SCFOA Mechanics Manual

5-Man Crew - April 9, 2026

2026 Mechanics Changes

2026 Mechanics Points of Emphasis

 

This manual was developed to incorporate the South Carolina Football Officials Association (SCFOA) supplement into the National Federation Officials Manual. The mechanics as written by the National Federation are followed in general. However, SCFOA has adopted different coverage and responsibilities for specific situations that are described herein. A great deal of time and effort has gone into the development of the lists, checks and keys, and movements to employ during the course of a game. The duties and mechanics which have been used by veteran officials to properly communicate information and cover unusual situations are contained in this document. Also included as a separate document, is a skeleton for 7-man mechanics, which are used in semifinals and championship games, and any other significant games as determined by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL). For those games, specific responsibilities and coverage’s are highlighted during the pre-game conference. The mechanics are very similar to 5-man mechanics. However the Field Judge and Side Judge share responsibilities normally handled solely by the Back Judge. These are the official mechanics and procedures, which have been adopted by the SCFOA for use in football games in South Carolina. No deviation or change should be used when you’re officiating football games in South Carolina. Recommendations for modifications and/or changes should be made to your local District Director and forwarded to the Vice President of SCFOA, who will then make recommendations to the Commissioner of Officials and the Board of Directors for approval before implementation. SCFOA Board of Directors

 

4-Man Crew - March 21, 2016

7-Man Crew - April 13, 2023

Responsibilities by Position

Responsibilities by Position

R

Referee

All duties for the Referee across all game situations.
U

Umpire

All duties for the Umpire across all game situations.
H

Linesman

All duties for the Linesman across all game situations.
L

Line Judge

All duties for the Line Judge across all game situations.
B

Back Judge

All duties for the Back Judge across all game situations.
E

ECO

All duties for the Electronic Clock Operator across all game situations.

Basic Philosophy and Principles

NFHS football rules are designed to ensure fair, safe, and sportsmanlike competition while prohibiting unnecessary roughness and unfair tactics.

Officials are responsible for enforcing both the letter and spirit of the rules consistently and promptly.

Mastery of the rules is essential and requires:

  • Constant study and review.
  • Use of resources such as the Case Book, Handbook, rule interpretations, and training materials.
  • Participation in meetings and passing rules/mechanics exams.

Effective officiating depends on more than rule knowledge:

  • Understanding human behavior and managing emotions of players, coaches, and crowds.
  • Demonstrating leadership, composure, and control in high-pressure situations.
  • Maintaining strong physical conditioning and proper positioning.
  • Developing “football sense” and sound judgment.

Quick, confident decision-making is critical:

  • Calls must be made instantly and communicated clearly.
  • Hesitation undermines credibility and game control.
  • Confidence leads to greater acceptance of decisions.

Core traits of a successful official:

  • Courage to make difficult calls regardless of game situation or external pressure.
  • Consistency and fairness in enforcing rules.
  • Dedication and strong work ethic.

Player safety is the top priority:

  • No compromise in penalizing infractions that threaten safety.
  • Officials who fail to enforce rules properly are unqualified.

Preventive officiating is encouraged:

  • Use communication and presence to stop fouls before they occur.
  • Examples include:
    • Pre-game discussions with coaches.
    • Ensuring proper player counts and positioning.
    • Warning players to avoid late hits or unsportsmanlike behavior.
    • Using verbal cues (“That’s enough,” “Don’t hit him”) and whistle control.

 

General Reminders

Strong communication among the officiating crew is essential for smooth game management.

  • Coordination with the timekeeper, clock operator, and line-to-gain crew is critical.
  • Pre-game meetings ensure all parties understand signals and procedures, especially end-of-period/game situations.
  • The Linesman is responsible for briefing the chain crew.

Assistant personnel (clock operator, chain crew) are part of the officiating team and contribute to efficient game administration.

Proper use of official signals is vital:

  • Signals are the primary way to communicate decisions to coaches, players, and fans.
  • They must be clear, standardized, and executed properly.
  • Poor or unauthorized signals create confusion and reduce credibility.

Professional appearance impacts authority and game control:

  • Clean, properly fitted uniforms promote respect and acceptance of decisions.
  • Sloppy appearance undermines credibility.

