themselves. I have seen players follow up a play that scores by running after them to celebrate, sometimes up to 30 or 40 yards.
When you score a touchdown you need to be respectful to your opponent. Jumping onto a fence brings undue attention and is not respectful to your opponents. It is also celebration that is excessive, unduly delays a game and running away from an official who may require the ball for the next play.
The play that scored a TD on the weekend exceeded the ruling and went beyond the more 'liberal' interpretations that GASA has allowed for this year.
I quote from the blog, http://sagridironofficials.blogspot.com/2007/09/sportsmanship.html that "..... acts that are genuine celebration within a team environment would be acceptable but those that brought attention on an individual may at times be unacceptable."
It was unfortunate that when this occurred the player concerned had accumulated his second USC penalty and was ejected from the game. Please ensure this doesn't happen to one of your team mates in future and get over and celebrate as a team. Ensure that as you celebrate that you have respect for your opponents.
The line has been drawn in the sand of what is acceptable and unacceptable and we hope that you keep in mind the need for respect of others and the positive image of the game as a whole.
The incident for another USC penalty on the same team came about because of further challenging an official's call. What brought me to continue this part of the blog was that "we were told that ......" was said to the Referee. Again it probably highlights the need for people to be checking the blog a few times a week and going back over the previous messages. The information you are looking for is probably hidden away somewhere. In this case the information is dated back to September 16th 2007.
Again while some people plead not knowing about our interpretations I would say that SAGOA handles itself well in communicating to clubs and the gridiron community using this blog site. Well done to the club that has a link to this very site to keep abreast of situations and interpretations. Again if you have any queries please feel free to comment and discuss what is written so that we can have a better and stronger league for the future.

Grant Martin

Sideline

While we have had some very experienced officials keeping a good 2-yard break between the sideline and coaches box this has not been happening with the newer officials. While we encourage them to ask you to take a few steps back from the sideline the actual measurement we deal with is 2 yards. This is an Occupational Health and Safety issue and really giving teams 1 reminder each week is enough. This is our zone to work in without fear of running into any person standing close to the sideline.

Both sides are marked with a white line and while a play is going all sideline personnel must be behind the white line. Between plays coaches may enter between the sidelines to talk to players but he must not enter onto the field of play without permission from the Referee. Substitutes coming on and off the field can also enter through the 2-yard area but must be behind the white line when the play is running.

At worse if an official contacts someone standing on the sideline the team will be penalised 15 yards for illegal interference in a play. The potential for injury to an official is far greater causing significant injury and possibly career ending. Please ensure you stay off the sideline paying particular attention when teams are passing the ball, punting the ball or on kick-offs as the official’s attention is on fast moving players going through his zone.

Grant Martin

Celebrations

A question was raised about a player diving into the EZ on a score. While technically a foul the league has requested through player comments that we relax in someway players celebrating good achievements. While we do not condone the player diving into the EZ it was in an act of celebration, which everyone wants to see, and that no opponent reacted to the players action. This was a good indication that no opponent felt disrespected by the scoring players actions.
While this time there was no flag the judgment of the official on the spot depending on reactions of players will determine if an USC penalty has occurred.
A couple of other examples of celebrating without drawing a flag is to raise your hand in the air pointing to the sky or to give a loud 'yell' in acknowledgment of a good play, eg a sack, but the player is not to be facing and directing his actions towards his opponent on the field or sideline. Towards the crowd or team mates would be deemed acceptable. It is also acceptable to get other team mates into a celebration after a score but on sacks it may not be acceptable to have a large group near a QB celebrating a few metres away.
One type of celebration that will not be tolerated on a score or interception is when a ball is held out taunting an opponent or it is thrown towards an opponent baiting them into a response. This will draw a penalty flag on every occasion.
In summary it is ok to celebrate your achievements as long as it is done in a respectful manner in which your opponents will view. SAGOA will continue to monitor the slight relaxing of the rule but the rules listed in Rule 9 have not been modified by GASA at this stage. Rather the Board has taken on a responsibility to acknowledge our game is different to the actual college games in USA and that celebrations are a way to entertain the crowd and allow players to enjoy the game.
Before next season we may put forward to GASA a modified Rule 9 on celebrations to allow the suggested scenarios above.

