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Tom Marshman Returns to Canada and Catches Some Football Posted 8 January 2010 Hi Fellow Officials, In late August /Early September I went on a trip back to Canada. My original intention was to go back in September /October so that I could officiate some high school games but that was not to be. However I did get back to my alma mater (University of Western Ontario) to watch a University game. My aim was to sit in on the pre game. On the Tuesday prior to the game I walked up to the campus to get in touch with the coach at Western Greg Marshall. Incidentally he is coaching for the International team at the upcoming Junior tournament. Coach Marshall gave me the name of the OUA supervisor of officials Ken Green and I made the contact.After a couple of phone calls it was arranged that I would meet the officiating crew 2 hours prior to kickoff at TD Waterhouse stadium in London Ontario. It was interesting when I rocked up to see the reactions on people,s faces when I was trying to get in: A guy with a Canadian accent saying he was from the Australian Gridiron Officials Association and was meeting the officiating crew yada yada yada. Firstly they don’t use the term gridiron too often and secondly I think the “lack of an accent” may have thrown them. Eventually an OUA officials supervisor came out(Paul Chapman) and got me into the Stadium. I spent most of the day up in the press box with Paul. The pre game really impressed me. They dealt with kicks (what else) initially: what to look for , what can go wrong etc etc. Then they moved on to scrimmage formations, man in motion ( a big thing in Canadian football)the passing game etc etc. There was a 7 man crew ranging in age from I,d say early 30 to late 40s. It was crowded in the change room so I didn’t catch the whole pregame but at the end what impressed me was that EVERY official had a quick mantra that ALL officials could abide by. For example “blow the whistle only when you know for sure that the play is dead”. ”Make sure the infraction screams at you”. The good thing about it was they all went out with a positive frame of mind. Some things never change though from League to League. They had an issue with sox and the coaches were happy to not have players in full length sox but the officials were adamant that a Memo had been sent to all coaches requiring full length sox. The game itself was a bit of a fizzer. It was the 2nd ranked team in the country versus the number 6 but it turned out to be a victory for Western 27 to 6 against Laurier with Laurier only getting a TD late in the game. With a veteran crew the game was well officiated. They did take about 3 minutes to adjudicate on 1 infraction ( I was timing it upstairs and pointed it out to Paul ). We later found out that the FJ had reported it initially as the wrong team and then the ref was exceptionally cautious about everyone being on the same page. Scrimmage infractions were sometimes thrown by the far wing official as well as the closer official and Paul criticised them for this .I suggested this was selling a call but he felt it was unnecessary for a procedure penalty. With as many as 4 players in motion towards the LOS at the snap the LJ and LM jobs can be very difficult. There is also a 1 yard gap between the Offense and defense in the Canadian game. Tony has previously mentioned the differences in rules so I won,t deal with that. I will say that the Canadian game is a bit more wide open and even though there are only 3 downs it is still pretty entertaining. I stayed for the post match debriefing and then went on my way thankfull for an entertaining afternoon where I was able to experience officiating at a different level. Tom Marshman (Perth)
WORLD TEAM SELECTED FROM IFAF COUNTRIES TO FACE USA FOOTBALL'S JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Posted 1 October 2009 from "IFAF Notes 47 USA vs. World Announcement"
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 - PARIS, FRANCE - Sweden junior national team head coach JAN JENMERT is to lead a 45-player roster of the best American football players from around the world against USA Football's junior national team in South Florida.
Defensive backs coach Shinichi Takeda is the defensive coordinator for Osaka Sango University High School and the Japan junior national team that won bronze at the 2009 IFAF JWC. He is also the Head Coach of the Suita Marvies in the Japanese X-League Division 1.
Sweden v Australia July 2009 in England Report from Stephen Bowness Posted - 27 July 2009
Sweden v Australia Crew: (L to R) Per Simonsson (BJ), Tomas Hjalmarsson (U), Graham Coleman (FJ), Steve Tonkinson (R), Pete Parsons (SJ), Stephen Bowness
I first found out that Australia was touring Britain when I was in Canberra in January. Pretty much straight away I let Jim Briggs, the President and Rules Editor of the British American Football Referees Association and my opposite number, know that I was keen to do one of the games if possible. Sweden was soon added to the mix and a three-way tournament over three games was set up. The dates of the games were announced a couple of months ago, but it was only just before I left that I found out that I was to do Sweden v Australia as Line Judge. I was also familiar with a number of the crew. I had worked with Steve Tonkinson, the Referee, as a member of the BAFRA Mechanics Review committee. I met Graham Coleman, the Field Judge and my partner on the Swedish sideline, last time when my Dad and I had a fabulous dinner with him at a pub just outside Oxford. Graham has enormous experience and worked in the NFL Europe. Across from me as Linesman was Tony Newsham who was Operations Manager 5 years ago and arranged for me to attend the Youth Final in Dewsbury. The remainder of the crew was Pete Parsons at Side Judge and two Swedes, Umpire Tomas Hjalmarsson and Per Simonsson at Back Judge.
