Mechanics
Crew card
This document provides a printable crew card for 5-man crews for use during the season. Click here to view the document.
For 6-man crews, please use this card. Click here to view the document.
Updated August 21, 2024
Read Article ⇒2024 Virtual Training Video
OHSAA Films created a virtual training video for football. It is approximately 43 minutes in length.
Updated August 18, 2024
Read Article ⇒2024 OHSAA Gold Book: Approved Football Officiating Mechanics, Regulations & Standards Handbook
The 2024 OHSAA Gold Book can be viewed by clicking here.
Read Article ⇒2024 Non-Kick Mechanics Presentation
This presentation covers the proper mechanics for non-kick plays, and is updated for the 2024 season. It contains mechanics for 4 and 5 man crews. Click here for the presentation.
Updated: August 9, 2024
Read Article ⇒2024 Kick Mechanics Presentation
This presentation, updated for the 2024 season, covers the proper mechanics for kick plays. It contains mechanics for 4 and 5 man crews. Click here for the presentation.
Updated August 9, 2024
Read Article ⇒10 Teaching Stations for Football
This document outlines 10 teaching stations for learning the mechanics of football officiating.
Click here to view the document.
Updated August 8, 2024
Read Article ⇒Mechanics By Position - Wings
The Mechanics By Position documents focus on the Gold Book mechanics for each position. This document is updated for the 2024 season.
Click here to view the Mechanics By Position for Wings.
Updated August 7, 2024
Read Article ⇒Mechanics By Position - Umpire
The Mechanics By Position documents focus on the Gold Book mechanics for each position. This document is updated for the 2024 season.
Click here to view the Mechanics By Position for Umpires.
Updated August 7, 2024
Read Article ⇒Mechanics By Position - Referee and Center Judge
The Mechanics By Position documents focus on the Gold Book mechanics for each position. This document is updated for the 2024 season.
Click here to view the Mechanics By Position for Referee and Center Judge
Updated August 7, 2024
Read Article ⇒Mechanics By Position - Back Judge
The Mechanics By Position documents focus on the Gold Book mechanics for each position. This document is updated for the 2024 season.
Click here to view the Mechanics By Position for Back Judges.
Updated August 7, 2024
Read Article ⇒Penalty Report
This document provides a printable penalty report for use during the season. Click here to view the document.
Updated August 3, 2024
Read Article ⇒Officials Clock Info Cards and Game/Play Clock Timer and Point Differential Card
These cards provide information on the game clock, play clock and point differential rule, for timers and officials alike.
Click here to view the Game Clock and Point Differential Discussion card for Timers - 4 x 6.
Click here to view the Game Clock and Point Differential Discussion sheet for Timers - 8 x 11.
Click here to view the Play Clock card for Officials - 4 x 6.
Click here to view the Play Clock sheet for Officials - 8.5 x 11.
Updated August 2, 2024
Read Article ⇒HL Instructions for Line to Gain Crews
This document provides instructions for the HL in working with the Line To Gain (LTG) crews. Click here to view the document.
Updated August 2, 2024
Read Article ⇒Pregame Meeting Outline
Gene Mileusnich put together an excellent pregame meeting outline. It is recommended you look at it to see if it will help your crew.
Click here to view the pregame outline.
Updated July 31, 2024
Read Article ⇒Mechanics By Position - Center Judge
This mechanics document focuses on the Gold Book mechanics for the Center Judge position, used on crews with 6 officials.
Click here to view the Center Judge Mechanics document - 6 officials.
Updated July 30, 2024
Read Article ⇒Penalty Report
A printable penalty report for tracking penalties.
Click here to view the penalty report.
Updated August 9, 2023.
Read Article ⇒NFHS Standard Penalty Summary -- Referee Signals
This presentation summarizes the signals required for Referees.
Click here to view the NFHS Standard Penalty Summary – Referee Signals presentation.
Updated July 16, 2022.
Read Article ⇒Curriculum for 5 Meetings
This curriculum is intended for 1st year, 2nd year and transfer officials. These meetings are a “bridge” between the OHSAA FB Classes & Local Association Meetings – an in depth study & learning of 4 Man Mechanics & the requisite “fundamentals” (whistle, flag, etc.) that we all need to learn.
Click here to view the curriculum.
Read Article ⇒Officiating History: The Striped Shirt
This article is a guest post by Jerry Peters, an OHSAA football official. Enjoy!
Have you ever wondered where the items we wear on the field came from, specifically the striped shirt?
The striped shirt we all wear today was developed in 1921 by Dr. Lloyd Olds. Dr. Olds officiated high school and college football and basketball in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Officials wore white shirts & black bow ties.
During a college football game in 1920 Arizona was playing Michigan State. The Arizona Quarterback handed the ball to Dr. Olds by accident (Arizona was wearing white jerseys). Realizing this mistake could easily be repeated; Dr. Olds worked with a local sporting goods store to develop a shirt to set officials apart from players on the field. Thus the striped shirt was born. The idea actually came to Olds when he was watching a soccer game. They were wearing striped shirts which set them apart from the opposing team.
The stripe shirt made its debut in 1921 when Dr. Olds wore it during a Detroit high school basketball championship game.
By Jerry Peters
Read Article ⇒Mechanics - Brief and Concise
The Brief and Concise Mechanics document contains the Gold Book mechanics for 4 and 5 man crews, but in a concise, easy-to-read format. It is an excellent reference to quickly review before a game or if you are working a new position.
Click here to view the Brief and Concise Mechanics.
Read Article ⇒The Penalty Flag's History...Did You Know?
This article is a guest post by Jerry Peters, an OHSAA football official. Enjoy!
“Field laundry”, “the yellow rag” or my favorite “a referee’s hanky” these are all nick-names of the yellow penalty flag each Zebra of the gridiron carries at least one of for every game. But just where did the penalty flag come from? The idea for the penalty flag came from Youngstown State football coach Dwight Beede. It was first used in a game against Oklahoma City University on October 17, 1941. However, official adoption of the use of the flag occurred at the 1948 American Football Coaches rules session. In the NFL, NCAA, Arena, high school and flag football the penalty flag is yellow. In Canada the penalty flag used by officials is orange. Until 1965 most penalty flags were white in color, in college penalty flags were red until the mid-1970’s. Prior to the use of flags in 1941 for the game at Yougstown State officials normally used only whistles and horns to signal a penalty had occurred. It wasn’t until September 17, 1948 that NFL officials used flags when the Green Bay Packers played the Boston Yanks. In today’s game NFL and Arena coaches use red flags to challenge rule interpretations.
The cloth is weighted with either beans or sand. Prior to 1999 BBs were also used by some manufacturers to weight the yellow cloth. This was discontinued after an incident in where a thrown flag hit a player in the eye in an NFL game. The injury left the player sitting out for three seasons.
So this season when you reach down to throw your flag… remember the flag has a long history and it all started right here in Ohio in a little town named Youngstown and it was a coach not an official who first thought of it!
By Jerry Peters
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