first and ten

FIRST AND TEN
June 2016 Volume 9 Issue 7
Featured in this issue #103
66666
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First and Ten Mandate
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First and Ten Editors
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CFOA Conference news Launch of Website Announced
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SUITOR: HOW WILL THE CFL IMPROVE THE OFFICIATING? Glenn
Suitor
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Ten Commandments of Game Control Jim Duke
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Dead ball officiating Ray Lutz
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Officiating Humor Lorne Mountain LMFOA
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Coeditor Rob Christian corner - Avoiding Inadvertent whistles and
your whistle
Avoiding Heat Illness -Stop sport injuries
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/
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Avoiding Law Suits- Pregame field inspections
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Football Canada announces ban on Birdcage facemask
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Football Canada announces Chris Flynn new Director of Sponsorships
CFOA executive
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Football Canada
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Working for the development of officiating and football in Canada in cooperation with
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La version française du "First and Ten" va suivre chaque version anglaise. Ron Paluzzi, Vice président
responsable de la traduction, sera responsable de s’assurer que chaque communiqué soit disponible en
français dans les plus brefs délais. D’ici là, je demande à tous
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Editor Ron Hallock
Co- editor Rob Christian
July
Happy Canada Day.
For your holiday reading pleasure, First and Ten provides the following updates
warnings and notices
How does the new CFL VP of Officiating see his role is presented in an interview
conducted by Glenn Suitor , TSN commentator.
What are the Ten Commandments for Controlling a game?
Mechanics of dead ball officiating and criteria for horse collar tackling are
reviewed
Problem of inadvertent whistles. Where do you put your whistle?
Heat getting to you? How to cope with heat illness
Avoiding Law Suits: Do your Pregame check correctly!
Non-traditional facemasks prohibited over safety concerns
CFOA exam is in the hands of your FOA
2016 CFOA Conference Saskatoon May 20th to 23rd
Football Canada announces Chris Flynn Director of Sponsorships
Now that you have been updated with information, warnings and notices
enjoy!!!!
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SUITOR: HOW WILL THE CFL IMPROVE THE
OFFICIATING?
http://www2.tsn.ca/blogs/glen_suitor/?id=440553
A quick look in the rearview mirror at the 2013 CFL season
and we see a year that the league head offices can use as a
springboard to an even bigger and better future, with the exception of one pressing question that
just doesn't seem to ever go away: How will the league improve the officiating?
After a very successful expansion draft in December, the Ottawa Redblacks will kick it off for
real in a brand new facility this season. Hamilton will also be playing in a new stadium this year,
and the Bombers Investors Group Field still has that new stadium smell.
Jon Cornish, who won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's top male athlete of the year, headlines
a group of Canadian football players in the CFL that continue to get better and are proving that
Canadians are, not only capable of playing the skilled positions, but can be impact players.
Young quarterbacks excelled in 2013 and showed football fans across the country that the future
is bright at the most important position on the field.
And, discussions regarding a tenth franchise in the Maritimes has moved from the "dream stage"
to the "serious talks" stage with the signing of a new, game-changing television agreement with
TSN.
There is no question the future looks bright for the CFL, with one issue yet to be tackled. Ask the
average football fan in our country what is the one area that the league must improve on moving
forward and they will say officiating ninety-nine per cent of the time.
Now, inconsistencies with the refs are not a problem unique to the CFL, as evidence by some of
the recent games in the NFL, and it is not unique to the sport of football. However, in a world
where perception is reality, the perception for most of the fans is that officiating is lagging
behind in the Canadian Football League and it needs to improve.
Interestingly enough, the league office has a plan. It is in its infancy and has not been talked
about very much but the blueprint to improving this area of the game is being drafted right now.
Prior to the end of the 2013 calendar year, the league quietly made a change at the top with
regards to officials. Head of officiating, Tom Higgins, was not offered a contract extension and
just a few days later the league announced the hiring of veteran head referee, Glen Johnson.
Higgins should be proud of his time in the big chair, despite the perception that officiating is the
CFL's weak link. The highlights of his tenure included streamlining the command centre,
improving the use of technology as a learning tool and maybe most importantly, opening a line
of communication between the league's head office and its coaches, players and partners.
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However, in this performance-based business, where if you're not moving forward and
improving you are moving backwards, it seemed that when it came to officiating, the CFL was in
a holding pattern.