Afterwards I had a very pleasant surprise (although it shouldn't have been) when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I turned to see Paul, who was travelling with the team and wearing a GA cap. It was good to see him and I introduced him as “The Father of New Zealand Officiating” to the crew. He was just as surprised to see me on the far sideline and it had taken him a few minutes to work out who the strangely familiar person was.
It was a great pleasure to work with a crew of such experience and one which was clearly enjoying itself on the field. Everything operated with great efficiency, as you would expect. We all felt that, opening kickoff notwithstanding, we had a good game without controversy (phew!).There's also a photo attached. From left to right: Per, Tomas, Graham, Steve, Pete, me, Tony. -Stephen Bowness
Note: Per Simonsson bears an uncanny resemblance to our own Dr Ken Parker, QGOA. They could be twins!
- Barbara Johnson
CFL Report Posted - 24 July 2009
The week after the recent Junior World Cup in Canton, Ohio, I spent a week in Montreal for business purposes. I met a football official named Ron Paluzzi from Montreal at the World Cup, and Ron invited me to a couple of games of Canadian football while I was in Montreal.
The first game, on the Thursday night, was a professional game between the Montreal Alouettes and the Edmonton Eskimos. The game was held at Molson Stadium, which seats 25,000 and was pretty much full. The Alouettes won 50- 16.
Since I was a spectator for that game, I can report from a spectator's point of view. Canadian football is a very exciting game to watch. The main differences are that the field is wider than for American football (195 feet compared to 160 feet) and longer (110 yards between goal lines, plus 20 yard end zones), there are 12 players on each team, an unlimited number of ends and backs can be in motion at the snap, including motion toward the line of scrimmage, and the offense has 3 downs to make 10 yards. All of these differences make for a wide-open, attacking and potentially high-scoring game.
Another interesting twist is that if the offense legally kicks the ball over the opponents goal line (punt or non-field-goal-scoring place kick) and it is subsequently declared dead behind the goal line, the offense scores 1 point.
The following night was even more fun. I was invited to officiate as Umpire in a game between two Under 17 teams that was part of a national tournament.
The game was held at the same venue as the previous night, but with a much smaller crowd (maybe a couple of hundred).
The game was played under all of the above Canadian rules, except that younger age groups and amateurs find it difficult to gain 10 yards with just three downs, and hence we played four downs. Otherwise, it was just as exciting as the previous night. At times it is also physically demanding for officials because of the size of the field and the wide-open style of play.
There were quite a few mechanics changes, in terms of kick-off positioning, etc, but it was easy for me to remember because the Umpire is on the receiving team's restraining line. Kick-offs are from the 45, so I was on the 55, or mid-field. I think the Back Judge is often 10 yards deep in the end zone (although I wasn't watching him too closely). The Referee rules on whether one-point PATs are successful. Because of the width of the field, the umpire is free to determine forward progress if he has the spot.
There weren't any rule changes I had to worry about as umpire, except I had to keep reminding myself not to through a flag for 12 men on the field. I had a couple of false starts and two chop blocks. Some of the enforcements are very interesting. I didn't have time to get across them all - I just put the ball where the Referee told me. But I think the enforcement on fouls by Team A on a running play goes something like this. If Team A fails to get a first down on the play, the enforcement spot is the previous spot.
Another interesting difference with Canadian football is the uniform. For the pros, the Referee has a black cap and the other officials white, but in amateur leagues it's the same as for us, except the "white hat" has black piping. Bean bags are not used at all. I was told that's because there are no ball boys to pick them up. (In the professional game, the ball boy would run and pick up the bean bags for the officials). Black shorts are normally worn for junior competitions. Flags are orange, and shoe laces are white!
My thanks go to Ron and his colleagues for making me so welcome, and I encourage anyone who gets the chance to catch a game of Canadian to do so.
You won't be disappointed. -Tony Martin
Field at Canton, Ohio.
News from Canton Ohio. Tony Martin
Monday, 06 July 2009 23:52 Friday morning consisted of a combined pregame conference, although we probably had our mechanics ironed out and the session consisted largely of watching tape from Wednesday's games.
This session went much better for me than the previous tape review. They began with my blooper taking the ball to goal line from outside the 5, but that was the only criticism. They showed one PF that they were happy with, and about 6 plays where I was applauded for getting a good spot under difficult circumstances. In one situation the runner landed on top of an opponent (and therefore appeared to be down) but then got to his feet and continued. Another time the runner fumbled the ball forward but then recovered just before gong out of bounds.
Fritz Graf, NFL Field Judge Friday afternoon was a 4th of July party at the home of NFL Referee John Parry. John is Tony Michalek's referee. After a very pleasant afternoon eating, drinking and socialising, John and Tony, and also Big Ten Umpire Pat Bayers, regaled us with humorous stories from their time on the field. I also spent some time talking to Fritz Graf, which was a real treat. Fritz is 87 years old. He worked the first American Football League championship game in 1960 (won by the Houston Oilers) and then officiated in the NFL (at Field Judge) from 1961 to 1984. He worked 4 SuperBowls - the second-most in history. He wears one SuperBowl ring - from 1984, which was his last - and it has 4 diamonds representing each SuperBowl. He said his greatest memory was working the "Ice Bowl" - the NFL Championship Game in 1967 when the temperature was -25 degrees C.