Physical fitness is critical for effective officiating:

  • Officials must move quickly, maintain stamina, and stay mentally alert.
  • Good conditioning, proper rest, and nutrition are important.
  • Poor fitness can lead to missed calls and reduced confidence from participants.

Officials should present an athletic, professional image and be able to “hustle” throughout the game.

Use of replay or television review is restricted:

  • Only allowed under State Association guidelines, typically for playoff or championship games.
    • Encouraging captains to manage team behavior.

Preventive actions must be balanced:

  • Officials can guide and warn but should not overstep or interfere with live play.

Overall goal: maintain a safe, controlled, and smoothly run game through knowledge, judgment, communication, and consistent enforcement.

Official Uniform and Equipment

All officials are required to wear the uniform described below. Uniforms should fit properly, be clean and neat and must be worn in all varsity, JV, B, and Jr. High contests.

  • A black and white, vertically striped, long or short sleeved knit shirt. SCFOA’s exclusively custom sublimated shirt, featuring a special 2 1/4" stripe pattern with wide black side panels. The U.S. flag is dyed right above the pocket, and the SCFOA logo is seamlessly dyed into the shirt on the right sleeve. Your shirt should be made of moisture-wicking and anti-microbial fabric. All field officials in a given game are to wear the same type shirt. The shirt shall be tucked into the pants.
  • Standard, black pants with 1 ¼ " white stripe.
  • Solid black socks.
  • Officials may wear solid black football official shoes with black laces, or black football official shoes with a white manufacturer's logo and white on the midsole, with black laces. Shoes should be polished before the pre-game meeting.
  • A black shirt shall be worn under the game shirt at all times. The shirt shall also be tucked into the pants.
  • A black baseball cap with white piping is required. For the purpose of identification, the Referee shall wear a solid white baseball cap. Hats must be fitted.
  • A black leather belt 1 ¼ to 2 inches wide, with a plain buckle shall be worn. A similar black elastic belt may also be worn.
  • A black and white vertically striped jacket is part of the uniform when appropriate. When patches are worn on the jacket they should be located as follows: The Shrine Bowl patch is to be worn on the right sleeve and the North-South All-Star patch on the left sleeve. Each patch should be attached approximately two inches below the intersection of the shoulder seam and the sleeve inset seam of the jacket with the patches centered below the point of intersection. The SCFOA patch is to be attached over the left breast area.
  • Assigned ECO’s shall wear khakis and a solid colored shirt with a collar. For state final playoff games the assigned ECO may elect to wear the same game uniform as the field officials.
  • Radios MAY be used during games with consensus of the crew to assist in communication. Male grooming standards shall always promote a professional appearance and shall conform to the following:
  • Hair must be of a natural color, neatly trimmed, not touching the shirt collar, or extending over the ears. Hair arrangements may be worn, but not visible from underneath the officials’ hat.
  • Officials wearing only a mustache must conform to the following standards: The mustache must be neatly trimmed and shall not extend below the edge of the lip, nor extend beyond the edge of the mouth. Fu Manchu, handlebar, walrus, or any other type of mustache that may not be considered professional in appearance may not be worn.
  • Facial hair, such as full beards or classic-style goatees, may be worn. These must always be neatly trimmed and not exceed 1/2-inch in length. Patchy, spotty, or clumps of hair which do not promote a professional appearance are not allowed. Beards or goatees shall be fully grown one week prior to Week Zero and meet your District Director’s approval so as not to be questionable at the start of the season. Facial hair shall not extend below the Adam’s apple area of the neck. Female grooming standards shall conform to the following:
  • Hair long enough to touch the shoulders should either be a ponytail neatly extending from cap or in a bun.
  • Hair should not touch the eyebrows.
  • Black hair accessories to hold hair in place is authorized.
  • Fingernails will be neatly trimmed and not 1/4 inches in length beyond the tip of the finger.
  • All nails should be a natural color without decorations.
  • Make-up should match skin complexion.
  • Lipstick should be a natural color. All officials must have the following equipment:
  • Black whistle.
  • Penalty marker made of light gold cloth approximately 15” by 15” with a middle pouch weighted with sand or beans, etc.
  • Game card and pencil.
  • Down number indicator.
  • Bean bag, which shall be either black-and-white striped, white, black, or blue. (No bright orange or other colors.) Pink may be utilized during the month of October. In addition, individual officials must have the following equipment:
  • Referee – a coin.
  • Umpire – a set of rubber bands or some device to track the location between the hash marks of the spot of the previous snap.
  • Linesman – two clipping devices.
  • Line Judge – an accurate watch for timing the game.
  • Back Judge – an accurate watch for timing time-outs and the 40/25 second play clock.
  • Back Judge – two bean bags, including a blue bean bag to mark the end of scrimmage kicks.