Enter Glen Johnson, a veteran of twenty four years as a head
ref, who has been in the trenches in 416 games and 11 Grey
Cups. Johnson has also been on the leagues rules committee
for more than ten years, so he is very familiar with the
strengths and weaknesses of that process.
Obviously, Johnson is not new to the CFL. However, he does
have a new role and if it is true about the value of first
impressions, then the league is in very good hands as they
move forward in the area of officiating. In a recent phone
conversation, Johnson wanted to emphasis that he is still moving into his new office and his
game plan is in the first draft stage, but immediately stated that, "there are three areas that I
would like to work on." He also wanted to make it clear off the top that all discussions would of
course include the CFL Officials Association, the CFL Players Association, and the board of
governors, because changes cannot be made without their input and cooperation.
First on Johnson's, to do list was improving consistency. He stated, "despite the perception, the
leagues officials do a very good job but it is very important to improve the consistency from one
game to another and one crew to another." He admitted that is not exactly a news flash, but went
on to explain just how he would want to attack the issue of inconsistency.
First, once the standards are agreed upon, it is incumbent on the league office to make sure
everyone is, as he put it, "speaking the same language." In other words, to be consistent there has
to be consistency in the message. Johnson stated, "the language used to instruct our officials has
to be the same language we use when explaining those rules to coaches, players and the fans of
the game."
Johnson, who has spent the last twenty-seven years as a technology executive, also thinks that
the league can continue to use technology not only as a teaching tool but also as a way of
communicating with fans, and would like to see greater transparency in the process. Johnson
explained, "if we are all speaking the same language, then there will be an overall better
understanding as to how rules are assessed and applied."
The second item on the agenda for Johnson is to look at ways to expand replay. As he put it, "we
need to continue to protect the integrity of the game, but maybe it is time to become innovators
and further examine all aspects of the command centre."
Johnson will meet with the heads of officiating in the NHL, NFL and MLB in early February to
go over ways to improve upon the use of instant replay. He also mentioned that he would like to
initiate the discussions on all things replay, including how and when coaches can challenge a call
on the field and to even examine, and possibly expand, the plays that can be challenged. That
could include, again in a very preliminary way, talks on pass interference and whether or not that
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penalty could be a play that could be reviewed. Johnson understands the frustration when it
comes to this penalty and isn't making any guarantees that drastic changes are on their way, but
said that on the agenda is, "how we get better at that rule." He wanted to be clear that the goal is
not to take what is a judgment call out of the hands of one individual and put it in the hands of
another, but that maybe there are other ways to look at this penalty. He suggested that he would
like to explore the possibilities of using technology within the stadium to assist the refs on the
field when it comes to the game changing PI call.
Finally, he referenced again the fact that professional football is a performance based business
for everyone involved including the officials, and wants to make his third priority making sure
that week in and week out the best refs available are on the field.
He explained by saying, "that means evaluating how the league recruits its officials, develops
them, and how they evaluate them." Johnson feels that it may be time for a shift in thinking in
the area of officiating that moves closer to how a team GMs or coach evaluates a player, saying,
"We need to start thinking more like the clubs, when it comes to recognizing and evaluating
talent." He went on to say that he is looking for new and innovative ways to create opportunities
for the refs to actually practice. "It's hard for a ref to practice, we train them and prepare them,
but we can't actually evaluate their talent level until they are actually in games." An interesting
point when you consider a coach evaluates a player from the moment, he hits the first practice at
training camp to game one of the regular season, which is a lot of plays at close to game speed to
see if the athlete has what it takes. In comparison, new officials get a couple of preseason games
at best.
If you read between the lines, it sounds like the new head of officiating wants to see refs working
in practice with the teams on a regular basis, which is again an excellent idea. As an example, the
Argos' run and passing skeleton 8-on-8 drill in practice with real officials on the field looking for
and calling offensive and defensive pass interference. The players work on their game and so do
the refs. It would also allow players to better understand where the boundaries are long before
they cost their team by taking a bad penalty in a real game.
The call was made to Glen Johnson before 2013 was officially in the books, and his three point
priority list was already being formulated. He couldn't give a lot of details before meeting with
all the groups involved in the process but didn't hesitate to outline his three points of focus.
Put together a game plan so that the league can find more consistency from game to game and
crew to crew. Take a good hard look and become innovators when it comes to instant replay and
the command centre. And make sure that the best talent available is always on the field.
The officials, like the players, coaches and the colour analysts in the game, will never be perfect.
As long as human beings are involved, there is going to be human error which fans understand.