Grant Martin

Line of Scimmage Eligible players

When it really matters in the heat of battle offensive players must know where they stand to be eligible to go down for a pass. Over the past 4 years SAGOA has worked diligently with players and coaches to ensure that this procedure is not one where a player fouls so that a formation is as legal as possible. Officials in SAGOA are trained to help the wideouts as much as possible to get the play underway, but they are not there to ensure that players are lined up in the correct positions to be eligible downfield.
A good marking point for a wideout who is off the LOS is to mark 2 yards off the LOS. This will put him clearly in the backfield if that is where he needs to be. If he is just inside that 2 yards the official may give him a chatting 2 as a reminder to be clearly on or off the LOS. Anything in between does not match the rule of clearly on or off the LOS. Only the QB is allowed to be in no mans land under the centre.
From our document on philosophies "Officials will work to keep offensive linemen legal and will call only when obvious or where repeated warnings are ignored. "

This occurred in the second game at a crucial time when players need to take extra care in their alignment.

Another area to watch is numbering of players. The rules clearly state numbers 50 to 79 cannot become eligible by position. These numbers are ineligible at all times.

Grant Martin

Week 5 GASA Games

Well what a very exciting week of games. Multiple ejections and a 1 point win in the second game.
Ok so what really happened at half time?
A fight broke out with 12secs left in the first half. Lots of yelling going on and people hearing that the game was cancelled.
As of this year GASA has adopted a policy that games can be suspended for up to an hour before being cancelled. This allows time to resume games if conditions improve. The officials need to take the option of first suspending a game. So sorry to those who left after 20 or 30 mins of waiting and missed a good game of football still with both sides scoring well in the second half.
There was no doubt that what happened was a fight between players. Under NCAA rules striking or attempting to strike an opponent in a non-football manner is a fight and an automatic ejection. Also under NCAA rules players leaving the sideline to join in the fight are also ejected by rule. Some players from both sides made it past the officials while a small number were listed as entering the field by one official. Those players did stop and turn back to their sideline and did not pass the official so they dodged a bullet for not being ejected.
If both teams wanted to continue and the officials did not want to continue then the game would have been called after an hour delay and the scores reverted back to 0-0 and a no contest being the result. The points would have been split between both teams as a draw. This would have happened because half time had not yet been reached, 12 secs was left on the clock before half time.
In conclusion we all need to take something from this and learn from it. If you have any comments then please direct them to your club, league or email them to myself so that we keep rumour to a minimum. If you ask something it may well be possible to answer through the blog as someone else may have had the same question to answer.
Have a good week everyone.
Grant Martin

Week 4 GASA Games

Another set of hard fought games. Well done to all the teams who played. Well done to all the coaches out there this weekend the sideline behaviour was much better than previous weeks and I hope we can continue this on and sustain that level of behaviour to the end of the season. Players were excellent in their conduct and captains maintained a high level of control. There was only a very minor mishap late in the second game that required no further action than was needed at the time by the officials by rule. But remember that players choose the conduct on the field that officials need to manage or enforce by rule. We do not 'kill' the game by being over zealous in the rules but rather participants choose to follow the rules or to act outside the interpretations of the rules. It was made clear in both games by the Referee to the coaches and captains that continued questioning of an official's call would draw a flag. We allow niggling comments between players to a point but continued questioning of an official's call will draw a flag, especially if an official has answered your query first and you continue to comment on it after the explanation.
On issues and rules from the weekend nothing really stands out except the very low number of procedural penalties for false starts and illegal procedures. Well done guys you are making that part of the game work really well.
A reminder that many of the penalty calls will occur around the point of attack. Those penalties away from the point of attack will not draw a flag unless they are a safety issue or a player has been warned to stop something and he hasn't. If you were away from the point of attack you may mention a hold or block happened to you and the official will keep an eye out for it when the play occurs in your direction. Make sure the request is made in a respectful and orderly manner.
A reminder to check out the presentations on why to keep your head up in tackles and the increased vigilance that officials are making on this issue. If an official believes that the illegal use of helmet/spearing is flagrant, especially helmet to helmet, then they also risk being ejected from the game and a report made to GASA.
After I have gone through the game situations I will add to the blog again later this week. Until then please feel free to send through any comments.

Grant Martin

Use of the helmet

Please follow the links to presentations in their original format of pdf and PowerPoint to do with spearing/Illegal use of the helmet.
www.sagoa.info/resources/readings/spearing_presentation.ppt
12 Mb in size
www.sagoa.info/resources/readings/spearing_notes.pdf

Regards
Grant Martin

Week 3 GASA Games

Wow a very close second game from Saturday night. Well done to all teams for an entertaining performance this past weekend.
A few things to clarify with this week:
1. Blocked Punt
2. Kick Off untouched into the End Zone
3. Kick Off 25 sec clock
4. Time Outs
5. Block in the Back
6. Assistant Coaches
7. Post game reviews

1. There was a blocked punt in the second game that was then in the end zone. It was recovered by the kicking team behind the LOS which meant they could advance it. The ball carrier was then stopped before getting the ball out of the end zone and a Safety was the correct result on the play.

