A critical and exciting part of a football game comes when a team goes to a hurry-up offense at the end of a half or fourth quarter. It's important that each member of the officiating crew recognize this situation and is fluent and efficient with individual and crew mechanics.
One of the most common mistakes is not understanding when you are in a hurry-up situation and when you are not. This can change play to play. To be in a true hurry-up situation, the game clock has to be running at the end of the play. When the game clock is stopped for a penalty, incomplete pass, out-of-bounds, time out, or other administrative stoppage, you and your crew can slow the pace down.
If the next snap starts the game clock, you can proceed at a normal pace. If the clock is starting on the ready-for-play whistle, you can go at a near-normal pace, provided your umpire has been verbally communicating with the center and quarterback to wait for the signal from the referee. The referee must give his umpire a chance to back out and then signal/whistle the ball ready for play. This way, the offense gets the play off in a timely manner and the entire crew is ready and in position.
Too often, umpires rush the ball in and spot it and immediately leave the ball. Confusion reigns when the offense snaps the ball without a ready-for-play whistle or the linesman is not ready with his chain crew and down box. The blame can be placed on the center or QB for snapping the ball, but it was the officiating crew that created the problem in the first place.
There is no need to leave the ball when the game clock is stopped. Recognize this difference and save yourself some heartbeats and headaches. There is a difference between the offense putting you in a hurry-up situation and you putting yourself there.
This past season, I saw a crew get out of sync over calling an illegal participation penalty on the offense when the play ended. The referee apparently couldn't get his count before the snap and realized the offense had 12 players participating after the ball was snapped.
The reality was the play started with a first and 10. The game clock was stopped for the new first down, and the umpire was too quick to spot the ball and move off it. The referee chopped it in before taking his count and the offense immediately snapped the ball.
Had the referee and umpire realized that there was no hurry up with a stopped clock, they would have gotten their counts and probably had a 5-yard illegal substitution foul instead of a 15-yard illegal participation foul and the confusion that followed. Again, there is no hurry-up offense when the game clock is stopped. Hold your umpire over the ball until the crew is ready.
When the game clock is running at the end of a play, the umpire should be hustling side-to-side and be the person in charge of retrieving and spotting the ball. If the football is still on the field, continue to use it; avoid changing balls in a hurry-up situation. Wing officials should work wide and stay wide. The back judge should stay back as the play ends, and the referee should avoid coming up to the dead ball spot.
Referees should hang back in a position to get the count for Team A and be near or in their final pre-snap position. NCAA games will not have a ready-for-play whistle but NFHS referees will still need to chop the play in. Umpires need to hustle out to the side zones to retrieve the ball and hustle back to the nearest hash mark.
Don't waste time turning back to get the spot. Look toward the far off-wing official to spot the ball as you return to the hash mark. Put the ball down in one motion as you approach and continue out and back in the same direction.
There are times when it is a game of inches, but this is not one of them. You want to be accurate but not at the expense of costing the offense valuable seconds trying to snap the ball. They will take the spot you give them versus waiting for perfection.
It is unacceptable for umpires to hang over the ball in a hurry-up situation or "hold" the center from the ball or snap. The same is true for the wing officials when spotting forward progress in a hurry-up situation. Unless forward progress has to do with a first down, mark the spot, get the ball to the umpire and get back in position to officiate the next snap.
Also, with the clock running in a hurry-up situation, Team A is playing with its best 11 players. Be alert for substitutions, but keep in mind that substitutions will be rare with the clock running. The best 11 are already out there on the field!
Officiating crews need to have a cue or signal to make sure everyone is aware that the offense is in hurry-up mode. Some crews use the phrase "We're running hot!" Other crews may have a visual signal indicating to each official to pick up the pace. Regardless of the method, make sure your crew has something in place to alert everyone. Do not let a member of your crew get caught out of position and needlessly waste time that is critical to the offense.
Timeout situations are also a critical aspect to hurry-up situations, and each official has to have a feel for the game. As a play ends, recognize when a coach or player may want to call a timeout, and be ready for the coach on your sideline to make the call. Know your game situations and anticipate this strategy. Not being ready or not quickly acknowledging a timeout request sends a message that you do not understand the game. Be alert and be ready!
Wet ball mechanics end when the hurry-up offense starts. Umpires may not have time to wipe the ball and put it down between plays. Referees are advised to alert quarterbacks early during a timeout that changing the ball will stop when the QB shows signs of a hurry-up offense. Go back to changing the ball when a pass is incomplete, out-of-bounds, etc.
Time is the priority, not inches or a new game ball. It may be a hurry-up offense, but it may not be a hurry-up situation. Cover these scenarios in your pre-game and make sure everyone understands them so the entire crew can operate effectively.
