'We don't have a favorite'

Mark Kuhn has been officiating high school football games for 18 years. He also leads classes for new refs. With the high school season just days away, Kuhn was asked if he had a message for fans. "That we don't have a favorite," said Kuhn, a graduate of Cardinal Stritch who also umpires baseball. "We get that a lot. I do games in Sandusky, Lima, Toledo, we don't have a horse in the race. I know sometimes it doesn't feel that way, but we don't." Kuhn – like all officials – is used to getting criticism. But just hearing fans – or coaches – complain doesn't really bother him. "Cheer for your teams, don't get personal," he said. "We expect boos, that's fine. We don't expect people to agree with all of our calls. That wouldn't be fun, either." Another football official, Joe Roth, officiates high school and Division II college football games. He and Kuhn were on the crew for the Division III state final last season. Roth, a Seneca East graduate, has been a referee for nine years. He said his message to coaches is always the same. "I will answer your questions," he said. "I will not respond to your statements." Roth and Kuhn answered a number of questions for this story, from what it's like to be an official, to how they handle criticism. They also shed some light on rule differences between the high school, college and pro game that some fans – and frankly, sports writers – may not be aware of. "Literally hundreds of differences," Kuhn said. That's too many to mention in one article. But here are a few: Intentional grounding Intentional grounding is a rule in high school football, but quarterbacks are given a little more latitude than at the other levels. "It has changed in the last couple of years," Kuhn said. "Now, don't have a tackle box, if (the quarterback) does roll out, two three steps (outside the box), he can throw the ball away, grounding the ball." Horse collar Again, there is a horse collar penalty in high school. But it's different. "The horse collar, player has to be brought down, he has to be tackled from behind, inside the shoulder pads," Kuhn said. Otherwise it's not a penalty, unless multiple players are using the horse collar to bring down a ball carrier. Encroachment The "free play" is not a thing in high school football. Once a defensive player crosses into the neutral zone, it's a penalty and the play is killed. In college and the pros, a defender has to make contact with a lineman, or be unabated to the quarterback, for the whistle to blow. Otherwise, the "free play" can proceed. In fact, there is no offsides in OHSAA football. Only encroachment. Pass interference In the pros, defensive pass interference is always a spot foul and an automatic first down. In college, it's a spot foul, or 15 yards if the contact is further down the field than that. It's also an automatic first down. In high school, defensive pass interference is 15 yards, no matter where it occurs. It's not an automatic first down. Offensive holding This is a big one. And it's not a rule difference, per se, but it's how the rule is called, at all levels. "Every level of football, you could call a holding on every play," Roth said. "We're looking more at the point of attack, trying to get the calls that matter." So if you're in the stands on a Friday night, you might see what you think is an obvious hold. But if it's away from the play, the official likely won't reach for his or her flag. "Good officials don't make calls just because they can be made," Roth said. "You make the ones that are impactful." Coaches certainly understand the impact – and the necessity – of officials.. "If you don't have officials, you're not gonna have games," said Vanlue football coach Jeremy Kloepfer, who also has served as the school's AD in the past. There's been an official shortage for years, in all sports. During the state track meet in June, it felt like a "become an OHSAA official" commercial was running every 10 minutes on the big screen at Jesse Owens Stadium. "I feel like officials, they're doing a great job," said Van Buren football coach Ethan Percer. "Just, right now, there's a big shortage, so you're seeing guys who have to ref four or five days a week because they can't find anybody." Percer, who has also coached at Arcadia, said he has an appreciation for the men and women in stripes. "Being here for seven years now, you get to know most of these guys by name, and seeing them week after week… just be respectful," he said. "Also know, 'Hey, if you mess something up, I'm gonna call you on it,' just like if I mess up, they're gonna call me on it as well. It's just one of those things." Roth is used to those discussions, even if he has to delay some of them. "You answer questions when you have time," he said. "'Coach, I'll get back to you in a couple of plays, at the end of the series.'" Kuhn said that in recent years, coaches and players – particularly on the high school varsity level – have been better to officials. He especially recognized it after the pandemic, after high school player knew what it was like to have sports taken away from them. "It has been great, we hear a lot more 'thank you, we're glad you're here' (from players)" Kuhn said. "I found more kids asking me about officiating," It can be tough being a ref, with the travel, low pay and the criticism they receive, but Roth and Kuhn said they still have a passion to do it. "I love it," Roth said. "Same adrenaline rush, same love for the game." Kuhn is coming off ACL surgery in June, and was just cleared to return to work last week. He was on the sideline last Thursday, helping to train a young official. "I love to officiate," he said. "I love it." And they'll both be back at it this weekend.