*TWEEEEEEEEEEET*
*TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET*
*TWEET*
An official raises their whistle toward their mouth and blows. To the untrained ear, it all sounds the same. What if I told you that the way you blow your whistle sends a message to everyone on the field? Would you believe that you can communicate faster and more effectively over larger distances? Tethered to that lanyard, that hollowed-out piece of plastic is the most powerful piece of equipment in your arsenal. Mastering it will allow you to control the pace and temperature of any game. There are 3 keys to using your whistle to communicate effectively: Length, Cadence, and Intensity.
LENGTH
The length of a tweet from a whistle will signify what an official is trying to do from an administrative standpoint. It either marks the start of something or the end of something. This seems vague, but here are a few examples:
Ready for Play Whistle
A “Ready for Play” whistle is a longer tweet designed to get everyone’s attention. In the case of a free kick, the whistle is a signal for the kicker to put the ball in play and alert both teams that the kick in imminent. Following a timeout, the whistle is a signal to both teams that a snap is imminent and is also a signal to the play clock operator to start their countdown.
Dead Ball Whistle
A “Dead Ball” whistle can be a short or a long whistle. The length of the tweet depends on how fast the teams recognize the end of a play. In most instances where the ball carrier is clearly tackled, without resistance, the tweet can be short. The purpose of it is to reiterate what is already known, the player is down by contact, and the play is over. A longer whistle is used to get the attention of the second wave of oncoming players toward the end of the play and slow them down.
The end of a period, half, or game is also signified by a longer tweet to grab the attention of everyone in the stadium.
CADENCE
The cadence, or the number of repetitions, of tweets from a whistle is used to alert or get the attention of players on the field. Short, quick bursts of the whistle are used to isolate and contain extra activity. Here are a couple instances where cadence of whistle comes into play:
Forward Progress Stopped/Gang Tackle Situations
A strong runner who gets stood up by a single tackler and loses forward momentum without going to the ground will warrant a moderate cadence whistle to end the play. A couple of tweets after the ball carrier loses their push will suffice. In the occurrence of a “gang tackle” situation where multiple defenders get hold of the same runner, a more urgent cadence is necessary to prevent a cheap turnover or the scrum from getting bigger when momentum is clearly stopped. In both situations, the cadence tells the players involved to ease up and alerts any potential on comers from jumping in from a distance.
Fouls
Presnap penalties, which require an official to stop a play before happening, is the proper use of quick, short bursts to get everyone’s attention and prevent the snap. The same cadence can be used when there is a live ball penalty to grab the attention of the officials on the field after the play is over. This especially helps the down judge/linesperson to alert the box man and/or chain crew to not move temporarily until everything is sorted out. It also grabs the eye of the referee to start the administration process.
INTENSITY
The intensity in which an official blows their whistle, communicates the level of urgency of any matter on the field. A subtle tweet or powerful blast echoes the temperature of the game and its participants. Intensity in conjunction with length or cadence can also speak volumes to the current demeanor of the official themselves.
A Chippy Rivalry
Rivalry games are great. There is history, familiarity, and bragging rights on the line. Balancing hard-nosed play with unnecessary roughness can be tough to do with just voices. A strong tweet game will limit extra curricular activity. Revisiting our “gang tackle” situation from earlier, the defense gets a hold of the ball carrier but this time the offense joins in the scrum and there is no movement. Whistles should be long, quick, and intense to grab everyone’s attention while every layer of that onion gets peeled off and players get back to their huddles.
Preventive Officiating
Sometimes officials need a loud whistle to let players know that their presence is there. A receiver and a defensive back have been tussling all game and tempers are starting to flair. This may be a good time to have a boastful tweet after a play followed by some words to redirect the focus of both players.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the whistle is a barrier breaking tool of communication when used correctly. How you tweet can say many things to everyone on the field about you as an official and the game itself. A controlled whistle is the mark of an official in control.
