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CFO COORDINATORS ANNUAL WINTER MEETING
Birmingham, January 29-31, 2012
Summary Report
The annual winter meeting of the College Football Officiating (CFO) Coordinators
was held January 29-31, 2012, in Birmingham. Steve Shaw (SEC) took the lead in hosting
the meeting with able assistance from Harold Mitchell (SWAC). Ginny Thomas from the
SEC office was enormously helpful in attending to the many details during the meeting,
and the coordinators express their appreciation to the SEC and the SWAC.
The Division I coordinators in attendance were joined by:
Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner, Mid-American Conference and chair, CFO Board of
Managers
Mike Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference
Ty Halpin (NCAA), CFO Administrator
Claire Roberts (Arbiter Sports)
Dave Yeast (Arbiter Sports)
Carl Cheffers, substituting for Tony Corrente (PAC-12)
Karl Richins, substituting for Doug Toole (Big Sky)
Jeff Stern, Referee Magazine
Welcoming Remarks
Commissioner Mike Slive of the Southeastern Conference welcomed the group
to SEC country. He reiterated the importance of enforcing player-safety rules around
targeting and hits to the head, especially given all the attention to concussions. Mr.
Slive expressed his strong support and enthusiasm for the CFO and how valuable the
organization is now that we are so much more connected than in the past.
NCAA Updates
Ty Halpin (NCAA) provided updates on a number of areas where the NCAA
supports the CFO and the conferences. The national background check program is
moving toward implementation, with a “request for proposals” (RFP) soon to be issued.
The initial target will be the FBS conferences.
Rules Discussion
Rogers Redding led in a discussion of the upcoming rules committee meeting and
potential changes; 2012 being a non-rules-change year, only those rules that directly
bear on player safety may be considered for change this year. With that in mind, and
for future consideration as well, the group briefly discussed these topics:
. Blocking below the waist and difficulty of officiating
. Offended team option at the end of 1st & 3rd quarters
. End the half on an offensive (only) foul
. Define descriptors for "holding" and "pass interference"
. Uniform rules and/or guidelines for weather delays
. Options instead of kickoffs
. Combine UNS and DBPF in the count of fouls for purposes of
disqualifying a player
. Field color: Green only, for new and re-surfaced fields
. Eliminate delay-of-game foul following fair catch signal
. Any Team B foul during scrimmage kick to be PSK enforcement
. Articulate going-to-ground process on making a catch
. Do not stop the clock following a first down
“Neutral” Crews for Interconference Games
Doug Rhoads (ACC) led a discussion of the possibility of having some
interconference FBS games between teams from different automatic-qualifier (AQ)
conferences officiated by a crew from a third AQ conference. This would help mitigate
the perception of conference bias that persists among a number of coaches and the
media. The CFO provides a structure that would allow the national coordinator to make
such assignments, much in the manner of bowl games. A number of issues remain to be
resolved, principally the reality that the choice of crew conference is written into the
game contract between the participating institutions. Redding will draft a framework of
an initial plan and discuss with the Board of Managers at its April meeting.
Video Exchange
Several coordinators shared plays in a video session. Attention focused on the
protection of the receiver of a kick and the possibility of returning some version of the
“halo” rule. [NOTE: this proposal was taken to the rules committee and resulted in a
change that instituted a “modified halo.”] Others included whether a backward pass
out of bounds should be reviewable; the consensus is that it should not be reviewable in
that, unlike a fumble, there is no change of possession involved.
Intra-Crew Communication System
Shaw reported on potential use of an electronic communication system that
would allow the crew to talk with each other during the game. This has been favorably
received by high school officials in Alabama. The SEC will experiment with this system
during the spring.
Dave Parry Award
The selection committee chaired by Bill Carollo (Big 10-MAC) announced their
recommendation of Jim Keogh as the first David M. Parry awardee. The CFO Board of
Managers has approved this choice. Jim and his wife will be honored at the
coordinators’ summer meeting in San Antonio in June of this year.
Arbiter Update
Claire Roberts and Dave Yeast participated in the meeting with Dave providing
an update regarding the registration for the new year. Highlights of Dave’s report:
. Total registrations for 2011 were 2851 compared with 1693 for 2010
. Registration is scheduled to open June 1
. Registered officials will be able to view video on their mobile devices
(including iPhone and iPad)
. A Rules App (available without Internet connection) will be launched
Board of Managers: Chair Report
Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and chair
of the CFO Board of Managers, attended the meeting and made a presentation to the
group. He expressed his appreciation for the respectful way that the coordinators are
working together as a team. He also observed that he can see greater consistency in
mechanics and applications of the rules. Behavior by coaches is a concern to him and
the other commissioners.
CFO Issues
Bowl Games Officiating in the bowl games was very good and there were no
major issues. Each head coach was asked to evaluate the crew. To date we
have received 26 responses from the 70 coaches. Evaluations: Outstanding = 6,
Acceptable = 15, Unacceptable = 5.
