2. CHANGES TO MECHANICS

This edition of the Manual of Football Officiating has been updated to add new material and to better organise what we already had. This edition is an update on the 19th edition that sets out to clarify and enhance existing mechanics and to introduce new ideas about football officiating. Major changes or new sections are marked by a box like this. New or modified text is marked in blue (grey when printed in monochrome).

The changes embodied in this edition have come from a number of sources, including:

2.1 - Major changes

The following is a list of the most important additions and changes:

Announce live-ball fouls before dead-ball ones 19.3.8.f
Brief punt returners on fair catch signals 8.2.10.e, 8.2.11.d
Brief QBs and kickers on play clock 8.2.6.e
C6 reaction to blocked field goals 9.8.d.4.b
C6 reaction to change in field goal formation 9.8.d.4.c
Charging timeouts for injuries 3.9.60, 6.2.6.h, 9.9.c.6.a, 10.9.c.12.a
Deep officials to read play before moving 12.2.c.4, 12.3.b.1, 12.4.b.2, 15.2.c.4, 15.3.b.1, 15.4.b.2
Details of foul to be recorded 6.11.3
F responsible for balls pre-game on 6D 8.1.7, 8.2.11.a, 8.4.3.c.iii
Give normal timing signals during a running clock session 6.5.6
Half-time procedures 20.5.1
Inadvertent whistle mechanics 6.15
Inadvertent whistle philosophies 3.8.7, 3.9.46
New points of emphasis 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 1.3.6, 1.3.7, 1.3.8
New points to ponder 5.9.41, 5.9.42
New principles 5.10.16, 5.10.32, 6.1.14, 6.4.13
New when in doubt principles 3.9.56, 3.9.57, 3.9.58
Notify colleagues when pre-game duties completed 8.2.15
Noting eligible receivers on field goal attempts 9.8.d.4.a, 10.8.d.1.b, 11.8.d.2.d, 12.8.d.2, 13.8.d.1.b, 14.8.d.1, 15.8.d.1
Officials must bear scrutiny 5.2.3, 5.2.4
R and C positioning 9.2.b.2, 9.2.b.3, 9.2.b.4, 9.7.b.1
R/C/U note numbering exceptions 9.7.a.1, 9.8.a.1, 10.7.a.1, 10.8.a.1
Record result of coin toss 8.4.7.c, 8.4.14
Revised timeout mechanics 17.1.9.a, 17.1.10, 17.1.11, 17.2.3, 17.2.5
Sideline official must notify coach of time remaining 20.2.3
Starting position out of bounds 11.2.b.2, 11.5.b.1, 13.2.b.2, 13.5.b.1, 14.2.b.3, 14.5.b.1
Use radio when discussing face to face 6.4.10.a, 25.4.9

In these sections, and elsewhere, the following symbols are used to denote the reason for a change:

mechanic changed for better coverage
§ fill gap in existing mechanic
clarification or enhancement of existing mechanic
@ change for better communication
× previous text deleted
® change due to rule change
editorial correction/clarification or text moved

The change mark normally follows a change, except where there is a completely new list, in which case the change mark will be at the end of the paragraph introducing the list.

2.2 - Editorial changes

Editorial changes (those intended to clarify the presentation of particular points, fill gaps in existing guidance, improve coverage or resulting from rules changes) are listed below.

The position previously known as Linesman is now referred to as Down Judge. Changes have been marked but do not appear in this list unless something else has also changed in that item.

Chapters 3, 5 and 6 have had some of their contents reorganised.

Text that has moved (but remains otherwise unchanged) is not marked as a change.