However, as the CFL sling shots into the future with improved play on the field and a much
better business model off the field, fans have to also see that there is a plan in place to improve
the area of the game that is the number one topic of discussion every year - officiating.
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It's early in the process and a lot of work has got to be done but after a conversation in late
December with Glen Johnson, it sounds like there is a new and "innovative" game plan being
formulated as we speak.
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Dead Ball Officiating
Ray Lutz presents a dead ball officiating example.
He states most dead ball fouls with in ten yards and 2 seconds of the being dead. Defenders don’t block
they tackle
In the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=374JkFJjqYY
Watch the right defensive tackle (top of screen) comes across and his action
After the play who is watching to see this?
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Referring related quotes from Lower Mainland FOA
courtesy of Lorne (skip) Mountain
You Make the Call
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Avoiding Inadvertent Whistles and your
Whistle
I was speaking with an official in the umpire position. He actually uses two
whistles. With the lanyard whistle in his mouth he can quickly blow the play
dead for infractions like illegal procedure or the defense crossing the neutral
zone. Once the ball is snapped he drops the lanyard from his mouth and will then only use the
finger whistle. This is his method to avoid the inadvertent whistle.
Rob Christian
Whistle while you work, NFL referee style
by Mark Schultz • November 29, 2012
Football Zebras Images: Fox40 International, Steve Gonzales/Oakland Raiders
This season has seen three inadvertent whistles (IW) being blown by the officials, with the
latest being this past week in the game between the Raiders and Bengals. NFL officials, and
officials at all levels, have various tricks of the trade to avoid an IW, with some of the most
basic being how they carry their whistle.
Football officials carry their whistle
three ways: either on a lanyard draped
around their neck, a finger whistle,
which is a device that fits over two or
more fingers with the whistle
attached, or on a short lanyard tied to
their wrist. The NFL allows the
officials to use all three
methods. Historically, finger whistles
have been very popular in the south and east while the
lanyard has been
popular in the Midwest and west; however those historical
norms have become more blurred as time goes by.
Each method has its pros and cons. Many officials like to
use the finger whistle because it takes an extra moment to bring the whistle up to the mouth
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and the official has to make a concerted effort to do so. Many officials who use a finger
whistle say that extra moment has saved them from an IW. There are cons to using the finger
whistle. One is that if an official is blowing the whistle and a player hits his arm, the official
ends up punching himself in the face and the whistle could damage his teeth. A ball or player
could also hit the finger whistle and injure the official’s hand. Also, officials have to be wary
of one-handed signals. It looks very sloppy for an official to make a one-armed incomplete,
touchdown, or stop-the-clock signal. Watch old footage of the NFL from the 1960s and ’70s
and you will see rampant one-armed signals made by some of the most legendary officials of
that era. Today, finger-whistle officials are taught to give their whistle a few toots, then
make their signal.
The official who uses the wrist lanyard uses the same techniques as the official using the
finger whistle, except they let the whistle dangle free while handling the ball, etc.
Officials who use lanyard whistles can blast the whistle and signal at the same time, and their
hands are free and won’t get snagged on a finger whistle. On the down side, officials who use
a lanyard are very tempted to have the whistle in their mouth during a live ball. That greatly
increases the chance of an inadvertent whistle. Jerry Markbreit, one of the most
accomplished officials in the world, always had the whistle in his mouth during a live ball. It
takes a great deal of discipline to have the whistle in one’s mouth and not blow an
IW. Officials are taught to spit out the whistle at the snap and run with the whistle in their
hand. Do you know why Ron Winter wears a lanyard that reaches down to his belt? It is so
he can hold the whistle in his hand and run using full arm strides. Many other officials are
copying Winter’s extra long lanyard. Another way officials who use lanyards can avoid an IW
is to simply let the whistle hang around their neck a nd blow it only once or twice a
game. Watch the deep officials the next game (side judge, field judge, back judge). You’ll
notice them running with the lanyard flying in the breeze, and when the play becomes dead,
they simply signal without a whistle blast.
Officials have an axiom: “The whistle does not kill the play. The whistle simply announces to
all that the ball is already dead.” Officials have many tricks, techniques, and mechanics to
avoid an IW. That is what makes three high-profile inadvertent whistles in the NFL so
disconcerting this season. The officials have been taught how to avoid the IW, but we’ve seen
too many this year. As I’ve noted before, the inadvertent whistle is a horrifying mistake for
an official, and broadcasts to all involved that the official was duped, lost concentration, or
used bad mechanics. And, there is no sure-fire way for an official to carry his whistle that
guarantees that he avoids the IW.