2. In game 1 a kick off went into the end zone untouched by the receiving team. It landed at about the 25 yard line and bounced over the receivers head. Those kicks which go into the EZ untouched by the receiving team are dead by rule.

3. New rule this year was a 25 sec kick off clock. While the clock went to zero on one of the Spartans kickoffs last weekend there was no undue delay as the player was in his run up to the ball to kick it. While the absolute technical rule was a delay of game at zero this is not always the manner in which we manage the situation and all clubs at some stage have been given this leeway when on offense. If we actually did stop the clock and march off a penalty then we would have delayed the game by a minute or so ourselves. Some people would call this cheating we would rather call it game managing. The intent of the clock is to get people moving rather than standing round huddled up for longer periods than necessary. In managing the game in this way the crew get a pat on the back well done.

4. Time Outs - A time out is for the coach or assistants to address their players. It is not a time to call over the Referee and to give them a 'serve' and 'vent' about game decisions. Even if a coach does this he will only be given his one minute of time out. An official will answer a question where possible and at a reasonable break in the game when the coach is asking in a reasonable manner. The coaches conference or time out does not give anyone the right to challenge judgment of an official's call. Referees have all been directed to make a report on all coaches who use this tactic. Please refer to the rule book on this matter in regards to The Football Code and the Coaches Ethics. Please give the respect that the job deserves and remember we are all here to better the game of Gridiron in SA. We will listen to your questions and answer at an appropriate time in an appropriate manner.

5. A big question on the weekend was about players engaged and turning their back on an opponent. It came during the tight tussle in game 2. While the rule was questioned the judgment of the official was supported by our assessor in the stand where the player disengaged from the original block and then re-engaged again after the player turned his back. This is BIB every time. If the player turned his back while the player was engaged originally then there is no penalty flag.

6. While many coaches show us respect and discuss issues casually sometimes it is the assistant coach that is yelling and over questioning calls. This is distracting and may even cause the official to miss other calls that could have gone in your favour because the assistant distracted the official. The Head Coach has whole responsibility of the sideline and controlling of all assistant coaches, players and ancillary personnel. Let's not continue such actions, they are unsportsmanlike, and leave the discussions to the Head Coach. Again all Referees have been instructed to make game reports on this issue even if no penalty flags have been thrown for such conduct during a game.

7. Over the past few weeks a couple of teams has gone to the extent of providing feedback to the officials after a game. This has helped identify the plays they have concerns with and what the officials called or didn't call.
While we can't go back and answer every question or concern from a game we do review and look at concerns that clubs send us a report in for. Just providing this blog is a review of the game. If we feel a need to comment about a particular play or rule then the place to comment will be on this blog for all to see the topic and its reply.

Have a good week 4 of games and see you all on the field. Let's make this a season to remember for all the right reasons. Now with such a long post and doing it over 2 days I hope I didn't miss any vital technicalities on any of the issues. If you see something that is incorrect please give me a buzz through email or comment on the blog so that it can then be rectified.

Regards
Grant Martin

Illegal Use of Helmet

Listening into a conversation I overheard that some coaches teach players to put their hands out as part of a tackle and that if the helmet then makes contact after the hands touch the opponent then this exempts them from Spearing or Illegal Use of the Helmet rule. This is incorrect from the NCAA perspective. Use of the helmet is illegal and intent does not have to be proved in its use to attempt to punish an opponent. The best way is to have your head up looking at who you are going to hit or tackle. But the facemask is also illegal in contacting an opponent in an attempt to punish them. The player should not be lining an opponent up to ‘stick him in the numbers’ purely using his head or using a reason that his hands touched first.

There are times though when a ball carrier and opponent will make helmet-to-helmet contact because both have got low in the tackle. This is very hard to officiate to make a judgement on who initiated this contact. Was it the tackler or was it the ball carrier? Should they both be penalised and have offsetting live ball fouls? Who has the duty of care to avoid such contact? Who has right of way in a collision sport such as Gridiron?

The rules definitely allow for ruling on the side of safety and the official will judge in a split second when seeing all the action whether the defence or the offence used the helmet illegally.

Let’s ensure we all use our head in the correct manner and protect our spine while enjoying the best collision sport in SA.