Mechanic Change Rationales

8.1 - RUNNING PLAYS: REFEREE POSITION

  • This establishes a uniform and consistent pre-snap positioning range for all Referees, which previously did not exist.

8.1 - RUNNING PLAYS: LINESMAN & LINE JUDGE (BALL TO OPPOSITE SIDE)

  • Addresses officials becoming spectators instead of actively officiating during and after the down.

8.1 - RUNNING PLAYS: LINESMAN & LINE JUDGE (BALL TO YOUR SIDE)

  • Encourages officials to move off the sideline, assist the Umpire, and improve dead-ball officiating.

8.2 - FORWARD PASS PLAYS: LINESMAN & LINE JUDGE (AFTER THE SNAP)

  • Prevents officials from remaining stationary and improves active coverage during passing plays. Improves secondary responsibility of identifying ineligible receivers downfield.

9.7 - PENALTY ENFORCEMENT: COMMUNICATION, UMPIRE & LINESMAN

  • Improves accuracy and communication, and promotes a professional appearance.

9.7 - PENALTY ENFORCEMENT: LINE JUDGE

  • Formally adds recording device as approved equipment.

9.7 - PENALTY ENFORCEMENT: ALL OFFICIALS

• Aligns reporting responsibilities with Line Judge game administration duties.

2026 SCFOA Mechanics Points of Emphasis

POST-SCORE EFFICIENCY

  • Emphasis on getting teams back on the field promptly following the one-minute officials timeout following a try, successful field goal, or safety and prior to the succeeding free kick.

FACIAL HAIR / GROOMING STANDARDS

  • Reinforce male grooming standards.
  • Request that the President and District Directors send reminder emails, including before-and-after photo examples, statewide.

About the SCFOA

Founded in 1944 to provide a means of training and developing football officials and maintaining a booking office for varsity football officials, the South Carolina Football Officials Association has grown from the original 12 officials serving 4 high schools, to its present size of 700 officials serving 206 schools.

A basic rating system was developed in 1958 to assess each official. The rating system was incorporated into SCFOA's Constitution and By-laws in 1967 and is used today in assigning officials to varsity football games.

The rating system awards points to officials as follows:

Rules and Mechanics exam — 40%

SCFOA Credit (years of experience) — 15%

Fellow Officials Ratings — 25%,

District Classroom meetings and preseason scrimmages — 15%

Cooperation — 5%.

Coaches do not rate officials in this rating system.

All Officials

Pre-game responsibilities

  • Enter the field together 30 minutes before kickoff and meet first with the home coach, then the visiting coach.
  • Handle all interactions in a businesslike manner, since early performance and tempo set the tone for the game.

Free kicks (normal, after safety, and after fair catch)

  • Start the game clock when the kick is legally touched and maintain sideline coverage (except the Umpire).
  • Be alert for fair-catch signals, kill the clock and mark spots correctly on kicks out of bounds (bean bag if touched by R, flag if untouched).
  • After a safety, record score/time, assume normal kickoff positions, help with player alignment, and the Back Judge times the 60‑second interval.
  • On a free kick after a fair catch, get players properly positioned and, if the play fails and remains live, revert to normal free-kick coverage.

Scrimmage running plays

  • Keep the play boxed in, focus on the runner or your primary area, and whistle promptly when the ball is dead.
  • Before blowing the whistle, be sure the ball is dead and its location is known; on fumbles, bean-bag the spot, rule possession quickly, and signal properly based on who recovers.
  • On out-of-bounds plays, immediately signal timeout, hold the spot, never turn your back on the action, and other officials assist with ball readiness and substitution monitoring.
  • Use the proper dead-ball and start-the-clock signals for inbounds and near-sideline tackles, and be sure only the official who actually sees a touchdown signals it.