Hopefully this rash of inadvertent whistles is an outlier in 2012 and the best officials in the
world will keep the air out of their whistles until the ball is truly dead.
http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/
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Avoiding law suits - Check the field in pregame
It takes years for liability suites to reach the court system. Often due to costs on
both sides the parties often agree to out of court settlements
Recently, the CFOA paid the
premium to its insurer as a result of
the court decision in favor of the
plaintiff. In brief the CFOA was
informed that a football player hurt by a
sprinkler head during a game in 2006.
School Board and Officials were named in lawsuit – unsafe field (School Board field maintained by City, they were also named) – The key point against the
officials was they allowed game to be played in this condition.
Apparently the case was settled out-of-court with all Defendants contributing to a
settlement pool and the investigation and defense costs which exceeded $10,000
(the ultimate settlement amount is not revealed). The liability with Lloyd’s carried
a $1,000 Reimbursement Clause Endorsement, which applies to expense and
indemnity payments.
Searching the web , First and Ten located this information in the handbook of the
Arizona Football Officials Association Included is a comprehensive list of what to
check in pregame field and player inspections.
I Intentional acts
A.
Assault, defamation, fraudulently influencing the result of the competition, etc.
II Negligence or “sports official malpractice”
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A. Which results in an injury to a participant, spectator, or others.
1.Negligence: The failure to use reasonable care to see that the rules of the competition are
complied with.
Standard Of Care: In evaluating an official’s conduct, the courts will judge it against that
of a “Reasonable and Prudent” person with similar training and experience.
3.
The Reasonably Prudent Official.
a. Knows the rules that are designed to protect the players;
b. Knows his or her responsibility in enforcing these rules; and
c. Does not permit anyone to prevent him or her from doing his or her job.
2.
III What a plaintiff must prove to recover
damages against an official
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The existence of a duty from the official to the plaintiff;
The breach of that duty by the official;
A casual connection between the negligent conduct of the official and the injury to the
plaintiff;
Plaintiff’s injury; and
Damages to the plaintiff resulting from the official’s negligent conduct.
IV Who defends the suit
A.
Who pays if an official is found liable to a plaintiff for damages?
1. The AIA? – NO, the official is an independent contractor and the AIA is not liable for the
official’s negligence.
2. The school? – NO, because the official is an independent contractor unless the school is
independently liable for its own negligence: There is a defect in the playing field.
3. The official’s protection
a. Cost of Defense: $5,000 - $20,000 and up;
b. Homeowner’s insurance policy? Probably not;
c. Official’s Liability insurance policies. National Federation ($1,000,000) comes
with your registration; NASO has a policy. CAFOA does not.
Lawsuit examples – reported cases
http://www.azfoa.org/OfficialsManual/19Legal.htm
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A.
B.
C.
Georgia High School Association vs. Waddel (1981): Football – Wrong enforcement
of roughing the kicker penalty causes loss of playoff qualifying game. Parents of
losing team players sued. Trial court’s order to replay the last 7 minutes of 4th quarter
(reversed on appeal).
Benitez vs. New York Board of Education (1989): High school football player
paralyzed in game sued school district, coach, and principal for allowing him to play
in mismatched football game while fatigued. $1,250,000 judgment for plaintiff
reversed on appeal.
Harvey vs. Ouachita Parish School Board (1989): High school football player
grabbed by face mask, twisted, and forced out of bounds where other opponents piled
on him, sued coach of opponents and association because referees failed to conduct
game with reasonable safety, allowed dangerous and intentionally harmful play to go
on, allowed plaintiff to be injured by opposing team after play was dead, and failed to
expel excessively rough players from the game. Association not liable for referee’s
negligence.
Unreported cases
A.
Cap vs. bound Brook Board of Education (1984): High School football officials sued for
allowing game to be played on extremely muddy field by player paralyzed from the neck down
while attempting a tackle. Claims against officials dismissed. Claims against coach and school
settled.
Bubba Smith vs. National Football League (1974): NFL, Linesman Ed Marion, and
chain crew member sued by Bubba Smith who claimed a career shortening knee
injury occurred when he ran into a down marker stuck in the ground. Jury found for
the defendants on Bubba’s negligence claim
Areas of concern for football officials
The Arizona FOA provides a comprehensive list of this to check for during your pregame check
of field and players
A.
Condition of the playing field:
1.
High jump pits, shot put areas, etc…
2.
3.
