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NCAA targets cheap shots
By Greg Gulas
AUSTINTOWN
Less than 36 hours after working the Western Michigan-Northwestern game in Evanston, Ill., Boardman’s Tom Krispinsky talked to the Curbstone Coaches about several of this season’s rule changes.
A Big Ten line judge for the past 13 seasons, Krispinsky told the weekly group at Luciano’s Banquet Center that the rules garnering the most attention are targeting and blocking below the waist.
“Targeting is when a player launches or leads with their helmet, or hitting a defenseless opponent high on the neck or shoulder area,” Kirspinsky said. “In the past, the rule called for a 15-yard penalty but starting this year, in addition to a penalty, there is an automatic disqualification.”
The play is reviewable in the Big Ten and Mid-American Conference, but disqualification has a more far-reaching effect.
“If the disqualification happens in the first half of a game, then the player is done for the remainder of the game. However, when the penalty happens in the second half of the game then the player has to sit out the first half of their following game,” Krispinsky said.. “There were just four disqualifications during the first weekend of play and three after the second week, so the implementation of the rule seems to be working.”
The YSU and Wilson High graduate has drawn eight postseason assignments (bowl games and league championship contests combined.) He said blocking below the waist, chicken fighting (taunting after a play) and when a player’s helmet comes off is also closely monitored.
“Blocking below the waist has always been monitored very closely, but when a player has his helmet knocked off or it comes loose during a play, it used to be that he was done for a play,” he said. “Now, a television timeout can buy him back into the game.
“As for chicken fighting, it used to be a personal foul but now carries an unsportsmanlike foul and 15-yard penalty along with it. Two such penalties in a game and the player is ejected. Coaches have done a tremendous job in monitoring those specific areas during the early going thus far.”
Even after officiating for four decades, Krispinsky said he’s still trying to get better.
“There is the challenge of staying well-prepared, both physically and mentally,” he said. “I try to work out four to five times a week so I don’t get tired on the field while every official watches film of their upcoming opponents, just to see what they are running and what we should expect from them on either side of the ball.
“We don’t want to be surprised when we show up for a game.”
Local officials meet on Wednesday nights at YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium to discus previous contests and interesting situations.
“We also take a test on the rules in order to stay sharp, share video of calls that have been made by other officials and discuss anything pertaining to the rules of the game,” Krispinsky said. “That helps to keep us sharp.”
Next week’s speaker is YSU men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum.