Accountability of Official on Late QB Hit in Smyrna-Penn Game

[youjustme]

Watched very late hit (vicious push) on Smyrna QB late in the 2nd quarter in the Smyrna-Penn game. I erased a lengthy, detailed, description of the NFHS video, and more revealing, the Hudl video of the play. I realized that etiquette suggests that I shouldn't do that. I will say, however, that since player safety is the responsibility of the officials, DIAA should excuse one official from the State Championships. That's as generic a comment I can make after some time to cool off.

 

[ravensrooster2]

I saw it live.. It was a very late hit

 

[Throwbackjack]

It is unfortunate that it appears that the majority of officials in Delaware seem to either be retired or partially disabled and can't seem to get up and down the field to be in place to make the correct calls on obvious plays. Not only does this affect the outcome of games but also puts players at risk of injury. I did not see the late hit, but have seen several hits "behind the play" that should have been called if the official were positioned correctly. I know it is a thankless job, but there should be some minimum fitness standard to make sure these guys are in the right position to make calls.

 

[fanoffootball123]

I'm not sure how the playoffs work but during the regular season as a coach you can red flag certain referees if you don't want them to work your games. When I coached we did it once to a side judge that was horrible and always seemed to miss calls in our games. If I was Smyrna I would contact DIAA and make sure that the ref in question is absolutely not working the championship game. I missed the hit on Henderson as I was looking downfield. Just glad the kid is OK.


The upstate officials need to do a better job. I've never been impressed with them as a group and most of them are very unapproachable during the game. We wanted to send video to them once but our AD wouldn't let us. If I was Smyrna I would send the video of the hit considering the kid had to be taken to the hospital. The safety of the kids is always first and foremost and obviously there was a breakdown on Saturday.

And before someone tells me "hey fan if you think you can do a better job then you go officiate". I don't want to be an official and never have. If I did I would do my best to make the correct and fair calls. They do get paid. I would take constructive criticism and be accountable if I screwed up. And for the record there are some very good officials in Delaware but as a whole I think they are below average.

 

[youjustme]

It wasn't even a tackle, which sometimes can be excused due to momentum. This was a hard push well after the ball had been released. The player had his head up and looking at the QB well before the hit. The fact that he pushed the QB into another players so hard is what caused the problem. With the exception of NFL's Suh and a few other times, I'd be hard pressed to find a more deliberate foul that was outside of normal play dynamics as this incident. A college or pro player would have been ejected (pro-and fined) on the spot given the time between the hit and the release of the ball, the vicious unnatural aspect of the assault, and the resulting injury. Of course, I don't believe that the result of an action should affect the interpretation of the action. The violation speaks for itself. That one official was looking directly at it the entire time and failed to make a call is egregious and warrants an immediate investigation.

 

[oldskool42]

I saw the hit live, but the people i was with missed it because just as he threw the ball, most people obviously followed the ball. For some reason my slow brain continued watching the QB i guess. But it was late and was a very hard push that was clearly late in my opinion. I could see if the player had bumped or ran into him maybe to give him something to think about or even if he was continuing a tackle but like it was mentioned, the kid kept coming and with his head up made the decision to take him out. I'm not saying it was dirty, i will give the kid credit and just say it was a last second bad decision. But it was clearly a penalty, how did a ref miss it? And i don't see how the ref would have been out of position because he was old that ref should have been behind the play looking for that play amongst other violations.

 

[SCash]

If you think you can do a better job Google northern Delaware Football Officials and it will give you information so that you guys can go and upgrade our state football officials. I am sure you could do a better job and they are always in need.
Coached for almost 20 years and lived in the game almost my whole life and took the class. 7/8 know more than you will ever know about the game and it is way harder than it looks. Things on the field move faster, they have to make split second decisions, and sometimes things are nearly as obvious as they appear. You also need to know what official is responsible for what calls because that makes a difference too. There is a lot to know about officiating a game. Not to say they are all perfect because they are not. But if you can do better step up.