Regards

Grant Martin

Sideline

Another set of fiery games this week that certainly will be spoken about for the coming weeks for good and bad reasons. We can certainly see players playing with passion and putting in some hard yards and hits.
SAGOA used a 7 man crew in both games, even putting Daryl Argent back into Head Linesman where he has done 123 games. He really enjoyed the experience on the sideline but this is not always the case for all officials who do the wing positions of Line Judge and Heads Lineman. While I enjoy these positions as well it is not always possible to put highly experienced officials next to the teams and put rookie official in Referee or Umpire positions. It just isn't practical for brand new Officials.
The thing is old or new there are some restrictions for those on the sidelines on who can or can't speak to an official and of course the language or tone they use towards or about an official. In reality only the Head Coach has authority to speak to an official about a call. In the previous post about Captains and communication the rule book demonstrates that Officials instigate communication with Captains.
This then leaves other players and sideline personnel. There is nothing in the rule book that allows anyone else a chance to challenge a call or to address an official. Therefore Assistant Coaches and other players need to hold comment about calls on the sideline. Some leeway may be given to Head Coaches in how they react and approach Officials about calls but an Assistant Coach does not have that same leeway. Distracting an Official from his job on the field is Unsportsmanlike and should be discouraged by the Head Coach in all circumstances. The wing officials are being trained to ignore everyone on the sideline except for the Head Coach. This can include the Official walking away from the sideline, although you may be calling out for him.
Again the rule book states that when an official has made a decision it is final. It may be frustrating that a player knows what he did was wrong or right but we cannot enter into any dialogue instigated by a player to justify his actions. If another official sees something different in the same play then they may share with the Referee and calling official what they saw. It is then up to the Referee to make a final determination about the penalty. I appreciate some players accepting the decision and then speaking to me saying 'but that's not what I was trying to do.' Sure it is frustrating and I really respect you for toughing it out and speaking about it later rather than making a 'song and dance' about it at the time.

Grant Martin

Game reviewing by Officials

It occurred to me after an email arrived last week that we were congratulated on the use of the blog spot and for putting up reviews, such as incorrect penalty enforcements, that people may not understand what we do to improve ourselves in the game.
I have been a part of SAGOA on and off since 1992 and post game reviews have always been a part of the process for learning. The past 4 years we have always reviewed games and decisions made. Many of these also don't show up on video to discuss. Much more happens on the field than just watching the play that lasts up to 10 secs.
We don't just take to the field each week for a couple of hours to throw flags but we also put in a great deal of work each week planning for the next set of games.
So yes looking back at our game is just the same as any sporting team so that we can improve on any mistakes made.

Grant Martin

Thanks

Thanks to all of those who have visited this site over the past month with a large number visiting after the first week of games and some people checking every couple of days. I hope this becomes a valuable tool for all parties to learn from over the season.
While many people still disagree with decisions on the field this is a great spot to follow up those concerns. Please comment or email us at training@sagoa.info with your question.
All the best for week 2 of games, especially for the Spartans with their first appearance this season.

Grant Martin

The role of the captain?

There have been consistent misunderstandings in the recent past on the role of the onfield captains, in particular with regard to interactions with officials. Going to the rulebook, Rule 1, Section 1, Article 5 says:

Each team shall designate to the referee no more than four players as its field captain(s), and one player at a time shall speak for his team in all dealings with the officials. There shall be no more than four captains from each team at the coin toss.

The first point that comes from this is that multiple players gathered around an official all talking at once is unacceptable. This is unfair to the official but also does the team a disservice in that inconsistent comments can be made due to multiple people being involved.

Secondly, when we're talking about dealings with officials here the implication is that the officials are determining the interaction, not the players/captains. The captains, just like the other players, coaches and all team participants must still comply with Rule 9.2.1 regarding inappropriate language and gestures.

Where the prevalent idea that "I'm a captain so I get to say what I want to the officials" comes from is unknown. Requests from a captain for an official to watch particular opposition actions, when done calmly and reasonably, are generally appropriate. Comments such as "Are you blind?" are not appropriate whether coming from a captain or not!

In The Football Code at the start of the rulebook, there is a section on Talking to Officials which states:

When an official imposes a penalty or makes a decision, he simply is doing his duty as he sees it. He is on the field to uphold the integrity of the game of football, and his decisions are final and conclusive and should be accepted by players and coaches.

I am not aware of a situation where a captain's complaint about a call has ever resulted in the call being overturned. No-one should expect that any official is going to be perfect - we are all only human. There is the procedure of the coaches conference if a head coach wishes to challenge the enforcement of a penalty. Clubs are welcome to submit game reports if they wish to cover things in more detail. These reports may be reproduced in part or full on this blog as we attempt to respond to them in an open and transparent manner.

Rest assured that SAGOA and other officiating groups do review games and our decisions in them. We train to make sure we are in the best position to make the correct call on every play. Much like coaches and players, we are annoyed at ourselves when we get it wrong and work hard to improve our knowledge and abilities for future contests.