1.1.3
1.1.5
1.2.1
1.2.10
1.3.9
3.1.1
3.1.7
3.3.1.a
3.3.1.a.ii
3.3.1.b.iii
3.3.1.d
3.3.1.d.i
3.3.1.d.iii
3.3.2.c
3.3.2.e
3.3.2.g
3.3.2.h
3.3.3
3.3.4.e
3.3.5
3.3.5.f
3.3.5.h
3.3.5.j
3.3.6.a
3.3.6.b
3.3.6.d
3.3.8.a.iv
3.3.8.b.vi
3.3.8.c.ii
3.3.8.c.vi
3.3.8.c.vii
3.3.8.c.vii.2
3.3.9.a.iv
3.3.9.b.iv
3.3.9.b.v
3.3.9.b.vi
3.3.10.c
3.3.10.d
3.3.10.e
3.3.12.e
3.3.13.a
3.3.14.a
3.3.14.c.ii
3.3.14.c.ii.1
3.3.15.a
3.3.17.a
3.3.17.c
3.3.17.d
3.3.17.e
3.3.18.a
3.4.1.d
3.4.1.e
3.4.1.f
3.4.3
3.4.3.a
3.4.3.d
3.4.3.f
3.4.3.g
3.4.3.h
3.4.4
3.4.5.a.iv
3.4.5.c
3.4.5.e
3.4.6.a
3.4.6.c
3.4.7
3.4.9.c
3.4.9.d
3.4.9.e
3.4.10.c
3.4.10.f
3.4.11.d
3.4.11.e
3.4.11.f
3.4.16.a
3.4.16.b
3.4.18.a
3.4.19
3.5.1.a
3.5.1.c
3.5.1.d.ii
3.5.3.c
3.5.4.c.v
3.5.4.c.vi
3.5.4.d.iv
3.5.5.d
3.5.5.f
3.5.7.b
3.5.7.c
3.5.9
3.5.11
3.7.2
3.8.1.c
3.8.2.b
3.8.3
3.8.4
3.8.4.a.ii
3.8.5.b
3.8.5.e
3.8.5.e.i
3.8.5.e.ii
3.8.6.c
3.8.6.f
3.8.7.e
3.9.8
3.9.9
3.9.10
3.9.11
3.9.12
3.9.13
3.9.29
3.9.36
3.9.39
3.9.40
3.9.41
3.9.54
4.1.17
5.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.5.2.a
5.10.18
5.10.22
6.2.5
6.2.6.c
6.2.6.d
6.2.7.h
6.2.8
6.2.10
6.2.13
6.2.16.e
6.2.17
6.3.3
6.3.5
6.3.6.d
6.4.5
6.4.10.g
6.4.11
6.4.12
6.5.7
6.5.14
6.5.14.b
6.5.15
6.5.18
6.6.5.a
6.7.3
6.7.5
6.7.6.b
6.7.7
6.7.8.b
6.7.8.d
6.10.3
6.10.6
6.11.1
6.12.2.a
6.12.2.b
6.12.4
6.13.3
6.14.4.j
8.1.1
8.1.2
8.1.3
8.1.4
8.2.3
8.2.9.b
8.2.14.b
8.3.3.d
8.3.4.d
8.3.4.g
8.4.1
8.4.3.a
8.4.3.b
8.4.2
8.4.11.e
8.4.13
8.4.15
9.1.a.4
9.1.a.5.b
9.1.a.5.c
9.1.a.5.d
9.1.a.8
9.1.a.10
9.1.a.12
9.1.a.14.g
9.1.b.1.b
9.1.b.4.b
9.1.c.6.a
9.1.c.6.d
9.1.c.7
9.1.c.7.b
9.1.c.9.a
9.1.d.1
9.1.d.2.c
9.1.d.3
9.2.a.3
9.2.a.4
9.2.a.11.b
9.2.a.11.c
9.2.a.13
9.2.a.14
9.5.b.1.a
9.6.a.4
9.6.b.3
9.7.b.2
9.8.b.1
9.8.b.1.a
9.8.b.1.b
9.8.b.1.c
9.8.c.1
9.8.c.2
9.8.c.2.a.ii
9.8.c.2.b.iii
9.8.d.1.a
9.8.d.1.c
9.8.d.4.b.ii.2
9.8.d.5
9.9.a.13
9.9.c.1
9.9.c.7.e
9.9.c.12.a.ii
9.9.c.12.b.ii
9.9.c.12.b.iii
9.9.c.13.a
9.9.c.13.b
9.9.d.2.b.ii
9.9.d.2.b.iv
9.9.d.2.c.i
9.9.d.2.c.ii
9.9.d.6
10.1.a.4
10.1.a.7.b
10.1.a.7.c
10.1.a.10
10.1.a.11
10.1.a.14.m
10.1.b.3
10.1.c.1
10.1.c.6
10.1.c.7.b
10.1.d.3
10.2.a.3
10.2.a.4
10.2.a.10.b
10.2.a.10.c
10.2.a.12
10.2.a.14
10.2.a.15
10.2.c.3
10.2.c.5
10.4.a.4
10.4.c.5
10.6.a.4
10.7.a.2.a
10.8.a.2.a
10.8.a.2.c
10.8.c.4
10.9.a.11
10.9.c.1
10.9.c.15
10.9.d.2.b
10.9.d.2.c
10.9.d.8
11.1.a.4
11.1.a.5.b
11.1.a.5.d
11.1.a.9
11.1.a.10
11.1.a.13.i
11.1.b.2
11.1.b.3.a
11.1.b.3.b
11.1.c.5.a
11.1.c.5.d
11.1.c.6
11.1.d.1
11.1.d.2
11.2.a.3
11.2.a.4
11.2.a.16
11.2.a.17
11.2.a.19
11.2.c.3
11.2.d.4
11.2.d.6
