Umpire Position Card

Mechanics Position Cards Printable

Reflects the 2026 NFHS rules year. Built from the 2026 and 2027 NFHS Football Game Officials Manual — §4.7 Positioning (pp. 136–141), §4.8 Coverage (pp. 142–150) and §1.9 Snap Location After Kick or Penalty (pp. 32–34). Last checked September 2, 2026.
Verify against the current rule book and VPA guide before teaching this as authoritative.

Your spot, your keys and your jobs, situation by situation — the Umpire's card for a crew of five. You are the white marker on every diagram.

Download the Umpire Position Card (PDF, 2 pages) — print at 100% on Letter, two-sided, flip on the long edge.

Associations amend these — check Vermont's guidance before teaching it.

Run and pass

Snap between the –10 and the +10.

Run — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker five to ten yards behind the defensive line, between the defensive ends. — Run

Pass — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker five to ten yards behind the defensive line, between the defensive ends. — Pass

What you do

5–10 yards behind B's line, between the defensive ends, opposite wherever the Referee is. Vary your position laterally, shoulders parallel to the goal line.
Count A's eleven with the Referee, and count A's five ineligible linemen and check their numbers. Punch up to confirm with referee.
Run: interior line play with the emphasis at the point of attack, then the action on the tackled runner.
Pass: quick pass means no time to reach the line. Delayed pass, read the crossing end or the screen behind the linemen, then move up.

Your keys

Run — snap · linemen · blocking at the point of attack · the runner.
Pass — snap · linemen · QB · the pass · the catch.
You rule the trapped pass, behind or beyond the line.
Check the passer's spot of release with the Referee when he arrives.

Your spot


Run / pass	5–10 yds behind B's line, between the defensive ends. You must see the ball from the snapper's first touch until the snap.
Punt	4–7 yds deep, favouring the Line Judge's sideline.
Goal line	5–10 behind B's line. Vary laterally.
Backed up	5–10 behind B's line, unchanged.

Turn immediately when the pass is thrown, then jog to the dead-ball spot.

Spotting


Shoulders	Parallel to the sideline when you spot it, then move off the ball quickly.
Hurry-up	You're the sprinter. Grab it, spot it off the backside wing, get to your spot.
Bad weather	Hold it and keep a towel over it at the spot.
Voice	Strong voice after the whistle. It prevents more fouls than a flag does.

Kicks

Free kick and scrimmage kick.

Kickoff — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker on the receiving team's free-kick line at the 50, two yards out of bounds on the press box side. — Kickoff

Punt — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker four to seven yards deep, favouring the Line Judge's sideline. — Punt

What you do

Kickoff: the receivers' free-kick line — the 50 — two yards out of bounds on the press box side, the side opposite the chains, bean bag in hand.
Jog up the far sideline and clear the restricted area, then raise your arm to the Referee when you're ready.
After the kick, run to the near hash on the 50, then stop and watch. If the runner breaks it, you have inside-out and the Back Judge has the goal line.
Punt: 4–7 yards deep, favouring the Line Judge's sideline. Punted 30 or less, stand and watch; more than 30, jog slowly downfield.

Your keys

Kickoff — R's encroachment · onside · first touching · K's first contact by R's front line.
Punt — snap · snapper · line play · turn and watch.
Think onside on every kick. Bag in hand.
Onside: R's free-kick line on the Line Judge's side, bag in hand for K's first touching. Kill it if a prone player from either team recovers, ten yards or not.

Your spot


Kickoff	R's free-kick line (the 50), 2 yds out of bounds, press box side.
Onside	R's free-kick line, Line Judge's side. Bag in hand, line as a plane.
Punt	4–7 yds deep, favouring the Line Judge's sideline — he releases at the snap.
Safety kick	Team K's 30.

Pre-kick


Ready	Clear the restricted area, then raise your arm to the Referee.
Pile	You and the Back Judge dig the ball out — find it before anyone signals.
After a punt	Jog downfield only once it's past 30 yards.

Goal line and place kicks

Snap on or inside the +10 · tee on the field.

Goal line — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker five to ten yards behind the defensive line, between the defensive ends. — Goal line

Field goal and try — the whole crew of five, with the Umpire highlighted as the white marker beyond the end line, behind the press box upright. — Field goal & try

What you do

Goal line: 5–10 behind B's line between the ends, same as any scrimmage play.
You never signal a touchdown. If you are certain and the wing hasn't signalled, go tell him — the call is his.
Field goal and try: beyond the end line, behind the press box upright. You rule inside or outside your own upright. Tell the crew: no whistle.
Do not spot the ball for the try until the captain tells the Referee where he wants it.

Your keys

Place kick — snap · snapper · no fake · the numbering exception on a try.
Watch the centre on the snap. Count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two" — direct contact inside two seconds is a foul.
If it's a fake, stay on the end line initially.
Short kick: get to the goal line and rule whether it breaks the plane.

Your spot


Goal line	5–10 behind B's line, between the defensive ends.
FG / try	Beyond the end line, behind the press box upright. Your upright is yours to rule.
Muddle huddle	Stand on the end line.

Signalling


Good	The Back Judge whistles and signals; you confirm your upright to him.
No good	Same — he signals, you confirm. In the end zone: no score, then touchback.
Whistle	Sound it when the kick is good or crosses the goal line.
Never	You do not signal a touchdown. Ever.

Between downs, clock and fouls

Every down, all night.

What you do

Penalty enforcement is yours. Turn to the calling official the moment the whistle sounds.
98% of the time you already know it. On the other 2%, look to the head coach with the wing beside him.
Dig for the ball when the wings need it and hand it over — never throw or toss it.
You matter most in the middle when tempers rise. Your presence does the work.

Your keys

Walk it or jog it — your choice — but get it right.
Don't look at the wings until they reach the succeeding spot.
Five-yard walk-off close to a first down: ask the Head Line Judge to check the tape on the chain.
Crew goal on a simple five-yard dead-ball foul: ball ready inside ten seconds.

Enforcement


On the whistle	Turn to the calling official.
Walk-off	You walk it from the enforcement spot. The Line Judge holds the spot until it's right; the Head Line Judge walks it on the sideline with you.
Unsure	Look to the head coach, wing at his side.
Questions	Ask now. Not in the locker room.

Between downs


Relay	You're the end of the triangle. Spot it off the backside wing.
Close to a first	Dig it out and hand it to the wing who can see leather.
Timeout	Stay over the ball.
TV game	Stay over the ball until the Line Judge says they're ready.

When you work a crew of 4

What changes for you.

Counting: you and the Referee both count A on scrimmage downs and R on free kicks. The wings count B — and K on free kicks. (In a crew of 5 the Back Judge counts B.)
Punt: you stay up. 10 yds deep favouring the Line Judge's side; the Line Judge goes deep with the returners.
Field goal and try: nobody goes under a post. You're 10 yds off the line favouring the Line Judge's side. Snapped outside R's 15, the Line Judge is 5 yds behind the crossbar and rules the kick alone. Inside the 15 the Line Judge stays on the line, goes to the end line and signals the Referee, and the Referee rules whether it went through.
Kickoff: you're on the sideline at the receivers' 20 and you count R. The Head Line Judge has K's free-kick line and the kicker; you own the area from the goal line to R's 30 on your side.
Run and pass: you're the only official in the middle. Blocks beyond the point of attack are yours.