Regards
Simon Pollitt

GASA Season Week 1

Welcome to updates on rules and interpretations and possible corrections on rulings and penalties for GASA Senior games 2007/08. Where people ask for consistency on rulings throughout a season SAGOA always reviews many of its interpretations and passes this information onto clubs via this blog site. Sometimes some interpretations need refining as we wouldn't want to continue with an incorrect ruling just to stay with consistency.
Feedback to this is welcome if you believe something is still incorrect but please state your position and qualification so that we know who we are actually learning from. Even if you are a player, coach or fan your input is most welcome and we will certainly do our best to look into your questions and concerns from GASA games. Please take the time to fill in the poll.
I hope you all enjoyed the games and that you look forward to an entertaining season.

Now while this post is a long one I hope I have covered what I need to and that the information is as correct as possible.

Chop Blocks
Players come up to an official and say that they are being chop blocked. This is legal but then there are aspects that are illegal. Here is the rule about Chop Blocks:
Rule 2-3-3-a, b, c: A chop block is:
a. An obviously delayed block at the thigh or below against an opponent (except the runner)
who is in contact with a teammate of the blocker, is in the act of disengaging from the first
blocker or has just disengaged from the first blocker but is still confronting him. When in
question, the contact is at the thigh or below
b. A high-low, low-high or low-low combination block by two nonadjacent linemen with or
without a delay between contacts occurring in the neutral zone.
c. A high-low, low-high or low-low combination block by any two offensive players with or
without a delay between contacts when the initial contact clearly occurs beyond the neutral zone
Rule 9-1-2-e-1: Offensive linemen at the snap positioned more than seven yards from
the middle lineman of the offensive formation are prohibited from blocking below the
waist toward the original position of the ball in or behind the neutral zone and within 10
yards beyond the neutral zone.
See the link below for a detailed chart on this:
http://www.sagoa.info/training/2007/Chop_block_table.doc
We had in the first game a team mention this type of block a number of times but when viewed by officials before and after the fact the blocks were high/low blocks by adjacent linemen without delay. In viewing the chart from the document this is not a foul.

Kick off
New to NCAA rules is having a 25 secs clock for kick offs. The Referee will blow the ready for play as if it is any other regular play. This means that the kicking team no longer have to wait for a whistle just prior to kickoff. The way this works is that when the umpire hands the ball to the kicker or when the ball is placed at the kicking spot the officials will check off that the field is clear and ready for play. The teams need to make sure they have the correct number of players and be in a position to be ready for a kickoff. If the receiving team is slow in getting organised they too can be penalised for a delay of game. The umpire should stand over the ball until the receiving team is in position ready.
Procedural fouls on a kickoff can be penalised on the end of the run. The officials encourage captains to take this option. In game 1 a captain yelled out his choice to the referee before the referee had the chance to formally ask. It would be better to actually wait for the options from the referee and to look at what best advantages the team and the safety of players. The second kickoff actually travelled further than the first one which went out of bounds, it would be a risky choice if the player who returns the ball then muffs or fumbles the kickoff. A sure choice would be to take the ball out of bounds, add 5 yards from where the ball went out up to the 35 or the 35 yard line which ever is the better option.

Fair Catch and Kick Catch Interference
Last night we had a player call for a fair catch. Not often we have one of those. Fair catch or not the person trying to get to the fall of the ball to make the catch from a kick needs an unimpeded opportunity to catch a kick. If a fair catch is called the player needs every opportunity to complete the catch before the ball hits the ground even if it has bounced off his hands.
We had a fair catch, a player making contact with the receiver, a muff and then the ball bouncing on the ground where the player then ran off with the ball.
There was a flag for kick catch interference and one where he advanced after the muff or the ball striking the ground. At this point as soon as any of the receivers recovered the ball the play should have stopped right then.
The enforcement spot of the kick catch interference should have occurred at the spot of the foul and not where eventually recovered. This is where a coach can call a conference to challenge the enforcement of the penalty.
So one for us to now get right in the future if it ever happens again.

Handing the ball to an official
The officials try hard to keep the balls dry during the game but each time the player drops the ball onto the ground it does get wet and at times soaking wet. If a player does this and it is in the centre of the field the officials can decline a request for a dry ball. They may consider a request close to a sideline but it is not guaranteed. It is up to the team to keep the ball dry. The officials will try to get a dry ball in when rotating balls according to the play situation. The basics of this are if a ball finishes between the numbers then use the same ball. If the ball finishes outside the numbers or out of bounds then a new ball from the ball person will be put into play. A ball that is thrown short but is wet from an incomplete pass may be changed depending on how wet it became. So please ensure your team mates do the right thing leave it on the ground where the play ended or hand it to the nearest official that you can see.