Holes, sprinkler heads, rocks, glass, muddy
conditions, etc.
Goal posts properly padded
B.
Mandatory Equipment:
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1.
Helmet and face mask with NOCSAE
2.
Hip pads with tailbone protector:
3.
Knee pads over the knee, under the pants:
4.
Mouthpiece:
5.
Cleats no longer than ½ inch:
6.
Shoulder pads and thigh guards:
C.
Illegal equipment:
1.
Hard substances unless covered:
2.
Knee braces not properly designed and worn:
3.
Projecting metal or other hard substance:
4.
Plastic material without rounded edges:
5.
Uncovered rib or back protectors:
6.
Jewelry:
7.
Helmet eye shield that prevents visual examination of player’s eyes:
C.
Condition of Equipment
1.
Allow necessary repair;
2.
Blow whistle immediately if runner’s helmet comes off during play;
3.
Correct missing, illegal, and repair defective equipment before further participation;
D.
Weather conditions, especially lightning
1.
8 to 9 million lightning strikes per day
2.
Electric current 300 miles per second
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3.
Fifty million volts of electricity per strike
4.
See August 1997 Referee magazine article
E.
Injured players;
1.
Remove injured or apparently injured player for one down.
2.
Unconscious or apparently unconscious player may not return to game without written
authorization from a physician.
3. Remove bleeding player, player with open wound, and player with excessive blood on
uniform.
F.
Instructions to chain crew; off line; flag ends on markers.
G.
Keep sidelines clear
H.
Penalizing rough play and ejecting offending players;
1.
Fighting, striking, kicking, or kneeing requires ejection from game;
2.
Penalize unsportsmanlike conduct such as baiting and taunting to keep game under
control;
VII
1.
Areas of little concern
Misapplication of a rule causing economic loss; non-reviewability by courts.
2.
Ordinary injuries associated with the game not caused by illegal equipment or by players
who previously have been playing with excessive roughness, but were not disqualified when they
should have been.
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English
/ Français
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE June
5,2015
www.footballcanada.com
Non-traditional facemasks prohibited over safety concerns
Non-traditional or overbuilt facemasks contain more bars, smaller spaces
between bars and cover a larger area.
These particular facemasks more frequently fail the certification tests
conducted by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic
Equipment (NOCSAE), the organization that approves equipment based on
performance standards.
Until further information on the safety of non-traditional or overbuilt
facemasks is determined, only traditional facemasks will be permitted by
Football Canada.
Examples of traditional and non-traditional facemasks can be found here.
Players wearing non-traditional facemasks will be subject to rule 1, section
11, article 1, penalty c (page 10) of the Canadian Amateur Tackle Football
Rule Book:
Loss of 5 yards from point where the ball would have been put into play,
if no other foul had occurred, or added to the penalty for any other foul.
The offending player shall be removed from the game until the illegal
equipment is replaced. Immediate substitution will be made, but the game
shall not be delayed. If more than 1 player offends on the same play, only
1 penalty L5 will be applied for that play. Fouls on subsequent plays will
be penalized in the same way - L5 on each play where 1 or more players
offend.
Recent research also suggests that the use of overbuilt or non-standard
facemasks present specific safety risks and should not be used. The NFL
banned the use of non-traditional facemasks in 2014 and the NCAA followed
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their lead by banning them in 2015.
Among the studies, Dr. Erik E. Swartz of the University of New Hampshire
concluded four primary concerns listed below:
1. Added weight and more robust construction of the masks appears to
negatively affect the structural integrity of the helmet during impact
certification tests.
2. The added weight of the masks acts to shift the head's centre of gravity
forward. This could have a tendency to fatigue the neck extensors and
result in a head-down position during contact and tackling. The added
weight increases the head's effective mass and may increase rotational
acceleration following impact.
3. The additional, smaller spaces created in the mask increase the risk of
another player's finger getting incidentally caught between the wires,
potentially causing serious hand injury of the opponent as well as neck
injury of the wearer.
4. The additional material may negatively affect a player's behavior during
contact and tackling due to an added false sense of security.
See the Swartz (2014) full research summary here.
5 juin 2015
Les protecteurs facials non-traditionnels interdits pour des raisons de
sécurité
Les protecteurs facials non-traditionnels et surdimensionnés contiennent plus
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de barres, de plus petits espaces entre les barres et couvrent une plus grande
surface.
Ces protecteurs facials échouent généralement les tests de certification du
National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment
(NOCSAE), l'organisme en charge d'évaluer et d'approuver l'équipement
sportif d'après certains standards de performance et de sécurité.
