Dispatches from Commissioner Keith.

Playoff weekend — ref assignments posted.

Officials — the Spring 2026 regular season is officially in the books. Whew. Thanks for the consistency, the patience with new coaches, and the long Friday nights. Eighty-plus teams enter the playoffs 0–0 on May 8. Last Spring only three of the eight #1 seeds won the championship. Upsets do occur.

Crew assignments are posted on the website. Quick notes for May 8:

1. May 8 games are highlighted in yellow. Six rounds. Move quickly between fields.
2. All games run with 8-minute quarters. The game will go fast, be prepared. Keep your watch on you, keep games on time. If we run late on Field 1, we run late everywhere.
3. The higher seeded team is home team. They face Saddleback Mountain. Confirm at coin toss.
4. I tried to keep ref-to-ref movement on Friday to a minimum, but for the deep crews you may move every game. Check the schedule before you arrive — and again at the FNL Tent when you check in.
5. Playoff rosters are locked as of last Friday. No guest players. No borrowing. Five-minimum to play. If a team shows up with four, the game doesn't start.
6. The Player Advantage Rule (8+ vs 7) still applies in the playoffs. Identify it pre-game with both head coaches. If they forget, you don't have to remember for them — but it's the right thing to do.
7. Keep the energy high but the calls clean. Single elimination Friday is intense. Coaches and parents will be more on edge than usual. Stay calm, signal clearly, and call Jerry or me if you need backup.

Championship Friday — 5.15

If your team-of-the-night survives 5.08, you're back on May 15 for Championship Friday. A marathon night of football. Boys championships need 3 wins; girls need 2. Crew assignments for Champ Friday will be posted by Monday May 12. Top crew chiefs get the championship games — work the games this Friday like the assignment you want next Friday.

Sportsmanship reset

One reminder for everyone, and especially the rookie refs working their first playoff Friday. Coaches coach, players play, parents cheer. When everyone is doing their job — including us — the games are great. When someone steps out of their lane, problems start. Your job is to call the game cleanly and move it forward. If a coach wants to debate a call, it violates the Coach Code of Conduct they signed. Clarification questions are fine; ongoing dialogue is not. Disengage politely, give them the spot, and start the next play.

Good luck to all. Enjoy the craziness of it all.

Final regular-season Friday.

Crew — the last Friday of the regular season is here. A ton of info in this dispatch, please read it carefully. Let me know if you have questions.

The schedule

As a rule, I do not change opponent matchups in the final week, unless two teams competing for a 1st or 2nd place conference finish ask to play each other. That request is initiated by both head coaches. Check the online schedule before you head to the field — there were a handful of changes this Friday in the spirit of good competition.

Conference champions get crowned

Friday is medallion night for grades 1–8. The 1st and 2nd place team in each conference gets newly designed medallions. Standings tiebreakers, in order:

1. Winning percentage.
2. If the same, head-to-head match-up results — did the teams with the same record play each other?
3. If no, then fewest average points allowed per game.

You don't need to know any of this to ref the game — but if a coach asks, that's the order. Medallion handoff happens at the FNL Tent at the Snack Bar. See me there.

Goodbye to the Kinder teams

This Friday is the final Kinder game of the season. Thanks for your patience with the K division all spring — pint-sized excitement, lots of running the wrong direction, and the occasional crying at the line of scrimmage. We previewed a lot of future stars, and you all helped them have fun. Participation medallions for K are at the FNL Tent.

Playoffs begin 5.08

Every team enters the playoffs with a 0–0 record. There will be upsets — it happens every season. Win and continue, lose and you're out. Single elimination playoff brackets will be posted on the website by Sunday PM May 3rd. Crew assignments posted same time.

Have a great final regular Friday. Get the medallions handed out clean. Friday night under the lights — it's the best.

Final 2 weeks. Hold the line on conduct.

Crew — final two weeks of the regular season, then playoffs. Some chance of rain Tuesday PM and Wednesday AM. To check on field closures after 2pm daily, here's the link to the Mudline: Lake Forest, CA — Official Website.