Uniform
. Pre-Game jackets (if worn) must be solid black
. Caps: Black caps must have the traditional narrow white piping with no
additional white (other than the manufacturer’s logo). White caps must
be solid white, no black (other than the manufacturer’s logo).
. Bean Bags must be solid black
. DP Patch will not be worn in the future
Media conversations with officials Several coordinators expressed very
serious concern about reports of active officials being quoted by the news
media in connection with bowl team tendencies and other information. Such
behavior by officials is highly unprofessional. A strong statement about such
conduct has been posted to the CFO/Arbiter web site.
Committee Reports
TECHNOLOGY Chair Jim Jackson (OVC) led the group through a discussion of the
content calendar of videos, tests etc., for the CFO/Arbiter web site. The calendar will be
posted as soon as feasible.
INSTANT REPLAY Chair Carollo initiated a discussion about time expiring on the game
clock at the end of the half when it should stop at the end of the down. The principal
question revolved around whether the IR official should have the exact time restored or
if there should be some minimum time below which the clock would be allowed to
expire. The group asked Redding to take the issue to the rules committee, which is
where ultimate authority resides.
NOTE: In its meetings the following week the rules committee directed that the
exact time be restored to the clock.
MECHANICS Chair Shaw reported that the committee is working with Jeff Stern at
Referee Enterprises (publisher of the mechanics manual) to change the template and
update the content of the manual. Stern said that the coordinators would be allowed to
access portions of the manual electronically so that communications to officials,
coaches, etc., could be enhanced regarding the mechanics. The committee will be
working on this in the coming months.
Officiating Philosophies
Ken Rivera (MWC) led the group in a discussion to refine the officiating
philosophies. Several of these were edited and will be included in the revised
mechanics manual.
Players’ Helmets Coming Off
Ty Halpin reviewed the data regarding helmets coming off as kept by the on-field
officials during the year. The group discussed a possible rules change that would require
that a player sit out the next down if his helmet comes off through play other than due
to a foul.
NOTE: The rules committee adopted such a rule to take effect in 2012.
Future Meetings
National Instant Replay Conference
(For IROs and Referees)
Chicago O’Hare Marriott
May 25-26, 2012
CFO Coordinators 2012 Summer Meeting
(Big 12 and Conference-USA)
San Antonio
June 3-5, 2012
CFO Coordinators 2013 Winter Meeting
National Football Foundation, Irving TX
January 27-29, 2013
CFO Coordinators 2013 Summer Meeting
Arbiter Sports
Park City, UT
June 2-4, 2013
--Rogers Redding
CFO National Coordinator
CFO COORDINATORS ANNUAL WINTER MEETING
Birmingham, January 29-31, 2012
Summary Report
The annual winter meeting of the College Football Officiating (CFO) Coordinators
was held January 29-31, 2012, in Birmingham. Steve Shaw (SEC) took the lead in hosting
the meeting with able assistance from Harold Mitchell (SWAC). Ginny Thomas from the
SEC office was enormously helpful in attending to the many details during the meeting,
and the coordinators express their appreciation to the SEC and the SWAC.
The Division I coordinators in attendance were joined by:
Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner, Mid-American Conference and chair, CFO Board of
Managers
Mike Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference
Ty Halpin (NCAA), CFO Administrator
Claire Roberts (Arbiter Sports)
Dave Yeast (Arbiter Sports)
Carl Cheffers, substituting for Tony Corrente (PAC-12)
Karl Richins, substituting for Doug Toole (Big Sky)
Jeff Stern, Referee Magazine
Welcoming Remarks
Commissioner Mike Slive of the Southeastern Conference welcomed the group
to SEC country. He reiterated the importance of enforcing player-safety rules around
targeting and hits to the head, especially given all the attention to concussions. Mr.
Slive expressed his strong support and enthusiasm for the CFO and how valuable the
organization is now that we are so much more connected than in the past.
NCAA Updates
Ty Halpin (NCAA) provided updates on a number of areas where the NCAA
supports the CFO and the conferences. The national background check program is
moving toward implementation, with a “request for proposals” (RFP) soon to be issued.
The initial target will be the FBS conferences.
Rules Discussion
Rogers Redding led in a discussion of the upcoming rules committee meeting and
potential changes; 2012 being a non-rules-change year, only those rules that directly
bear on player safety may be considered for change this year. With that in mind, and
for future consideration as well, the group briefly discussed these topics:
. Blocking below the waist and difficulty of officiating
. Offended team option at the end of 1st & 3rd quarters
. End the half on an offensive (only) foul
. Define descriptors for "holding" and "pass interference"
. Uniform rules and/or guidelines for weather delays
. Options instead of kickoffs
. Combine UNS and DBPF in the count of fouls for purposes of
disqualifying a player
. Field color: Green only, for new and re-surfaced fields
. Eliminate delay-of-game foul following fair catch signal
. Any Team B foul during scrimmage kick to be PSK enforcement
. Articulate going-to-ground process on making a catch
. Do not stop the clock following a first down
“Neutral” Crews for Interconference Games
Doug Rhoads (ACC) led a discussion of the possibility of having some
interconference FBS games between teams from different automatic-qualifier (AQ)
conferences officiated by a crew from a third AQ conference. This would help mitigate
the perception of conference bias that persists among a number of coaches and the
media. The CFO provides a structure that would allow the national coordinator to make
such assignments, much in the manner of bowl games. A number of issues remain to be
resolved, principally the reality that the choice of crew conference is written into the
game contract between the participating institutions. Redding will draft a framework of
an initial plan and discuss with the Board of Managers at its April meeting.
