Referee (american football)
.jpg)
The referees in American football direct the game and ensure that the rules are observed. You are made up of several specialists in each game. Due to the complexity of the game, there is a referee crew consisting of at least four, in the amateur leagues usually five and in the higher leagues seven referees. Each of the referees observes a certain area of the playing field and is responsible for specific tasks.
General
The top referee is the referee , also known colloquially as the Whitehat because of his white cap . He positions himself behind the quarterback and decides on downs and penalties . Another referee is the umpire , who stands behind the defensive line and mostly secures the ball and positions it for the next move. At the line of scrimmage , the head linesman and the line judge line up on one side . The former is responsible for the chain crew . The back judge , the field judge and the side judge are responsible for all actions in the back of the field . Usually one of these three is responsible for timing. The equipment of the referees includes the yellow flags ( penalty flags ) to mark a foul and the white ( NCAA ) or blue ( NFL ) beanbags to mark important spots.
Referees and their duties
Referee
The Referee is the main judge. You can recognize him by his white cap, while the other referees wear black caps. In the NFL this was reversed for a long time, but this color combination has now also been adopted here. The referee is the one who ultimately makes the decisions and announces them by show of hands and, in higher leagues, also by microphone. The referee is the only referee on the offensive side. He's ten yards behind the quarterback on his throwing arm side. Before the game, the referee calls the captains of both teams and decides by tossing a coin which team has the first choice of side or the right to attack. During the game, the Referee must, among other things:
- Pay attention to the quarterback's actions
- Show violations of the rules with a show of hands
- Make final decisions about penalties
- Ask the captain of the fouled team whether he wants to accept or reject the penalty
- Remember the current down
- Decide whether a free ball results from a fumble or an incomplete pass
- Show when the music box is stopped or restarted
- Whistle the game on and off
Umpire
During the snap, the umpire is on the defense side between the linebackers (exception NFL, here he has been on the offense side since the 2010 season). Immediately after the snap, he goes on the line of scrimmage. Among other things, he is responsible for the following tasks:
- Control of player equipment
- Unauthorized physical contact before the snap
- False starts
- All actions on the line of scrimmage
- Incomplete passes or passes that are only caught after the ball hits the ground
- Placement of the ball after each play
- Stepping off from punishments
Head Linesman / Down Judge
The head linesman is on the line of scrimmage and must, among other things:
- Signaling false starts and offside on his side of the field
- In a 5 man crew the outer receiver, in a 7 man crew the inner receiver on its side
- Monitor the ball carrier when it runs over his side.
- Show the Referee if there is a backward pass
- Assist the Referee in counting the downs
- The linesman is responsible for the forward progress on his side of the game, i.e. for the point at which the ball carrier was stopped or went out
- To decide whether a ball launcher when fitting behind or above the line of scrimmage found has
- Monitor the work of the chain crew
Line judge
The line judge stands on the line of scrimmage on the other side of the field from the head linesman. Among other things, he is responsible for:
- To signal false start and offside on his side of the field
- Monitor blockers and defense players on his side
- In a 5 man crew the outer receiver, in a 7 man crew the inner receiver on its side
- Monitor the ball carrier when it runs over his side.
- Show the Referee if there is a backward pass
- Assist the Referee in counting the downs
- The line judge is responsible for the forward progress on his side of the game, i.e. for the point at which the ball carrier was stopped or went out
- Keeping an eye on the players on a kick team as they walk down the field
- To decide whether a pass thrower was behind or above the line of scrimmage when passing (only 7 crew members, otherwise the linesman will do this alone)
Field Judge
The field judge stands on the same side as the line judge about 17 meters backwards. He has the same duties as the side judge. In a 4 or 6 man crew, the field judge has the clock because there is no back judge.
Side judge
The side judge stands on the same side as the head linesman about 17 meters backwards. Among other things, he must:
- The wide receiver watch on his side
- Decide whether a ball will be caught in or out of the field or whether a run will end there
- Decide on an illegal obstruction of a passport recipient
- Decide on a free ball after the ball has crossed the line of scrimmage
Back judge
The back judge stands in the middle of the field about 20 meters deep on the side of the defense and looks at, among other things:
- the tight end
- Illegal obstruction of a passport recipient
- He monitors the goal line for deep passes
- in 5 and 7 man crews the back judge takes over the watch. There is no back judge in 6 man crews.
- For field goals and extra points, it stands under the gate and shows the successful kick, in 7 man crews always together with the field judge, in 5 man crews all alone for kicks from more than 20 yards away, closer kicks together with the field Judge.