11.3.a.5
11.3.b.3.e.iii
11.4.a.4.f
11.4.a.5
11.4.a.6
11.4.b.2
11.4.b.7
11.4.b.12
11.5.c.6
11.5.c.8
11.5.d.2
11.5.d.5
11.6.a.5
11.7.b.5
11.7.c.7.g
11.7.d.2.b
11.7.d.2.e
11.8.a.3.h
11.8.b.2
11.8.c.1.c
11.8.d.2.f
11.9.c.1
11.9.c.2
11.9.c.3
11.9.c.8
11.9.c.11.a
11.9.c.11.e
11.9.d.2.c
11.9.d.3
12.1.a.3
12.1.a.4.b
12.1.a.4.c
12.1.a.4.d
12.1.a.8
12.1.a.9
12.1.a.10.j
12.1.d.2
12.2.a.7
12.2.d.4
12.4.b.10
12.5.c.3
12.6.a.4
12.7.b.5
12.7.c.3.f
12.7.d.2.b
12.8.b.1
12.8.c.3
12.8.d.3.b.i
12.9.b.1
12.9.b.2
12.9.b.3
12.9.b.7
12.9.b.10
12.9.c.2
12.9.c.3.c
12.9.c.4
13.1.a.3
13.1.a.4.b
13.1.a.4.c
13.1.a.8
13.1.a.9
13.1.a.13.h
13.1.b.1
13.1.b.2
13.1.c.5
13.1.c.9
13.1.d.1
13.1.d.2
13.2.a.2
13.2.a.3
13.2.a.16
13.2.a.17
13.2.a.19
13.2.c.3
13.2.d.4
13.3.a.5
13.3.b.3.e.iii
13.4.a.3.f
13.4.a.6
13.4.b.2
13.4.b.7
13.4.b.12
13.5.c.6
13.5.c.8
13.5.d.3
13.5.d.7
13.6.a.5
13.7.b.2
13.7.b.4
13.7.d.1.b
13.7.d.1.e
13.8.b.2
13.8.d.1.d
13.9.c.1
13.9.c.2
13.9.c.3
13.9.c.8
13.9.c.11.a
13.9.c.11.e
13.9.d.2.c
13.9.d.3
14.1.a.3
14.1.a.4.b
14.1.a.4.c
14.1.a.4.d
14.1.a.9
14.1.a.12.j
14.1.b.5.a
14.1.c.5
14.1.d.3
14.2.a.8
14.4.b.10
14.4.b.14
14.5.b.15
14.5.c.4
14.6.a.5
14.7.b.1.a
14.7.b.6
14.7.c.3.g
14.7.d.3.b
14.8.a.2.a.ii
14.8.c.1.c
14.8.d.2.b.ii
14.9.b.1
14.9.b.2
14.9.b.3
14.9.b.7
14.9.b.9.a
14.9.b.9.e
14.9.b.13.b
14.9.c.2.c
14.9.c.3
15.1.a.3
15.1.a.4.b
15.1.a.4.c
15.1.a.4.d
15.1.a.9
15.1.a.10.j
15.1.c.4
15.1.d.2
15.1.d.3
15.2.a.7
15.2.b.4
15.4.b.10
15.5.a.1
15.5.c.3
15.6.a.4
15.7.b.5
15.7.c.3.f
15.7.d.3.b
15.8.b.1
15.8.c.3
15.8.d.2.b.ii
15.9.b.1
15.9.b.2
15.9.b.3
15.9.b.7
15.9.b.10
15.9.c.2
15.9.c.3.c
15.9.c.4
16.1.1
16.1.2.c
16.2.4
17.1.8
17.1.9.b
17.1.9.b.ii
17.1.9.e
17.2.4
17.2.7
17.2.8.a
18.3
18.10
18.13
18.16
19.1.b.2.a
19.1.b.4.c
19.1.b.7
19.1.b.7.b
19.1.b.11.f
19.1.b.12
19.1.c.2
19.2.a.4
19.2.b.2
19.3.1.a
19.3.1.c
19.3.1.d
19.3.1.d.ii
19.3.1.e
19.3.1.e.i
19.3.2.a
19.3.3.f
19.3.3.h.iv
19.3.5.c
19.3.8.a
19.3.8.g
19.3.8.h.ii
19.3.8.h.iv
19.3.8.i
19.3.9
20.1.7
20.2.1
20.3.1
20.3.2
20.3.4
20.3.6
20.5.5.a
20.6.5
20.7.1
20.7.2
20.7.3.c.v.3
21.2.1.c
21.2.1.j
22.1.10
22.1.12.b
22.1.12.d
22.1.12.e
22.1.13
22.1.16
22.1.17.c
22.1.17.f
22.1.17.g
22.1.18
22.2.1
22.2.3
22.2.4
22.3.9
23.2.2
24.2.1.a
24.2.2
24.2.8
24.3.5
24.4.6
24.5.6
24.5.7
24.5.10
24.5.13.b
24.5.13.c
24.5.14
24.6.3.b
24.6.4.a
24.7.3
24.7.3.e
24.8.1.b
24.8.3.b
25.1.1
25.1.3
25.1.6
25.3.6
25.4.8.c
26
26.2.J
27

Next chapter (interp)

Back to index

Editor: Jim Briggs, Editor, IAFOA Manual of Football Officiating
jim.briggs.football@gmail.com

Generated: 13/1/2026, 2101