Referee Training Notes

  1. All players must play half the game. This is the coach’s responsibility but you will get a feel for teams that don’t follow this rule.
  2. Field and game play: Understand Downs, Change of possession, 20 minute clock, calling last play, time outs, 1 or 2pt conversions. 
  3. Understand the No run zones and placement of cones – whistle play dead if violation.
  4. Rush cone: One player rushes, goes on ball, not “hike”.  Others can only cross the line of scrimmage once the ball leaves the QB’s hand. When the rusher gets a penalty (flag throw). QB has 7 seconds to throw before referee’s whistle play dead.
  5. Watch for:
    • Flag Pulling
      • Tuck in shirts, flag ends and keep flags straight
      • Flag Guarding – Call aggressively. No jumping, spins OK
      • Pulling flags and holding (shirt grabbing)
    • No Running with the ball carrier – no blocking. This will need to be taught.
  6. Reduce ANY hard contact. Call personal fouls and consider ejection on the second offense.
    • Flag pulling that dislodges runner.
    • The runner must avoid the defender.  Purposely running into a defender is grounds for ejection.
    • Watch for contact on reception. Contact after receptions is a personal foul.
    • No Cornerback bumps at the line of scrimmage
  7. Dead ball when:
    • The ball touches the ground
    • The ball carrier hand or knee touches the ground
    • When there is a flag pull or the flag falls off
    • When the QB has exhausted 7 seconds
  8. Inadvertent whistle.  Redo or take the spot with a loss of down. The offensive team decides.
  9. Pitch and Screen for older division.
    • Must track if pitch is forward or backward.
    • Do pitching over the line of scrimmage.
    • Younger division must be over line of scrimmage. 
    • Pass only situations must be passes over the line of scrimmage. Pass only hand offs and pitches are okay but still pass must occur.  
  10. Talk to each other after plays if necessary.  
  11. Dealing with coaches.
    • No player, coach, or parent is allowed to express disagreement, publicly during the game, about a referee’s calls.  Coaches and players will need reminders on this point. Penalize early and behavior will change.

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