Goal Line On Saturday morning my crew had our own pre-game over breakfast. The crew consisted of Jim Briggs from England at Referee, Pat Bayers from the US at Umpire, Marcel Tschurer from Germany as Linsman, myself as Line Judge, Ron Paluzzi from Canada as Back Jude. Atsushi (Archie) Majima from Japan as Side Judge and Sergio Avila from Mexico as Field Judge. For the second time this week I was on a crew with 7 different nationalities.
End Line View My game was first up on Saturday - France v New Zealand. I was on the France sideline. As I said before, I decided to relax and enjoy the game, and that's exactly what happened. It went much better than the previous games. I was happy with my calls, positioning, movement. I dropped a bean bag on a muffed snap, which is wrong, but I think I redeemed myself when I was the only one to drop bean bags on three New Zealand backward passes during kick returns. And two of those were on the same play, but I got 'em both.
JWC Logo The only real error in terms of positioning came on a very close touchdown call. The ball was snapped from inside the 5, so my job is to get to the goal line before the runner. I was staying level with the runner, and then would-be tacklers fell across my path preventing me from getting to the goal line at the critical moment. The ball JUST broke the plane of the goal line before the runner was pulled back. At least, that was my call. The Umpire agreed. I haven't seen the tape. But if I'd been stationery a few feet back from the goal line, instead of moving towards it, I would have sold it much better.
Final - USA v Canada I had two dead ball fouls, one against each team. On both occasions the observers queried me, saying that the tackle had commenced inbounds. I agreed, but both tacklers had continued the tackle about 12 feet or more out of bounds and had drilled their opponent into the ground with extra effort. The observers were happy with that. (Not the tackle - the call).
USA Sideline Crowd, Finals. All the finals went as predicted. I'd say most of the final results all week were as predicted. There were two close games (Japan 10 d Germany 7 and Canada 38 d Japan 35) and they were probably the only two where the result wasn't obvious beforehand. New Zealand acquitted themselves fairly well, although they went down 34 - 6 in the battle for 7th spot. They got two good touchdowns for the tournament, and were competitive at times.
Their haka before each game was very popular. Most people had never seen it before.
Closing Ceremony Sunday's final went as predicted - USA 41 d Canada 3. The US team behaved themselves after some adverse reaction to their Wednesday game. It was the warmest day of the tournament - about 30 degrees - and we had to stand around forever in the sun during the closing ceremony. After the game the officials went to a restaurant for a drink and a bite to eat, and then in the evening there was a BBQ for all participants in a park over the road from the University. I would have to say that this is this has been the most exciting, enjoyable and valuable experience in my officiating career. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity It's been a bit of a blow to find out how far I, and officating in Australia, are behind the rest of the world, but we now have a clearer idea of where we need to get to, and we have opportunities to get there. I'll certainly be sharing the knowledge that I have gained, and I think the contacts that I have made will be invaluable. The people who run the officiating arm of USA Football (the equivalent of GA) are very supportive and keen to help in terms of ongoing support and provision of resources. I'm now off to a Canada to do a game of Canadian football later this week, and who knows, I'm working on getting a game in Mexico the week after I cover the rest of North America. Saturday, 04 July 2009 00:31
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio
Diplay 1, Hall of Fame
Earl Campbell, 1991 I gained one interesting insight. They were talking about how the wings need to help the referee on potential intentional grounding calls. If you feel that this is a possibility, because the QB was under duress, if the referee looks for help, if there is an eligible receiver anywhere in the area, you should move your hands up and down in front of your shirt, to indicate an eligible number. (I can demonstrate if that's not clear.) Then it doesn't matter if the pass made it past the LOS. If there is no eligible receiver, you punch into the backfield, or upfield, to indicate whether the pass crossed the LOS. R can then decide whether the QB was out of the pocket.
John Madden, Coach
O.J. Simpson, Running Back
Bradshaw, No 12 Jersey
Hall of Fame, Collage-style Display
Tony Martin
Field with Excellent Markings on the Sidelines
Fawcett Stadium, Canton Ohio, by Night
Hall of Fame end of Fawcett Stadium
Entry to the Venue, Canton, Ohio.
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 No games since my last email, so not as much to report, but I thought I'd send a quick update while things are fresh in my mind. After the first couple of hectic days, Monday and Tuesday were largely social. Monday consisted of a 1-hour bus trip to Progressive Field in Cleveland for a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnatti Reds.
Players Lounge in Accommodation Block
Great experience, spectaculator field, but not the most exciting contest. The Reds won 8 - 1. It's always a bit of a downer in terms of a spectacle when the home team gets thumped. We then went to dinner at a steakhouse, and then home for a fairly early evening. A chance for me to catch up on some real work for my day job. Some of the crews from Saturday watched game tape, but our crew didn't.