Coaches debating calls

This is a reminder for the crew, especially the rookie refs working their first contested conference. Coaches debating calls with you violates the Coach Code of Conduct they signed at registration. Clarification questions are fine — "Hey ref, what was the call?" is fine. "Hey ref, where was the spot?" is fine. Once they have your answer, the conversation ends. No further dialogue should occur with the referee on that play.

If a coach won't drop it, here's the script:

1. Repeat the call once, calmly. "Holding, defense. 5 yards from the spot, replay the down."
2. If they keep arguing: "Coach, the call stands. We need to play."
3. If they STILL keep arguing: walk away to the next spot. Start the play clock.
4. If they follow you: call me. Don't text. I'll come to your field, or I'll send Jerry, our head ref. We'll handle it.

You will not be left alone on the field with a coach problem. That's the deal. Make the call, move the game, call for backup if it escalates.

Player Advantage Rule reminder

8+ vs 7 — if a team has 8 or more and the other has 7, the smaller team picks a player on the larger team who must sit one quarter. The larger-team coach picks which quarter. Identify it pre-game when you do roster check. A minimum of 5 players is needed to play. If a team has 4, the game doesn't start.

Playoff Addendum

Make sure you've read the Playoff Addendum — Player Advantage Rule. It's on the Coaches Corner tab on the league site, under Spring 2026 Rules. The addendum changes a couple of small things for the playoffs — read it before May 8.

If you have a rule question

Or have an issue with a player / coach / parent — please call (don't text) me or Jerry. If we can't work it out with a quick call, one of us will come to your field. We are not asking you to handle conduct issues alone.

Game on. Final 3 weeks.

Crew — final 3 weeks of the Spring Season, then playoffs. Make sure to check the online schedules, there have been numerous updates.

Pre-game flag check

Jerseys should be tucked. Flags worn on the hips, with the FNL logo facing out. You will be checking flags prior to the start of every game. Catch the violations now and you don't have to call them mid-drive.

Know the Player Advantage Rule

8 or more vs 7. You must have 8 or more players to invoke this rule. If a team has 7 players and the other has 8 or more, the team with 7 picks a player on the larger team who must sit one quarter. The larger team's coach picks which quarter. Identify it pre-game. Don't rely on the coaches to ask the question — you ask it. "Hey coaches, how many players do you have tonight?" If a coach forgets to invoke and we recognize it later, the larger-team coach can still pick the player who sits.

Contact the Commissioner

If you have a rule question, or are encountering difficult parents or coaches, please call me on my cell (don't text). If we can't resolve your question or issue with a quick phone call, I can send Jerry, our head referee, to your field. The number to call is on every dispatch — don't lose it.

Scores

Let us know if anything is posted incorrectly. Remember, playoff seedings are based on win/loss record, then head-to-head, then defensive points allowed. If multiple teams finish with the same record and they all didn't play one another, average points allowed per game is the tiebreaker. Division winners get top seeds regardless of record.

Playoffs preview — 5.08 & 5.15

Friday, 5.08: Single elimination begins. All teams enter the playoffs with a 0–0 record. Six rounds of games on 5.08. We run the games super fast with 8-minute quarters for all 6 rounds. Game times on the Turf fields: 4:45 – 5:25 – 6:05 – 6:45 – 7:25 – 8:05. On the Grass fields: 5:00 – 5:40 – 6:20 – 7:00 – 7:40 – 8:20. It's a crazy night. If you head ref one game and assist on another, you'll likely need to pick one — overlaps are imminent.

Friday 5.15 is Championship Friday. A marathon night. Quarters through Finals, all divisions, played with 10-minute quarters. Boys teams need 3 wins; girls need 2. Single elimination, win and keep playing.

That's it for now — let's make this Friday another FUN time for the kids. Coaches Coach, Players Play, Parents Cheer, Refs Ref. When we try and do someone else's job, it usually turns out to be a problem. As adults, it's our responsibility to teach and demonstrate GREAT Sportsmanship.

Thanks for all you do.