Field goal/try attempts and scoring records

  • Take proper positions once the tee comes on the field and be ready for returns on missed kicks.
  • Remind the crew that blocked field goals remain live and record period/time/score whenever a team scores.

Game administration (coin toss, halftime, end of game)

  • After the coin toss, regroup for final instructions, record 2nd-half choice, then hustle to kickoff positions and clear sidelines.
  • At halftime, leave together, meet privately if possible, review overtime, return at least 5 minutes early, ensure the 3‑minute warm-up is posted, and be on time for the second-half kickoff.
  • After the game, leave together, avoid on-field postgame commentary, assist with the game card, promptly enter penalty data into Arbiter, and report disqualifications or irregularities to the League/SCHSL.

Penalty enforcement mechanics

  • On live-ball fouls, drop the flag on the correct yard line, keep officiating, then after the ball is dead, whistle, signal timeout, and give several short blasts to alert the crew.
  • Do not leave the dead-ball spot until released; verbally report all details (team, number, type of foul, spot, ball status, clock status) to the Referee with no visible signal.
  • On dead-ball fouls, whistle and toss the flag into the air, then follow normal dead-ball foul reporting.
  • Help find captains, recover flags/ball, ensure proper enforcement, record fouls on the game card, and avoid casual conversation during enforcement.
  • For disqualifying fouls, inform the player and coach, stress that disqualification is for the rest of the game, do not physically escort the player, and make sure the incident is documented and reported to the League.

Timeouts and injury timeouts

  • Echo timeout signals, record time/period/remaining time-outs, limit field attendants, stay alert and professional, and confine conversation to captains.
  • Do not touch injured players during injury timeouts.

Clock starting/stopping and play clock basics

  • Stop and start the game clock strictly by rule, echo other officials’ signals, and apply sub‑varsity “ready-for-play” start rules and 2:00 exceptions.
  • Correct erroneous stops by restarting the clock immediately when discovered.
  • Use the 40/25‑second play clock as required, including proper reset signals (one hand for 25, two hands for 40) and end‑of‑down mechanics (dead-ball vs. timeout signals and silent wind when line-to-gain is reached).

Sideline plays and whistle mechanics

  • On inbounds dead balls within 2–3 yards of the sideline, give the start-the-clock signal with two arm turns; if a first down is gained, follow with a timeout signal, and have other officials echo.
  • Always locate the ball before whistling, blow the whistle loudly, move in quickly to stop action, and use several short blasts after a down with a live-ball foul to alert the crew.

Inadvertent whistle procedures

  • Treat the ball as dead immediately when an inadvertent whistle sounds.
  • Determine next down and spot based on ball location/status at the whistle and mark that spot with a bean bag.

Bean bag usage

  • Use the bean bag to mark enforcement-related spots such as: first touching of a kick, momentum exception catches, last resort out-of-bounds spots, fumbles, certain backward passes, end of scrimmage kicks, and last possession on an inadvertent whistle.
  • Remember it is an aid, not always an absolute reference point.

Penalty flag usage

  • Use the flag to mark the yard line of observed fouls, dropping or tossing it based on foul type and situation.
  • Toss the flag into the air for dead-ball fouls and sideline warnings; drop it on the correct yard line for live-ball fouls while continuing to officiate without whistling.
  • The official who throws the flag must alert the crew so chains do not move early, and another official should cover the flag or dead-ball spot as needed.

Special situations and game management

  • In altercations, first try to stop the initial conflict; if not possible, step back and record players’ numbers and personnel involved while coaches help restore order.
  • Help the Referee monitor and correct timing errors by noting clock status during dead-ball intervals and watching closely if clock issues recur.

Mercy Rule Clock Table

SCFOA Mercy Rule Running Clock Scenarios. The new mercy rule adopted by the SCHSL allows the game clock to continue to run when it would otherwise be stopped by way of an official's timeout.

 

  • Officials Time Out Situation Chart

  • Other Game Situations Chart

Notes on the SCHSL Mercy Rule

The mercy rule goes into effect once the point differential reaches 42 points at any point in the second half.

 

  • Once the mercy rule is in effect, the timing rules will remain in effect for the remainder of the game, even if the point differential falls below 42 points.

 

  • The mercy rule is automatically in effect once the point differential is reached, but periods may also be shortened with the approval of both coaches and the Referee.