My biggest gripe yesterday with the officials was about something that for some reason has not even cropped up in high school football until about the last five years, and now that it has, we see it half a dozen times a year. I am referring to this annoying habit of the officials PICKING UP THE BALL and carrying it across the field or handing it from one to the other after a close play, and THEN deciding to measure for a first down!
That blows my mind. Surely it is Officiating 101 that after an obviously close run or pass, somebody spots the ball and not only leaves it where the hell it is, but I have even seen refs hold it down to make sure the wind doesn't alter it until they can measure. Am I right or am I making a mountain out of a molehill?
The other things you guys are mentioning are going to be missed occasionally in any game because there are sooooooo many things to watch while the ball is in play. But the thing I am talking about is inexcusable to me because the ball is dead at that point and they only have that one issue (first down or not?) to focus on.
Does this happen all across the state or have we just been "lucky" to see it as many times as we have?