University Accommodation Monday morning consisted of discussion of feedback from the teams and tournament organisers - not much - and tape review from Sunday. The alternates (including me) took some heat for not enforcing uniform rules - i.e. long socks pulled up. My team - Canada - was one of the worst. I made sure they pulled their socks up as much as possible, but some of the socks were very short. Presumably they had been cut down. Now I find we were supposed to tell them to change the socks or they couldn't take the field.
Heinz Field
The Back Judge (Tom) and Linesman (Alex) from my game spent Sunday isolating plays for review. They highlighted what appeared to be good and bad decisions, as well as good and bad mechanics. Because I was on the press box side, as Line Judge, I wasn't featured in general play very often - only when I was critically involved. The Linesman and Side Judge are more visible.
Cleveland Indians Baseball The good news is that I think I looked okay on tape, in terms of signals and mechanics. It didn't look as bad as I felt. The bad news is that most of the key decisions I made were criticised. One of my close OOB calls was questioned. They were saying that the receiver's right foot was OOB, and I agree. I made the call on his left foot, which I thought landed inbounds before the right foot landed out of bounds. It's not clear on the tape. At least, not on a big screen from the back of the room. I'd really like to have a good look close up on a smaller screen, with better definition, but my laptop doesn't play DVDs. (We have each been given end zone and sideline views of our games.) I had a hold that I thought at the time was a great call. After they looked at it, the Referee said he thought it was just pushing. I thought the fouling player had an arm across the defender's chest, pulling him backwards away from the runner, but so far it's not clear.
Inside Heinz Field Stadium I thought my unnecessary roughness following an uncatchable pass was a great call, and I'd throw it 10 times out of 10 in our games but two experienced college officials in just as good a position passed on the flag, so I have to accept their judgement. The Back Judge said at the time, and still thinks after viewing the tape, that it was technically correct (and therefore he didn't feel he could query it on the field) but not a quality call. The Referee after viewing the tape, said he thought it was just part of football because the receiver hadn't had time to relax and fit the definition of a "defenceless player".
Heinz Field Apparel Display
I do want to have a good look at all three calls and try to reconcile the difference between what I saw and remember, and what it looks like on the tape, because there is a big difference. If I can figure out the reason for the difference, I think it will help my judgement in similar situations.
Heinz Field
The other query was a forward progress spot, and it looks awful. At the time I noticed that the Linesman and I were at least two yards different. The play was closer to him, so I yielded and mirrored his spot. It turns out we were both wrong by a yard. I thought I did some good things, but they didn't manage to find any. So it was a tough session. But I'll take it on board and use it to improve. I'm here to learn.
Heinz Field Press Box Tuesday afternoon involved a 2-hour bus trip to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. We got a tour of the entire stadium, including all seating levels, the luxury suites, the press box, the visiting team locker room, the Steelers' locker room, the officials' locker room, and onto the field. Great experience.
Steelers Locker Room
We then walked over to PNC Park for a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. Even more spectacular a show than the Cleveland game because it was a night game, which I think is good for baseball. The home team lost again (3-1) but at least they were in it until the end, which made the game more interesting.
Officials' Locker Room Today we have our pregame (jointly between all crews this time to getter better consistency in terms of mechanics) and then this afternoon it's a visit to the Hall of Fame and dinner at a restaurant.
Officials' Cubby Holes Please find attached a few photos. The labels are self-explanatory. The leading digits are the recommended viewing order.