Drink Breaks
Having a drink during a series of downs has been something that the officials have managed on the field with the players, especially hot days. We have observed that the squads are large in size and having a drink will need to be something that the team needs to manage while players can substitute on and off the field. If the squad reduces to a size where players are forced to play both ways the officials will manage it as they have done so on the field previously. There won't be a magic cut off number but rather the officials will monitor it on the day. The Head Coach may wish to bring it up during the pregame conference if the team is getting low on numbers.

Personal Fouls
We had 2 dead ball personal fouls administered at the end of one play. There was some pushing and shoving and stepping into the altercation by both players rather than one or both of them walking away.
The play stood and the penalties administered back to where the play ended. The penalties do not offset but are marched off. When defense commit a personal foul they also give the offense an automatic first down. On the weekend the offense were not given the automatic first down. Again something to call a coaches conference on how to enforce something and if successful no team time out will be charged.

Talking to an Official
We had an unfortunate incident where a player/captain moved towards an official and pointed his finger towards him and yelling at him about missing a penalty on a particular play. Under the football code players/captains and coaches accept certain responsibilities. Players, coaches and captains do not have a right to speak to officials in a manner that intimidates or causes undue stress while officiating on the field of play. SAGOA has a Safe Sports Policy and one of the aims is to provide a safe work environment for officials. Although sports involve heated emotions it is the choice of the participant which behaviours they display on the ground. It is not the fault of the official that made you display a certain behaviour, whether good or bad. I cannot recall any teams coming up and showing jubilation to an official and thanking them for the TD they just scored?

At the beginning of the rule book is the Football Code. A sub section of this is outlined below:
Talking to Officials
When an official imposes a penalty or makes a decision, he simply is doing his duty as he sees it. He is on the field to uphold the integrity of the game of football, and his decisions are final and conclusive and should be accepted by players and coaches.

This was not the only time a player/captain questioned a call but once an official has answered the particular question then the matter is closed and the same question should not be asked a second or third time as his decision is final. In fact the rule book mentions communication between officials and captains for time outs, penalties, options for coin toss and as a communicator between officials and his head coach. Captains do not have the right to come in and question everything and in fact continued opposition to call/no calls may result in unsportsmanlike conduct.

Please remember that SAGOA has 2 new officials this year and that they should have a little more latitude to deciding what is a penalty or not. They have to develop judgment of and decide which rule has been broken in a matter of seconds. This is not an easy task for new officials to do. Coaches were informed of the fact that new officials were in the second game, their positions and captains should have had the information passed onto them.

Please remember what each of our roles are out there on the field and that is coaches coach, players play, officials officiate and spectators get entertained. It is hard enough to do one of these well let alone 2 or more.

Until next post or next game (2 weeks.)

Regards
Grant Martin

SAGOA Web Site

The SAGOA web site has been updated with the training presentations as at 8.30pm tonight.

Regards
Grant Martin
Coordinator of Officials

Officiating Tips

Well done to those who showed up Sunday for the final day of training before the first round of matches. I hope you found day 2 just as exciting and informative and helps you ready for the upcoming season which will start with a bang in 1 weeks time.

Please check here and the SAGOA web site each week for updates and let me know through email what your weekly availability is so that I can record this and create balanced crews.

The BLOG will be updated with rules knowledge, interpretations and urgent changes to mechanics that we use while the web site will be used more as an encyclopedia to refer back to.

While we covered rules as a part of the process of the game it is where we are positioned and what we look for that is vital to safety and fair play. Keep asking questions and remember the answers. Keep improving yourself each week and if need be keep a diary of your questions and answers. It won't matter how good you know the rule book from front to back cover it is how you judge the play according to the rules and interpretations from the NCAA Rules Committee and local modifications.

Anyhow keep reading and asking and look forward to next week.

Regards
Grant Martin
SAGOA Training Officer

SAGOA Training 14th October

Don't forget training is again this Sunday 14th October 2007. Same venue check www.sagoa.info/calendar.htm for any other details.
Bring some running shoes along as we will have about an hours on field training during the day. Can you also bring your own lunch to minimise time between breaks and stay together as a group.

Make sure you register on or before Sunday and fill in your paper rego form to hand to me so that I can deliver them to GASA. If you don't have a credit card please let us know on the day.

We will be training toward 5/6/7 man crews.

Grant Martin
Coordinator of Officials

SA Gridiron Rules Update

Well the season is very close now.

Update to the rules for the upcoming season:
1. Kickoff - Teams will be kicking off from the 30 yard line this year. There will also be a 25 sec clock when the Ref blows the ready for play. This will start when either the kicker is handed the ball or when the ball is placed at the correct spot for the kickoff, allowing teams sufficient time to gather their thoughts and to have a drink.

