The fact that today's high school player trains all year long with modern equipment and know-how makes him bigger, faster, and stronger than his counterpart of yesteryear. Offensive philosophies of the pro and college ranks have trickled down to the high school level; those ideas have spread the formations and lengthened the passing routes. Officials, therefore, have to cover more areas of the field in a much shorter time span than before if they hope to observe properly all action on the field. I want to examine the exposed areas of the field, using the five-man mechanics system.

Defining the Dead Zone

"What exactly is the Dead Zone?" you ask. I define it as the areas of the field that are poorly officiated because the officiating crew is stretched too thin. There are some instances in five-man mechanics that almost require an official either to be in two places at the same time or have the speed of the mythological Mercury.

Continued...