Pittsburgh v Pirates on the Diamond
Pitching Action Pittsburgh v Steelers
Monday, 29 June 2009 00:12 It's been pretty flat out since I got here. This is the first time I've had some time off to catch up with emails. I got to the University where we are staying at about 2.30am Friday local time, after about 30 hours of travel. Friday was spent in meetings. Friday morning was introductory stuff - information, introductions, handing out of merchandise donated by colleges and conference, as well as JWC merchandise. The intros were an eye-opener. I've been of the view that I have some experience under my belt, but I think I'm the second-least experienced here. Most have 20+ years. One Canadian has 41 years experience. It was good to catch up with Serge, Juan and Marcel whom I first met at the 2005 World Games in Germany. They are very friendly. Of course I know Masaru also, but he's a little more reserved. I gather Peter Springwald is Chef de Mission for the German team, but I haven't run into him yet. Tony Michalek (pronounced Mi-hal-ek with a silent c), who is running the show, is extremely friendly, gregarious, a great leader. Tony is an NFL umpire with a SuperBowl to his credit. Bill Lemonnier is also playing a leading role in classroom sessions. He is a Div I ref. The Friday afternoon session involving watching a DVD and discussing the plays and then we split into crews for our pre-game for Saturday. Friday evening was more game tape during a seminar involving us as well as local officials. Off to Fawcett Stadium, which is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at 8.00am Saturday. I was alternate for the first game - one of three alternates. I therefore didn't need to go that early, but I wanted to go with the crew and get there as early as possible. Definitely the best field I've ever worked on, or are ever likely to work on. There is a 6-foot wide strip of white paint around the entire field! No photos yet, unfortunately, because my camera batteries were flat, but I'll send photos after Game Day 2. The stadium apparently seats 22,400. I have no idea how to estimate the crowd. Best guess there were a couple of hundred for kick-off in the first game, several hundred - maybe a thousand for all I know - for Game 3 - and maybe a couple of thousand or more for the Opening Ceremony and Game 4. I was blown away by the quality of the officiating in Game 1. Very intimidating. A flawless performance. Although having said that, I thought they might have made an error with 12:00 remaining the first quarter. I thought the opening kick-off was recovered with a knee on the ground. No-one else has mentioned it, so I don't intend to risk showing off my poor judgment. We'll see what the tape says. The Referee, Einar, was unbelievable. He has been a top official for 18 years and his poise and presence on the field is the best I've ever seen - equaled only by some NFL referees. Results: Canada 55 d. New Zealand 0 Japan 10 d. Germany 7 Mexico 41 d. Sweden 0 USA 78 d. France 0 The second and third games were also very well-officiated, but perhaps not quite as polished as the first game. I didn't see the fourth. I was pretty tired, and came back to the Uni after my game. My referee, as you know, was Bill Lemonnier. Very competent. In total control on the field. Fenton Moore, at Umpire, is a local high school official. Jin Abe from Japan was the Side Judge. He has lived and worked in the US, so he speaks flawless English - well, American English - unlike the other Japanese officials, who struggle. I didn't really see anything of him from LJ. Alex Barina was Linesman. He works Div I in the South East Conference - presumably Linesman, although I'm not sure. He was the designated alternate Referee for Game 1. My only interaction was signaling on and off the line, and taking forward progress. He and I differed by a yard or more a couple of times. I'd like to analyse further and find out why. Tom Herbert was Back Judge. He has been a Big Ten Div I BJ for 35 years, retiring a couple of years ago. This was his first game since then. Clearly very knowledgeable and experienced, Jamie Nicholson was Field Judge, so I worked mostly with him. He does Div I AA - I think that's what he said. Not sure what it means. He was also the Replay Booth Technician for SuperBowl XL. Excellent performance. Communicates very well on the field. He made some off the cuff comment about us changing the ball after a change of possession. He assumed I knew how they do it here, and I assumed he meant we would change the ball after a change of possession if the ball was on our side of the field. Once we got to the ground at discovered that there were tournament balls rather than team balls, I then assumed there wouldn't be a need to change balls. We both did a lot of assuming. It took me a while to realise that we change the ball after every single change of possession, and ALWAYS from our sideline, even if the old ball went out of bounds on the far sideline. So he was running around with new balls and getting upset with me because I wasn't helping. I couldn't figure out what he was doing. I was a bit better in the second half, once I learned the mechanic, but I still found it very difficult to remember. It's very hard to break old habits. I think I had 4 flags. One false start that everyone got, one false start on my wide receiver that no-one else had, a hold on an outside run that sprang the runner (that was declined to bring up 4th down) and a personal foul for hitting a receiver when the pass was clearly uncatchable. I want to look at that one again. Tom said after the game that the call was technically correct but probably not a quality call. He said the offender was just tackling the receiver around the legs. I saw a player tackling the receiver around the legs just after the pass, and then another player take several steps and cannon into the receiver. It seemed to me to be an easy call, and I had no hesitation. But then, two college officials were in just as good position and passed on the call, so maybe it wasn't the right call at this level. It definitely is at our level. In terms of close calls, I had two catches with the foot landing a couple of inches inside the sideline, and I had TD where the ball was fumbled just after it broke the plane of the goal line (but was then subsequently recovered by Team A - not on fourth down). I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but I wasn't happy with my performance. My job was pretty much up to my normal standard, which I think is pretty good at our level, but in this company I think it probably looked sloppy. I dropped a couple of balls, I was tripped by a player and fell to the ground. Generally I don't think my signaling was as crisp as most of my colleagues here. On one occasion the runner was driven back and I held my spot. He broke the tackle and started going forward again, but fell short of the spot that I had. I went to the new spot on an angle, instead of squaring off. Then of course there was the ball relay business. I haven't had any feedback yet. We'll see what the bosses thought. I'll have to check on one mechanic. I gathered in the first two games that, on a kick-off, you are supposed to hold at the goal line until Team B take possession, (in case they miss it or muff it and it threatens the goal line). But a lot of kicks were short and therefore I found myself a long way behind the play, yet still responsible for forward progress. I'll have to check how to resolve that problem. We are heading off soon to watch a Cleveland Indians game. I'll probably next give you an update after Game 2.
Vale, Wes Neal! Posted 28 July, 2008
The members of the South Australian Gridiron Association and South Australian Gridiron Officials Association deeply mourn the passing of a founding member of gridiron in
Wes you have left many memories with people and trained many officials to become better officials in the sport of American Football. Your guidance, wisdom and teaching people the game of gridiron has been passed onto the next generation and is now being passed onto the next generation of officials and participants. You joined us as a regular member and left your mark as a Hall of Fame Official. Always a life member. On behalf of Daryl Argent for SAGOA members, Dave Sedgwick on behalf of GASA members and Grant Martin on behalf of AGOA members we say thanks. Daryl Argent
Posted 22 February 2008
Over 20 seasons ago no one would have thought an original official from the first season would still be on the field 500 games later. Tonight SAGOA and GASA invite you all to celebrate 500 games with Daryl Argent. He has been a part of 60% of GASA games, officiated in each junior season as well being a life member for services to GASA.
Daryl has been loyal to gridiron in South Australia and to officiating, giving up his time to serve on the GASA Board and be a part of the junior committee before work commitments took up this time in the latter years. He has always expressed that he enjoyed attending those meetings and the interactions he has had.
 LtoR John 'Doc' Sabine, Andrew Gregory, Gordon Tuft, Daryl Argent, Grant Martin, Simon Pollitt, Malcolm Harrison, Alex Sturdy, Bruce Daley and John Wilkie. Also in attendance at the game was Steve Bolbot (photographer), Wes Neale and Mark Farley.
Tonight we welcome back the ‘older’ crew of officials that Daryl has worked with over time, some of those officials also being in the inaugural season, including Wes Neal, ‘Doc’ Sabine and Bruce Daley. It must be great for them to see the game continuing on in SA and that SAGOA is still an active member of the league.
SAGOA is only 1 of 2 states in Australia to use full time officials and rarely has had to call on GASA to help provide club officials. Hopefully this will continue with some new officials joining and they can also have a long and prosperous career as an official in Gridiron here in SA. They could well be on their way to 500 games like Darryl is tonight.
When you decide to retire from the game come and watch from the best seat in the house and become an official on the field. If you have made plans to retire then give SAGOA an email on secretary@sagoa.info
Grant Martin SAGOA Coordinator of Officials Guidelines for pass interference and chop blocks
Posted - 12 March 2007
The following documents are available to help officials understand and make consistent calls in respect of pass interference and chop blocks:
1. Pass interference - 6 types NFL
This give examples of 6 types of potentially illegal contact. whilst it was written with NFL rules in mind it can equally be applied to our game when read in conjunction with NCAA rules.
2. Chop block table
This document shows the various scenarios in which a combination block can occur and indicates for each whether the block is legal or a foul.
AGOA conducts club officials training course
Posted - 12 March 2007
As part of his trip to NSW to work the Australia v Korea World Cup qualifier, AGOA Operations Manager Paul Mercer
With members of the coaching, administration and playing staff in attendance, the classroom sessions were interspersed with some on-field "walk-through's" to illustrate positioning and coverage issues. The participants showed plenty of interest in the sessions and the club expressed a desire to have more sessions in the future.
Footnote: Since the visit, another session has been arranged for Saturday 16th June to which all NSW clubs have been invited.
Former player joins the officiating ranks
Posted - 12 March 2007
Scott Seymour started playing gridiron with the Croydon Rangers in the VGFL's inaugural season in 1983. He played in excess of 60 consecutive games from that time finishing at Croydon on about 85 games in 1995. During that time he played in all interior line positions on both offence and defense and occasionally as a linebacker. He also served on the Rangers committee for a number of years including time as President and Vice President.
In 1995 he moved from Victoria to Western Australia and played the 95/96 season with the Hyde Park Giants before retiring from gridiron after the first game of the 96/97 season.
At this time outside interests took him away from the sport until the 2006/2007 season found him looking for another activity. Of the options available, gridiron held the most interest, although he no longer had the desire to get involved in the coaching or management of a club, therefore officiating was an attractive option.
After contacting Tom Marshman, it was pretty much straight in to it as the season had just commenced, Scott very quickly got a different perspective on the game and the requirements of officiating, although some might believe this appreciation has come some 10-20 years too late for a few of the VGOA officials (his words)!
We wish Scott every success with his officiating and hope that he gets the same enjoyment and satisfaction from it that he did as a player. As players reach the end of their careers we need to encourage more of them to stay involved with the game by becoming officials.
WA & SA Championship crews
Posted - 12 March 2007
 WA Lineup (L-R) Mark Bray (L), Gerrit Boogert (SJ), Steve Arnold (R), Nigel Brown (FJ), Scott Seymour (U), Tom Marshman (LJ)
Steve Arnold was the referee for the 2006 Gridiron West Bowl in which the Westside Steelers defeated the Rockingham Vipers 40-0. The rest of the crew was Scott Seymour (U), Gerrit Boogert (L), Tom Marshman (LJ), Nigel Brown (FJ) and Mark Bray (SJ). According to Tom Marshman the game was possibly the best Steelers v Vipers game in years despite the score and went well with very few flags.