All other rule changes from the NCAA are located at:
http://www.sagoa.info/resources/2007/2007NCAARulesChanges.pdf

If you have any queries of which other rules affect GASA games this season then please email training@sagoa.info

Grant Martin

SAGOA Training

Well a good start to the upcoming season 2007/08. Another well prepared training session that kept people thinking about the role we play in officiating American Football, NCAA. Thanks to Simon and Gordon for taking the reigns to add any further detail to an already jam packed curriculum.
It was great to see new faces and of course the old faces are welcome back at any time.
Reminder to register but if you can't do this we will fix it up at the next SAGOA meeting to be held October 14th, same venue, 10am. This will be about mechanics and rules and have an onfield component rather than just theory. So bring along appropriate footwear for the day.
The web site is getting updated with the training info and as such any information we didn't cover on the day is in the presentation. Where I have used other PowerPoint presentations from elsewhere I have left in tact the presentation as recognition of other peoples work. If there is anything incorrect in any of the work presented please email me so that I can rectify any errors. Please ensure you have a full and correct uniform before week 1, 20th October. Remember we have a couple of new officials so if you have spare bean bags, caps or tops please bring them along.
Due to other commitments in early October I won't be adding to the blog site until the week before the season begins. Good luck to all.

Grant Martin
SAGOA Coordinator of Officials

SAGOA Training

SAGOA Training is on this Sunday at 10am to 3.30pm.
www.sagoa.info/calendar.htm

Please check the link for location and other details.

Grant Martin
SAGOA Training Officer

Sportsmanship

Rules Meeting

On the 30th August 2007 SAGOA acted on behalf of GASA to organise a rules committee and explore the issue of sportsmanhip. GASA has spent much money over the past 12 months to improve the marketability of the game in SA. As a member of the league SAGOA has undertaken research across Australian states with comments from other officials, administrators, coaches, players and spectators.
With all of this in mind SAGOA presented GASA with the comments below and some recommendations to follow up. Please read through the whole document below and best of luck for 2007/08.

30^th August 2007

Marion Sport and Community Centre, 7.00pm

Meeting open at 7.30pm

Discussion on attendance being that there was an urgent meeting held on Tuesday night by GASA which in turn could have affected this meeting.

•Unsportsmanlike Acts

•ARTICLE 1. There shall be no unsportsmanlike conduct or any act that interferes with orderly game administration on the part of players, substitutes, coaches, authorized attendants or any other persons subject to the rules, before the game, during the game or between periods.

•a. Specifically prohibited acts and conduct include:

•1. No player, substitute, coach or other person subject to the rules shall use abusive, threatening or obscene language or gestures, or engage in such acts that provoke ill will or are demeaning to an opponent, to game officials or to the image of the game, including but not limited to:

• (a) Pointing the finger(s), hand(s), arm(s) or ball at an opponent, or imitating the slashing of the throat.

•(b) Taunting, baiting or ridiculing an opponent verbally.

•(c) Inciting an opponent or spectators in any other way, such as simulating the firing of a weapon or placing a hand by the ear to request recognition.

•(d) Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves).

•(e) Obviously altering stride as an unopposed runner approaches the opponent’s goal line, or diving into the end zone when unopposed.

•(f) Removal of a player’s helmet before he is in the team area (Exceptions: Team, media or injury timeouts; equipment adjustment; through play; between periods; and during a measurement for a first down).

•(g) Punching one’s own chest or crossing one’s arms in front of the chest while standing over a prone player.

•(h) Going into the stands to interact with spectators, or bowing at the waist after a good play.

. After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot.

This prohibits:

•(a) Kicking, throwing, spinning or carrying (including off of the field) the ball any distance that requires an official to retrieve it.

•(b) Spiking the ball to the ground [Exception: A forward pass to conserve time (Rule 7-3-2-d)].

•(c) Throwing the ball high into the air.

•(d) Any other unsportsmanlike act or actions that delay the game.

•SECTION 32. Fighting

•ARTICLE 1. Fighting is any attempt by a player, coach or squad member in uniform to strike an opponent in a combative manner unrelated to football.

•Such acts include, but are not limited to:

–a. An attempt to strike an opponent with the arm(s), hand(s), leg(s) or foot (feet), whether or not there is contact.

–b. An unsportsmanlike act toward an opponent that causes any opponent to retaliate by fighting (Rules 9-2-1-a and 9-5-1-a-c).

The purpose of this meeting was to look at ways players could celebrate great plays and scores within the rules set down by the NCAA.

The committee spent much time going over words and how they are to be interpreted and what this would look like in a game situation. All agreed that celebration was an important part of the game but taunting and trash talk was not. It was felt that the Australian culture influenced the way that the game is played in this regard but it is not something that is allowed by rule.