 

[youjustme]

OS42, In the Hudl video, which has a wider angle to show the position of the referee (white hat) and the play together, it is clear that he is both in position and looking in the direction of the late hit. The side ref turned his head to follow the ball so even though he was closest to the play, it is understandable that he missed the infraction. I don't know the motivation for the non-call so I just hope it is used for training purposes if nothing else...and he sits out this coming week to emphasis the gravity of his omission. Also, if that were my son making that bad decision, he and I would have a problem and I'd expect his coach to "discuss" the situation with him as well. That's being kind in wording. I won't post a clip of it because a) I don't know how to do that, b) I don't want to publicize the offending player because I know he comes from good stock and coaching, and as mentioned, just made a poor decision, and c) if enough people saw it with their own eyes, it would have an even more negative impact on that team, coaches, and officials as well. It is just that blatant and I know Coach Dooley would not condone such tactics...and I mean that (not being sarcastic or anything).

 

[oldskool42]

SCASH...thanks for your opinion. I have coached and reffed, so i think i understand that its not easy.

BUT...it was missed and obvious...so therefore thats why it is being discussed...THE END

 

[fanoffootball123]

A kid had to take a ride in an ambulance (due to a possible late hit) and no call was made . I think that's a big deal.

To some just saying "if you can do better then sign up" is OK. Complete BS. Protect the kids and do your damn job. That way of thinking is why nothing ever gets better in Delaware. Played a game in Jersey about 10 years ago and besides the officials on the field, they had another set of officials on the sidelines. They were there to grade the officials on the field. Wow! What an idea. It will take Delaware another 25 years to figure that out. And you can bet the guys on the field won't like it. They'll probably say "if you guys can do better than us then sign up".

And I agree it's not easy. But you need to protect the kids if nothing else.

 

[FrankCrum]

the ref should've called it, no question and should be held accountable for missing a call. However, calling it or not, the hit still happened and the ref shouldn't be blamed for the late hit itself. That falls squarely on the player that made that hit. A flag being thrown won't take away a dirty play, no matter how much we with it did.

 

[DENative]

I'm not here to attack officials...as I'm sure there are plenty of well qualified ones out there. However, SCash, I think you're missing youjustme's point. He's not complaining about missed holding and/or interference calls. He's talking about protecting these players. It seems to be paramount in the NFL and NCAA levels but not in the HS games that I've seen. Maybe I'm wrong but that task falls on the officials. I know a handful of officials and I know how it is "on the inside." I also know that several ref's had never stepped on the field as a player. You do realize that teams try to take key players out of games...I'd hope officials are not that naive to think otherwise . Although, no official can stop that, they can emphasize player safety by calling personal foul penalties and taking action to deter this activity. I would hope that they're just missing calls and it's not intentional...I don't know at this point when I see videos, and the ref's appear to be staring right at the play. I'd love to sit down w/you or someone from your organization and/or the DIAA and go over some Hudl videos of my son taking hits all year. He has taken approximately 10-12 late hits this year with a majority of them resulting in no flag. Keep in mind that his team has played 12 games but he's sat 10 quarters of those contests. I can forward you the videos if you'd like. Explain to me how earlier this season a kid takes two steps, wraps up a QB after he's followed through from a throw, and drives him into the ground six feet from the ref. Watch the video from Saturday and give me your "professional" opinion on that hit. You'll see the ref right there in the frame. For you see, I missed the 2nd half of the Smy/WP game because I left in the back of an ambulance with my son who was transported to Christiana Hospital, strapped to a backboard. The last time we took an ambulance ride was a few years ago when he was horse collared in an open field as he ran for the end zone...again, no call. So, I'll gladly fill out your application when you justify your organization's purpose and policies on player safety. I can only speak for my son, but it doesn't appear that his health/well-being is in anyone's best interest. And, yes, I have a problem with that! I have a problem when three(3) referees have a conference to see if anyone saw a late hit on my son as I unscrew his face mask from his helmet on the field Saturday. I also have a problem when a referee laughs in front of me on the field as my son gets strapped to a backboard...that'll be a topic for another time.

 

[Ikeyfbst2]

I can't begin to tell you the number of late hits I have seen that were not called. I have seen every team do it and I have seen a number of officials miss it. What is being described here is something I have seen at least a dozen times, it is almost as if the ref is unable to process what they just saw. I don't know if it is disbelief or denial, but each time I have been amazed by it. One thing I know, is that finding good officials is becoming an increasingly difficult task. The DIAA will need to address this prior to next season, I believe this to be a growing problem.

