Questionable football calls in a High School game

This sophomore game was played between the Maple Mountain Eagles and the Timpview Thunderbirds on September 15, 2011 in Provo, Utah. There were several questionable calls. This video highlights a few of them.

HIgh School sports are full of judgement calls, and each coach, parent and player learns (usually) to live with that margin of error. Occasionally, there are a couple of very questionable calls, or just plain old mistakes. This game seemed to have more than usual.

Roughing the Passer, Inadvertent Whistles, no whistle, and a couple of others made their way into this video. Fortunately, it wasn't the Varsity team, and it didn't effect the final outcome.

I welcome comments after you view this. Some of the calls, once slowed down and viewed a couple of times, I could see going either way, but I included them in here anyway.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• high
• school
• football
• referee
• rules
• refereeing
• referees
• timpview
• maple
• mountain
• provo
• utah
• bad
• calls
• call

[bulldogs1msu]

The roughing the passer calls were weak. The inadvertent whistles were just plan mistakes from the crew. The touchdown pass right at the goal line should have had a flag on the defense for leading with the helmet. Must be a very inexperienced crew

[dhenderson67]

@bulldogs1msu Ah yes, I was just looking at the possession in the end zone, but he sure did lead with the helmet. Should have been a flag. Thanks for the comment.

[dwilk831]

Get a life, it is a sub-varsity football game and you wasted how many minutes putting this together? Take an officiating test and learn the rules......until then i wouldn't open your mouth again.

[dhenderson67]

@dwilk831 Thanks for your comment. I guess I asked for comments and I got one. I was actually hoping for something more substantial, like the actual rule instead of "get a life." I guess we all choose what we do in our spare time. It looks like you spend your time commenting on YouTube videos. I think my son and his friends enjoyed this, so the time was worth it.

Seriously, if you have insight to the rules, please enlighten. I know many of them but I'd be curious to know what I'm missing.

[lem4037]

As an official, I feel this crew has some work to do in order to improve. IW, I have been there and paid for it. Some of the calls, too technical. I am old school and believe in wearing pants or knickers, no shorts for high school at all. Those kids are in full pads in the same heat as you, they deserve that you be fit and ready to mentally handle it (My opinion). It is sophmore level and sometimes you get very inexperienced crews. I hope the local association is helping them to improve.

[bananafudgemaster]

I am also a HS official and the most unimpressive part of this crew is how they looked. Socks not pulled up...never saw one of them run...supposed to throw the flag with confidence not drop it on the ground as an afterthough. From the angle provided it sure did look poor.

[usmcinfantry0341]

I am a high school and semi-pro crew chief. I'll say I was definitely not impressed here. I do have to agree with a previous post asking if there were any special rules in effect regarding the end zone and kicking games? In my state you usually see special rules jr high and below but sometimes at fresh and jv level. Inadvertent whistles are simply unacceptable on my crew. On my crew anyone with an inadvertent buys dinner for the crew on the way home from the game an is "suspended" our next

[ranger082469]

very inexperienced

[ranger082469]

my guess inexperienced crew has to be. Roughing the passer i didnt see it more of a judgement call with the referee

[woochard]

And as a final note, you will begin to notice that referee's are never very good in Timpview games. And strangely, they are never bad in YOUR favor when you are playing them. That's just what to expect when their games come up. Unfortunately it never seems to improve as we learned this all to well this season. Thanks for reading.

- From a fellow coach in the region.

[woochard]

In the last few games, we had a referee refuse to call a rougher the kicker penalty because "hitting is part of the game." He said, "I'll never call it." Or an officiating crew who insisted high school pass interference rules were the same as NFL. It took a coach printing off the rules to show them they were incorrect. Some say high school isn't pro so don't expect pro referees, and while this is true to an extent, it's at least helpful to recognize this is be difficult for coaches in game.

[woochard]

While this may be a sophomore game, it's still very applicable to varsity football. These same referee's will call games the next evening on Friday, and they make the same mistakes (wearing shorts is not an indicator what level referee they are. If it's warm, they all do it). Having spent a number of years on the sidelines in this region, there can be a major difference from crew to crew as they will all interpret rules differently or flat out incorrectly, or ignore some altogether.

[MJW2010TDW]

You are correct the calls were all bad. The guy commenting about the crew wearing shorts is spot on. The guy telling you to get a life must be one of them. You need to send this video to your local officials association if you have one. Otherwise the state level

[JimfromMetairie]

Official here...The quality of your officials was about equal to the level of play. if you see your crew wearing shorts, don't expect Steve Shaw. Also, are you sure there were not special kicking rules on punts, and/or special rules on turnovers? often times in sub-varsity game, special rules are implemented.