In SA, Grant Martin was the referee as the Eastside Razorbacks defeated the Southern District Oilers 12-0. The other members of the crew were Darryl Argent (U), Gordon Tuft (L), Claude Penco (LJ), Grant Keiller (BJ), Simon Pollitt (FJ) and Andrew Gregory (SJ). AGOA Operations Manager Paul Mercer
Australia vs Korea Lineup
 Officiating crew for the Australia v. Korea World Cup qualifier (from L-R): Lee Bo Hyung (SJ), Cho Gyo Beow (LJ), Andrew Calverley (BJ), Park Jae Sick (U), Paul Mercer
Australia v Korea World Cup Qualifier, 2007
Posted - 12 March 2007
Tumbi Umbi, north of Sydney, was the venue for a World Cup qualifying game between Australia and Korea on 27 January 2007. The day was hot with a very strong wind blowing but by game time (5pm) the temperature had dropped a few degrees although the strength of the wind meant that passing in one direction was very risky.
The game was officiated by officials from three countries. The referee, Peter Springwald, was from Germany and there were three Australian and three Korean officials.
If there was one lesson to be learnt from this game, it was the value of using signals. From the moment the pre-game conference started it became apparent that communication was going to be an important factor - the Korean officials, Park, Lee and Cho, spoke little or no English and the pre-game conference was conducted with the aid of an interpretor. This meant that our preparation was less satisfactory than we would have liked. However it soon become clear that even though we spoke different languages off the field, on the field we were on the same page. Korean and Australian officials use the same mechanics and signals and there were few problems once the game started.
The game itself was competitive and played in fairly good spirits. After an even first half the score was 7-7 before Korea jumped ahead 19-7 against the breeze in the 3rd quarter. Australia then ran a kick back for a touchdown but the score was negated by a foul during the return. In the final quarter Korea scored a field goal before Australia got a late consolation touchdown. Miles Newman receives Hall of Fame certificate
Posted 3 March 2007
At the recent Australia v Korea World Cup qualifier, former NSW official Miles Newman was finally able to receive his certificate confirming his induction into the officiating Hall of Fame.
Miles, along with John Sabine and Wes Neal of South Australia, was an inaugural inductee in 2006.
Former AGOA President, Andrew Calverley from Queensland, is shown presently Miles with his certificate. You can check out the biographies for all the 2006 recipients under the original posting of the Hall of Fame inductees in September 2006.
 Miles Newman (left) receives his Hall of Fame certificate from 2006 AGOA President, Andrew Calverley
Dates confirmed for Junior Nationals
Posted 23 February 2007
Six states have confirmed their intention to compete at this years Championships on the Gold Coast. Subject to the schedule being finalised, the opening games will be on Sunday 13th May, followed by two games on both Tuesday 15th and Thursday 17th. The final round of games will be held on Saturday 19th.
NCAA press release on rule changes for 2007
Posted 23 February 2007
NCAA FOOTBALL RULES COMMITTEE VOTES TO RESTORE PLAYS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN SHORTER OVERALL GAME TIME
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico—The NCAA Football Rules Committee proposed several rules items intended to restore the number of plays while limiting the amount of elapsed time needed to play a college contest. The committee voted to eliminate provisions used last year that helped shave 14 minutes off of game times. All rules proposals will be considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel March 12 before taking effect. “The changes we made last year, overall, did not have a positive effect on college football at all levels,” said Michael Clark, chair of the committee and head coach at Bridgewater (Virginia) College. “Our charge is to protect the game and do what is best for college football. Last year’s game lost too many plays, but it accomplished the need to shorten the overall time it takes to play a game. The changes we have made for 2007 balance both of these issues.”
In Rule 3-2-5-e, the committee altered its rule to have the clock start on the snap after a change in possession, as opposed to the 2006 rule which started the clock when the referee signaled the ball ready for play. Also, the committee returned its rules on free kicks to 2005 standards, starting the clock on kickoffs only when the ball is legally touched in the field of play.
After approving these proposals, the committee addressed reducing some of the dead time in the game with the intent to have overall game times in 2007 comparable to those in 2006.
The group approved the following items to address this issue:
Total 11-14 minutes. No effect on playing time.
The committee briefly considered moving to a federated process for its rules, as the changes made last year primarily affected Division I institutions. “Separating our rules by division is not something the committee is in favor of pursing,” Clark said. “NCAA football includes all the divisions and we have always had tremendous cooperation at all levels. This will continue.” In other news, starting in 2008 the committee approved a 40-second/25-second play clock combination. The committee, reviewing strong support for a 40-second/25-second play from coaches, officials and administrators, approved this move to achieve a more uniform pace of play
AGOA News Venue confirmed for World Cup qualifier
Posted 25 October, 2006
Michael Ryan, Chairman of Gridiron Australia, today confirmed the venue for the December 30 World Cup qualifier between the Australian Outback and the New Zealand Ironblacks.
