Visingardi reveals official differences in college and pro

The Poland resident is a 12-year veteran football official in the MAC.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- For the past 12 college football seasons, Poland's Jim Visingardi has been a fixture in the Mid-American Conference as one of its most respected grid officials.
A 31-year veteran of the officiating ranks and the outgoing president of the MAC Football Officials Association, he's seen just about everything from his side judge position.
Monday, he spoke to the Curbstone Coaches Association to address the differences between the college and professional game.
Visingardi shed some light in regards to the preparation that is expected of all whistle-blowers by the league office.
"The most asked question we receive over the course of the year is to explain the difference between the professional game and that of their collegiate counterparts," Visingardi said. "Each week, we are on either regional or national television and the game announcers want you to shed some light on the rules in order to help with their broadcast.
"We are always willing to help them out, but sometimes even we have to make sure of the many rules differences during a game in which we are officiating."
Visingardi said he was quick to point out that there is no face-guarding in college and a player on the collegiate level must come down with one foot in bounds on a reception, but the one glowing difference is when it comes to overtime.
Big overtime difference
"In college, the flip of the coin just determines who will play offense or defense while the clock doesn't play a part in the outcome of the game," Visingardi said. "Professionally, the winner of the coin flip has the upper hand as they get the ball first with the clock a determining factor. It is sudden-death at that level of play."
While the NFL has used instant replay for quite a few years now, the college game just completed its third season with the added feature.
"The pros look only at the plays you challenge while on the college level, every single play that is run is looked at by those up in the booth," Visingardi said. "The instant replay official has total control.
"He tells us what to do with the play," Visingardi said. "The referee has no say in the matter. The plays most often challenged include catch/no-catch, fumble/no-fumble and did a receiver's foot come down while in bounds."
He noted that using TiVo during the games has helped replay officials, but some games use less cameras than others so it can be a pretty complicated process when a play is under review.
Changed way of officials
"Replay has no doubt changed the way that we officiate," Visingardi said. "That being said, of the 39 stoppages in conference games last year, only seven resulted in being overturned."
He joked that NFL rule book looks like a telephone book compared to the college rule book which is "just" an inch thick.
Preparing for the season is a 12-month job. Clinics, tests they are required to take, clinics they must attend and spring ball that they officiate are just some of the priorities mandated by the league.
It seems to have worked for Visingardi as he has been selected for postseason play the past nine seasons, including last year's Las Vegas Bowl where Brigham Young defeated Oregon, 38-8.