Video Exchange
Several coordinators shared plays in a video session. Attention focused on the
protection of the receiver of a kick and the possibility of returning some version of the
“halo” rule. [NOTE: this proposal was taken to the rules committee and resulted in a
change that instituted a “modified halo.”] Others included whether a backward pass
out of bounds should be reviewable; the consensus is that it should not be reviewable in
that, unlike a fumble, there is no change of possession involved.
Intra-Crew Communication System
Shaw reported on potential use of an electronic communication system that
would allow the crew to talk with each other during the game. This has been favorably
received by high school officials in Alabama. The SEC will experiment with this system
during the spring.
Dave Parry Award
The selection committee chaired by Bill Carollo (Big 10-MAC) announced their
recommendation of Jim Keogh as the first David M. Parry awardee. The CFO Board of
Managers has approved this choice. Jim and his wife will be honored at the
coordinators’ summer meeting in San Antonio in June of this year.
Arbiter Update
Claire Roberts and Dave Yeast participated in the meeting with Dave providing
an update regarding the registration for the new year. Highlights of Dave’s report:
. Total registrations for 2011 were 2851 compared with 1693 for 2010
. Registration is scheduled to open June 1
. Registered officials will be able to view video on their mobile devices
(including iPhone and iPad)
. A Rules App (available without Internet connection) will be launched
Board of Managers: Chair Report
Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Commissioner of the Mid-American Conference and chair
of the CFO Board of Managers, attended the meeting and made a presentation to the
group. He expressed his appreciation for the respectful way that the coordinators are
working together as a team. He also observed that he can see greater consistency in
mechanics and applications of the rules. Behavior by coaches is a concern to him and
the other commissioners.
CFO Issues
Bowl Games Officiating in the bowl games was very good and there were no
major issues. Each head coach was asked to evaluate the crew. To date we
have received 26 responses from the 70 coaches. Evaluations: Outstanding = 6,
Acceptable = 15, Unacceptable = 5.
Uniform
. Pre-Game jackets (if worn) must be solid black
. Caps: Black caps must have the traditional narrow white piping with no
additional white (other than the manufacturer’s logo). White caps must
be solid white, no black (other than the manufacturer’s logo).
. Bean Bags must be solid black
. DP Patch will not be worn in the future
Media conversations with officials Several coordinators expressed very
serious concern about reports of active officials being quoted by the news
media in connection with bowl team tendencies and other information. Such
behavior by officials is highly unprofessional. A strong statement about such
conduct has been posted to the CFO/Arbiter web site.
Committee Reports
TECHNOLOGY Chair Jim Jackson (OVC) led the group through a discussion of the
content calendar of videos, tests etc., for the CFO/Arbiter web site. The calendar will be
posted as soon as feasible.
INSTANT REPLAY Chair Carollo initiated a discussion about time expiring on the game
clock at the end of the half when it should stop at the end of the down. The principal
question revolved around whether the IR official should have the exact time restored or
if there should be some minimum time below which the clock would be allowed to
expire. The group asked Redding to take the issue to the rules committee, which is
where ultimate authority resides.
NOTE: In its meetings the following week the rules committee directed that the
exact time be restored to the clock.
MECHANICS Chair Shaw reported that the committee is working with Jeff Stern at
Referee Enterprises (publisher of the mechanics manual) to change the template and
update the content of the manual. Stern said that the coordinators would be allowed to
access portions of the manual electronically so that communications to officials,
coaches, etc., could be enhanced regarding the mechanics. The committee will be
working on this in the coming months.
Officiating Philosophies
Ken Rivera (MWC) led the group in a discussion to refine the officiating
philosophies. Several of these were edited and will be included in the revised
mechanics manual.
Players’ Helmets Coming Off
Ty Halpin reviewed the data regarding helmets coming off as kept by the on-field
officials during the year. The group discussed a possible rules change that would require
that a player sit out the next down if his helmet comes off through play other than due
to a foul.
NOTE: The rules committee adopted such a rule to take effect in 2012.
Future Meetings
National Instant Replay Conference
(For IROs and Referees)
Chicago O’Hare Marriott
May 25-26, 2012
CFO Coordinators 2012 Summer Meeting
(Big 12 and Conference-USA)
San Antonio
June 3-5, 2012
CFO Coordinators 2013 Winter Meeting
National Football Foundation, Irving TX
January 27-29, 2013
CFO Coordinators 2013 Summer Meeting
Arbiter Sports
Park City, UT
June 2-4, 2013
--Rogers Redding
CFO National Coordinator