 

[Tink1976]

As a Downstate official, I must say I agree with most of the comments I am reading...finding good officials is a major problem...year in and year out we are getting older. ..I am 39 and one of the younger guys...we actually discussed fitness in one our latest meetings...unfortunately there wouldn't be enough officials to let these kids play on Friday nights if we had a fitness test...on the other hand we do take common sense into account...that can make up for some fitness issues but not all. The play being discussed seems to me like the Referee (whose call roughing the passer would be) must of took eyes off the QB which is a big mistake, the umpire may have seen it but was probably focused on the line. If upstate does anything like downstate....a different crew will have the D1 championship. We try to put the most experienced and highest rated offcials for the championship game. All in all it is a thankless job but I wouldn't change a minute of it, please keep it respectful and I will give you the best I have. Best of luck to the 4 teams this weekend!

 

[runningman12001]

According to the official DIAA football program only one official assigned to Saturday's William Penn vs. Smyrna semi-final has been selected to officiate in the final.

 

[Uncle Bumfuzzled]

the ref should've called it, no question and should be held accountable for missing a call. However, calling it or not, the hit still happened and the ref shouldn't be blamed for the late hit itself. That falls squarely on the player that made that hit. A flag being thrown won't take away a dirty play, no matter how much we with it did.

I'm not here to attack officials...as I'm sure there are plenty of well qualified ones out there. However, SCash, I think you're missing youjustme's point. He's not complaining about missed holding and/or interference calls. He's talking about protecting these players. It seems to be paramount in the NFL and NCAA levels but not in the HS games that I've seen. Maybe I'm wrong but that task falls on the officials. I know a handful of officials and I know how it is "on the inside." I also know that several ref's had never stepped on the field as a player. You do realize that teams try to take key players out of games...I'd hope officials are not that naive to think otherwise . Although, no official can stop that, they can emphasize player safety by calling personal foul penalties and taking action to deter this activity. I would hope that they're just missing calls and it's not intentional...I don't know at this point when I see videos, and the ref's appear to be staring right at the play. I'd love to sit down w/you or someone from your organization and/or the DIAA and go over some Hudl videos of my son taking hits all year. He has taken approximately 10-12 late hits this year with a majority of them resulting in no flag. Keep in mind that his team has played 12 games but he's sat 10 quarters of those contests. I can forward you the videos if you'd like. Explain to me how earlier this season a kid takes two steps, wraps up a QB after he's followed through from a throw, and drives him into the ground six feet from the ref. Watch the video from Saturday and give me your "professional" opinion on that hit. You'll see the ref right there in the frame. For you see, I missed the 2nd half of the Smy/WP game because I left in the back of an ambulance with my son who was transported to Christiana Hospital, strapped to a backboard. The last time we took an ambulance ride was a few years ago when he was horse collared in an open field as he ran for the end zone...again, no call. So, I'll gladly fill out your application when you justify your organization's purpose and policies on player safety. I can only speak for my son, but it doesn't appear that his health/well-being is in anyone's best interest. And, yes, I have a problem with that! I have a problem when three(3) referees have a conference to see if anyone saw a late hit on my son as I unscrew his face mask from his helmet on the field Saturday. I also have a problem when a referee laughs in front of me on the field as my son gets strapped to a backboard...that'll be a topic for another time.

What parent wouldn't be upset with what you experienced at Wm Penn.(assuming the portrayals thus far have been accurate),
----------------------
The game is not played in a vacuum. What kind of sportsmanship was shown by both sides throughout the game. Penn has won a DIAA sportsmanship award like 18 straight years. Smyrna was a recipient last year.

There should be no trash talking allowed from get go. Late hits happen - and should be called as such- but if officials let kids mouth off it lets them believe it is acceptable or maybe better said creates an environment of unsportsmanlike conduct. Kids will push the limits as is human nature. This environment takes over as opposed to the officials.

( I don't expect kids to be emotionless clones. You can have intense rivalries and good sportsmanship). I don't expect officials to catch everything but most importantly they have to maintain a safe environment. Our officials despite some aging are pretty damn good.

Kevin and Tom need to lay down the law this week to the coaches of all 4 teams.

