Ask a Football Official anything

514 Questions

Last Answer on January 23, 2021

Would you say it was hard to get into officiating. I am interested in it at a local level (middle/high school). I am 27 and work a full time job. I don't want to do it for the money. More like a hobby. Do you have any advise on how to get started?

Asked by Kenneth over 10 years ago

It's pretty easy to get in - staying is the hard part. Everybody working high school, college, or even the NFL has another job. When you start out, you may need an understanding boss because there may be JV or freshmen games in the afternoon.

Getting started: you can contact your state's high school athletic governing body and get contact information for the football officials group. That group does the training and registers you with the state so that you are "certified" as a HS official. If you aren't sure what the state body is, contact your local high school athletic director for a phone number.

By the way, it's a good thing you don't want to do it for the money. Even guys working every week in one of the P5 NCAA conferences might make $25,000, before expenses. You don't get rich doing this.

898 Votes

Is it illegal to put twin receivers both on the line if the inside receiver doesn't go out for a pass

Asked by jai over 10 years ago

Talk college and HS first. You can cover a receiver, but he then is no longer eligible to go out for a pass by his position (he isn't an end or back). You still need five players numbered between 50 and 79 on the line.

In the NFL, I believe that is illegal. You cannot have an ineligible number on the end of the line, which you would with a receiver inside. The ineligible player on the end could report in to the referee and be announced as eligible (you'll hear the ref announce "Number 79 is reporting in as eligible.") Then you'd be good.

897 Votes

So if a quarterback goes into his proverbial slide and the defender slaps the ball out of his hand without actually touching the quarterback while he's on the ground would it be a fumble or dead ball?

Asked by Shane snow over 10 years ago

Dead ball. Might even be consider unsportsmanlike. The beginning of the slide is where the ball gets spotted next, not where the QB ends up. So, in essence the ball and the QB are down at the start of the slide.

895 Votes

I play semi pro football and we use standard college rules in a recent game i was on defense and we blocked the extra point the offense then advanced the blocked kick and was awarded a 2pt conversion. Is this legal i have never seen this happen.

Asked by Dtackle #42 about 10 years ago

It's good. Rule 6-3-1 says: ARTICLE 1. a. A scrimmage kick that fails to cross the neutral zone continues in play. All players may catch or recover the ball behind the neutral zone andadvance it.

The ball was still alive.

893 Votes

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Team A punts the ball. Team B's return man signals fair catch. Ref Blows whistle and return man drops kick team A recovers. Whose ball if whistle was blown before punt touched by return man. whose ball if whistle was blown at instant of touch.

Asked by eagle over 10 years ago

If the whistle sounds during a loose ball play (before touch - ball still in air) you either replay the down or take the result of the play. K would have the choice. At instant of touch, it is still a loose ball - no possession. Same options.

893 Votes

Ala - Aub. The kickoff touched in field of play by Ala player rolls into end zone. If not brought out by other player, that would have been a safety, right?

Asked by skub over 10 years ago

I'm reading an Auburn KO. If it is touched by Ala in the field of play it is still a kick. If it goes into the endzone and is covered by Alabama, it is a touchback. It was the kick that put the ball in the endzone.

892 Votes

In NCAA rules, if there are 5 players numbered 50-74 on the line, but one of them is uncovered on the end, & thus technically an eligible reciever, is that an illegal formation? Must they report as eligible or ineligible?

Asked by Renegades Special Teams Coach almost 10 years ago

There is no reporting as there is in the NFL. An ineligible number on the end of the line is just that, and only that. The formation is not illegal. You need five on the line numbered 50-79, and in this scenario you have that. They are ineligible to catch a pass regardless of where they are. But if one of them is on the end of the line, it also means that an eligible receiver is likely covered somewhere else.

887 Votes

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Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Would you say it was hard to get into officiating. I am interested in it at a local level (middle/high school). I am 27 and work a full time job. I don't want to do it for the money. More like a hobby. Do you have any advise on how to get started?

Is it illegal to put twin receivers both on the line if the inside receiver doesn't go out for a pass

So if a quarterback goes into his proverbial slide and the defender slaps the ball out of his hand without actually touching the quarterback while he's on the ground would it be a fumble or dead ball?

I play semi pro football and we use standard college rules in a recent game i was on defense and we blocked the extra point the offense then advanced the blocked kick and was awarded a 2pt conversion. Is this legal i have never seen this happen.

Also on Jobstr...

Team A punts the ball. Team B's return man signals fair catch. Ref Blows whistle and return man drops kick team A recovers. Whose ball if whistle was blown before punt touched by return man. whose ball if whistle was blown at instant of touch.

Ala - Aub. The kickoff touched in field of play by Ala player rolls into end zone. If not brought out by other player, that would have been a safety, right?

In NCAA rules, if there are 5 players numbered 50-74 on the line, but one of them is uncovered on the end, & thus technically an eligible reciever, is that an illegal formation? Must they report as eligible or ineligible?

Football Official

Ask me anything!

What do YOU do?

Would you say it was hard to get into officiating. I am interested in it at a local level (middle/high school). I am 27 and work a full time job. I don't want to do it for the money. More like a hobby. Do you have any advise on how to get started?

Is it illegal to put twin receivers both on the line if the inside receiver doesn't go out for a pass

So if a quarterback goes into his proverbial slide and the defender slaps the ball out of his hand without actually touching the quarterback while he's on the ground would it be a fumble or dead ball?

I play semi pro football and we use standard college rules in a recent game i was on defense and we blocked the extra point the offense then advanced the blocked kick and was awarded a 2pt conversion. Is this legal i have never seen this happen.

Also on Jobstr...

Team A punts the ball. Team B's return man signals fair catch. Ref Blows whistle and return man drops kick team A recovers. Whose ball if whistle was blown before punt touched by return man. whose ball if whistle was blown at instant of touch.

Ala - Aub. The kickoff touched in field of play by Ala player rolls into end zone. If not brought out by other player, that would have been a safety, right?

In NCAA rules, if there are 5 players numbered 50-74 on the line, but one of them is uncovered on the end, & thus technically an eligible reciever, is that an illegal formation? Must they report as eligible or ineligible?

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