The game will be played at the Gatorade Regional Athletics Centre, Mingara Drive, Tumbi Umbi on the Central Coast (approximately 1 hours drive north of Sydney). It will be a 90 yard field with 10 yard end zones and a grass surface. Kick-off will be at 5
Nominations sought for appointment to the National Panel Posted: October 16, 2006 With several senior officials having retired over the past 12 months there are now opportunities for officials to join the National Panel. The National Panel concept is designed to recognize and reward officials who make a contribution to officiating at both the local and national level. It will also create competition and ensure that people are working hard to maintain their skills and qualifications Each GOA has been asked to nominate up to 3 of its officials for consideration.Nominees should be; Once nominated, officials would be required to provide an officiating CV and pass a rules and mechanics exam. The 10 highest-scoring officials, having achieved a score of at least 75% (the Level 2 pass mark), would be appointed to the National Panel. The next 6 highest-scoring officials, having achieved a score of at least 65% (the Level 1 pass mark) would be appointed to the Development Panel. All appointments would be for a 12 month period. Further details about the re-appointment process will be issued in due course. Accreditiation Overview - This is a Word document. Trans Tasman crew for World Cup qualifier
Posted: October, 2006
Peter Springwald, Chairman of the Officiating Department of IFAF (International Federation of American Football) has confirmed that the upcoming game between Australia and New Zealand will be officiated by a split Australian/New Zealand crew. Speaking from his home in Germany, Peter indicated that the referee would be assigned from a non-competing country and that each country would provide 3 officials as follows:
Australia - Umpire, wing & Back Judge
New Zealand - wing, Side Judge and Field Judge
The game will be played in Sydney on Saturday 30th Dec - venue and time to be confirmed. Should Australia win they would then play Korea in Sydney on Saturday 27th January with the winner advancing to the World Cup which will be held in Japan from July 7th to 15th.
Further information, including details about the selection process for the Australian officials, will be provided as it becomes available.
Bryan Currie, now a Life Member of Gridiron Victoria, was also awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Victorian Gridiron Officials Association. Posted: October, 2006
After 20 years of officiating Bryan Currie fittingly ended his career by refereeing VicBowl XXII in which the Nunawading Warriors defeated the Croydon Rangers 12-3. Following the game, Bryan was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation recognizing his contribution to the sport in Victoria and was also awarded Life membership of Gridiron Victoria.
Bryan joined VGOA in its first year and has been a mainstay of the organization, holding every management position throughout the years. He has also been a strong and committed supporter of the national officiating body and has served on their executive.
During his career Bryan worked 366 senior games in the local competition and more than 60 games at state or national level. He officiated at five senior National Championships, refereeing the final in 2003 and 2006. He has also officiated in 13 of the 22 VicBowls - 3 as white cap. His only international was the 2001 Australia v New Zealand test match at Runaway Bay in Queensland although he did work as Umpire in the 1988 Kookaburras v Gt Britain unofficial test match at Tweed Heads in 1988.
His calm manner, rules knowledge and people skills earned him respect from players and coaches around the country and his experience will be missed at both state and national level.
Local hero, Bryan Currie, voted Official of the Year in Victoria with Paul Mercer (not pictured). Posted: October, 2006 For the first time in its 3-year history, the Gridiron Victoria "Official of the Year" award was shared when Bryan Currie and Paul Mercer
Inductees Wes Neal (L) and John Sabine (R) with AGOA outgoing President 2006, Andrew Calverley. AGOA announces Inaugural inductees into Officiating Hall of Fame Posted: September, 2006
AGOA announced the names of its inaugural inductees at the 2006 Senior Nationals Tournament Dinner held in Adelaide this week.
The Class of 2006 comprises Wes Neal and John Sabine from Sth Australia and Miles Newman from NSW. All three officials have given tremendous service to the sport over 20 years and have been at the forefront of officiating both within their own states and at the national level. As their bio's show, each of them has also made a significant contribution at both state and national level to the organization and administration of the sport and are deserving recipients of this recognition.
2006 AGOA AGM
Posted: September, 2006
At its annual general meeting held during the recent National Championships the following people were elected as Office Bearers for the next 12 months: Thanks to the previous office bearers who gave so generously of their time and other resources for the betterment of gridiron officiating in Australia.
2006 Senior Nationals Posted: September, 2006
2006 AGOA Senior National Officiating crew for the Finals: LJ - Keiller (SA), FJ - Taylor (ACT), SJ - Martin (SA), Alt - Clarke (WA), U - Argent (SA), R - Currie (Vic), L - Marshman (WA). Competition for places in the crew for the final was fierce and the ultimate decisions had to take into account those officials who would be required to work both games on the last day. In the event, both games were close affairs and the officials needed to maintain their concentration and focus right up to the last play.
SA officials in the wars! Two South Australian officials have been injured in the past fortnight while working games. Firstly, Grant Keiller suffered a severe knee injury and then the following weekend Steve Bolbot, ironically only working as a replacement for Grant, suffered a dislocated right kneecap, pulled a groin muscle and twisted/sprained his right ankle. Both incidents occurred when the officials were working on the sidelines but were unable to avoid on-rushing players.
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