Bummy is rarely serious so forgive me. Now back to being a clown.

 

[SCash]

I get the point. At the end of the day, the flag doesn't save that kid on that play. Thankfully, he looks like he will be okay. Those refs were dropping 15 yd flags all over the field so they weren't shy about getting the game and kids under control. Also the refs aren't rewatching it on video either. Again my point of watching it live and fast and having to make a split second decision. If you think the ref doesn't look at a kid getting taken out on a backboard and stretcher and wish he could rewatch the play and rethink his miss or decision you are crazy. Being an official is a thankless job as Tink points out. The best officials they have are reffing the big games and my point is if you can do better get out there.

 

[DENative]

SCash, I'm going to take the high road and not comment any further on things that I've learned, but please look me up at any Smyrna game because I have several more questions about the officiating process..like what rating process is used, for starters.

 

[oldskool42]

DENative...thoughts and prayers for you and your family and a complete recovery for your son. Good luck this weekend.

 

[DENative]

Thank you OS42! Saturday's quickly approaching, but hopefully he's cleared to play.

 

[linesmanmp]

I officiate downstate as well. Tink and I were part of the Middletown vs. Sallies crew. I will tell you from 19 years of experience, there is no worse feeling then seeing a player seriously injured. It's heartbreaking. Late hits on a player, for the most part, but not always, are from to much momentum and very rarely intended to be deliberately dirty. They still deserve a flag though if late, and if deemed deliberate, an ejection. A referee's (the white hat) number one job is to protect the QB and kicker. Period. An experienced crew can nip dirty play in the bud early with good preventive officiating before and early in the game. But it all starts with the coaches. They set the tone for a disciplined and respectful team. The players and fans look to the coaches to lead. Good luck to all teams this weekend and I will say this season I've seen more great sportsmanship then I've seen in a long time.

 

[Uncle Bumfuzzled]

Thanks for making my point a lot better than I did.

 

[Jawnsky]

"Late hits on a player, for the most part, but not always, are from to much momentum and very rarely intended to be deliberately dirty. They still deserve a flag though if late, and if deemed deliberate, an ejection."
.....waited several days to weigh in on this and have looked at it from all possible angles etc. All agree it was late (very late). I am just glad that others (even a ref) do recognize that sometimes it is a clear cut deliberate attempt to take a player out. I will not get into whether or not that was the case but I will say that if you look at what took place after the play and has transpired since Saturday through other venues....it was absolutely a hit that could have been avoided.

@fan123.......you mentioned wanting to send film in etc and AD prevented that....that's where an AD needs to either stay the hell out of it or have his programs back....that's BS....I have heard of this happening way too many times.

 

[DEFENSEREST]

The officiating selection in Delaware is a joke and so are SOME of the officials. Its all about who you know or the "Good Ole Boys Club". Some of those guys have no business being out there they are so old they cant see , they cant run , and just arent physically fit to ref the game. You cant be an official and just expect to make calls standing still . I personally know a few officials and they said exactly what I am saying it doesnt matter how good or bad of an official you are its who you know a CLIQUE sad but true. Only the best should be doing these playoff games and championships not because you been officiating for 15-20 years . Only ones its hurting is the kids . We are all human and refs are going to miss calls thats just life but at least have the best ones out there the best qualified an best fit

 

[DENative]

I agree 100% DR as you touched on some things I didn't want to mention, but know first hand. I can only hope that the DIAA steps in and addresses this. And no, that was not a sarcastic remark.

 

[youjustme]

@Jawnsky, "it was absolutely a hit that could have been avoided"... Actually, it was a violent shove well after the play that not only could have been avoided but represented a deliberate action. I no longer feel compelled to "sugar coat" this assault. Since that team's season is over and the offending player is a senior, the only recourse is a sanction on the referee, sanction on the player for postseason recognition, use of video for training purposes, or just throw hands up and say "Oh well, that's in the past".
@linesmanmp, I agree that this has been a year of great sportsmanship. The best I have seen in a while. Certainly something to feel good about. Shout out to the teams, players, and coaches who recognize what high school athletics is all about.

 

[runningman12001]

Refs struggled again today. Thankfully their decisions did not impact the final score. Great job by the Smyrna football team.