The Australian Gridiron community made a conscious decision choosing NCAA rules when the game was implemented into Australia and as such follow their ideas surrounding the way the game is played. We do though need to acknowledge that Australia is a different place to play this unique game and need to also look at sporting trends through the Australian Sports Commission.

It was accepted by the group that acts that are genuine celebration within a team environment would be acceptable but those that brought attention on an individual may at times be unacceptable. Players running from a sideline to join in a celebration during a game would also be deemed unacceptable, except in cases of close wins or the end of a finals game.

Discussion centred around what is an orderly game. This was defined as having a play run and that the officials are able to reset the ball for the next play within 10 to 15 secs and then blowing in the ready for play 25 sec clock for Offence.

Illegal Delay of the Game

ARTICLE 2. a. The ball shall be declared ready for play consistently throughout the game by the referee when the officials are in position. Consuming more than 25 seconds to put the ball in play after it is declared ready for play is an illegal delay. (page 75, 2007 NCAA Rule Book)

The NCAA is moving towards a 45 sec clock like the NFL and while we don’t necessarily have the 45 secs displayed as such we train the Referees and officials to get the ball in at this regular pace of the game.

In regards of player interaction the rules to sportsmanship are quite specific about how opponents are to treat each other. The nature of the sport is to beat your opponent on the field in a combative nature. Actions that provoke or demean an opponent as a sportsperson are not a part of the game. Though some players may have a good rapport with each other this is not always knowledge to an official. The official is trained to manage this with or without a flag and that is his judgment. While some players may believe that taunting is a part of the game to mentally provoke an opponent and that it is the Australian way to do things we must also see this as a preventative method of officiating before things get out of control and the image of the game is tarnished. While players find this restrictive in managing their passions the game is also about mental toughness as well as managed physical aggression within the rules. The game is about building character and team play, as well as winning.

The rules that have been developed for sportsmanship within the USA are about respecting the game and your opponents.

Participants reaffirmed after much debate that SAGOA is currently officiating the rules correctly in accordance with NCAA policy on interpretations. This comes about after much contact with US officials via email and NCAA newsletters. Sections bolded or underlined were under discussion about interpretation.

SAGOA reaffirms it stance on sportsmanship and that GASA and the clubs help promote the styles of sportsmanship for the image of the game.

Points to ponder?

1. SAGOA suggests promotion of team celebration of those players on the field and that GASA promotes team celebrations as a means for entertainment for the game.
2. That any celebration that delays a game, is excessive and brings attention to oneself or is choreographed still be considered for USC behaviour.
3. That GASA actively support the notion of positive sportsmanship at local league level for teams. Whether this is a voting system of some sort by SAGOA officials or league officials or board members.

Regards

Grant Martin
SAGOA Training Officer

SAGOA Coordinator of Officials

Trick plays

On the weekend an interesting trick play was shown by a junior team. It was meant to deceive a team by showing 'wrong ball.' There was some discussion as to the legality of a snap by a centre to a person in the backfield. The centre does not need to stand up and turn to hand the ball as discussed as this rule applies to other down linemen. The centre with the ball needs to snap the ball to the person in the backfield in one smooth motion, it need not be between his legs. So to all defences as soon as the centre picks up the ball after setting himself up the play starts and the officials judge whether the snap is legal or not.
Now to the showing of the 'wrong ball.' This is completely illegal and is Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Any interaction with the sideline to put off your opponent is not apart of the sport. It is to deceive and not to beat your opponent in a combative manner according to the rules. It may appear to be a smart play but it is not a fair play. The act of showing or calling a 'wrong ball' or 'wet ball' should be penalised for USC and the officials not the coach should be notified if the ball is wrong or wet, not the coach.
Some Youtube videos are saying this play is legal when in fact it is not according to the above interpretations. Discussion with US officials say the coach also risks ejection from the game for such a prepared play. In fact this may be a warning to coaches and players not to believe that all plays, even those with commentary, shown on these sites is legal.
If you have any trick plays you wished to discuss please email me before a game on the weekend so that the legalities can be checked well before hand.

Grant Martin

Welcome

Welcome to a new way of informing the players and other people about the way American Football is officiated. This is to complement the existing web site www.sagoa.info where the current rules and training documents have been posted.

This is not a QandA area but rather where information can be transferred to people interested in Gridiron easily. It will be an area to show interesting videos if need be or have links to other web sites, as well as scenarios and followups to concerns or unusual plays seen the previous week.

If you think there needs to be an answer to a particular rule then please first email secretary@sagoa.info or to contact Grant Martin or Simon Pollitt on game day for an idea to post here.

Regards

Grant Martin

SAGOA Coordinator of Officials