D'ici à ce que plus d'informations soit fournie sur l'aspect sécuritaire des
protecteurs facials non-traditionnels et surdimensionnés, seulement les
protecteurs facials traditionnels seront permis par Football Canada.
Des exemples de protecteurs facials traditionnels et non-traditionnels peuvent
être trouvés ici.
Les joueurs utilisant des protecteurs facials non-traditionnels seront sujet au
Règlement 1, Section 11, pénalité C (page 11) du Livre des règlements du
football amateur canadien :
Pénalité : moins 5 verges à l'endroit où le ballon aurait été mis en jeu si
aucune autre infraction ne s'était produite ou ajouter à toute autre
infraction. Le joueur fautif doit être retiré de la partie jusqu'à ce qu'il soit
équipé convenablement. Il doit être remplacé immédiatement, la partie ne
pouvant être retardé. Si plus d'un joueur de la même équipe est fautif sur
le même jeu, seule une pénalité de 5 vergers sera appliquée. Si la même
infraction se reproduit lors de jeux subséquents, la pénalité sera appliquée
de la même façon - P5.
La recherche suggère d'ailleurs que l'usage de protecteur facial nontraditionnels et surdimensionnés présente des risques de blessures particuliers
et ne devraient pas être utilisés. La NFL a banni l'usage de ces types de
protecteur facial en 2014 et la NCAA a suivi leur initiative en les bannissant
en 2015.
Parmi les études, Dr Erik E. Swartz de l'Université du New Hampshire a
conclu quatre sources d'inquiétudes vis-à-vis ces protecteurs facial.
1. Le poids supplémentaire et la construction plus robuste du protecteur
facial affectent de façon négative l'intégrité structurelle des casques lors
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des tests d'impacts
2. Le poids supplémentaire du protecteur facial déplace le centre de
gravité de la tête vers l'avant. Cela a une tendance à fatiguer les muscles
extenseurs du cou et résulte en une position avec la tête basse lors des
contacts et des plaquages. Le poids supplémentaire augmente la masse
totale de la tête et peut augmenter l'accélération en rotation de la tête
suite à l'impact.
3. Les espaces additionnels et plus petits de la grille augmente le risque
qu'un autre joueur se coince le doigt entre les barreaux, causant
potentiellement de graves blessures à la main de ce dernier ainsi que
des blessures au cou du joueur portant le casque.
4. Les matériaux additionnels peut affecter de façon négative le
comportement des joueurs lors des contacts et des plaques due à un
faux sentiment de sécurité.
Voyez le résumé complet de la recherché de Swatz (2014) ici.
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Chris Flynn named Football Canada Director of
Sponsorship
Former university standout and current business professional, Chris Flynn has joined Football Canada as
its director of sponsorship.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity to be working with Football Canada and am determined to help
build a strong sponsorship program for amateur football across Canada," said Flynn.
A Buckingham, Quebec native, Flynn is the only three time Hec Crighton winner, the trophy that is given
to the most outstanding Canadian university football player. A dominant Saint Mary's quarterback, he still
holds Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) records for single-season passing touchdowns (30, 27) and
career passing touchdowns (87), despite only playing four seasons (1987-90) with the Huskies. In his four
years at Saint Mary's University (SMU), Flynn led the Huskies to a 27-2 regular season record on his way
to four consecutive national semi-final appearances. The feat marked a dramatic turnaround for a SMU
team with only a single win to its name the previous three seasons.
In 2011, Flynn became the first amateur player to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
since Gordon Perry in 1970 and the first to be inducted based purely on his university accomplishments.
In 2014, he was named the top player in CIS football history while earlier this year he entered the Nova
Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.
Flynn has previously served as the National Advertising Sales Director with the Real Estate News
Exchange and also as a Territory Sales Representative with the Herjavec Group.
To discuss sponsorship opportunities please email [email protected].
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Chris Flynn nommé directeur des commandites de
Football Canada
L'ex-joueur étoile universitaire et homme d'affaires Chris Flynn s'est joint à
Football Canada comme directeur de la commandite.
« Je suis très enthousiaste de pouvoir travailler avec Football Canada et je suis
déterminé à contribuer à la mise en place d'un programme de commandite solide
pour le football amateur à l'échelle nationale », affirme Flynn.
Originaire de Buckingham au Québec, Flynn est le seul triple récipiendaire du
trophée Hec Crighton décerné au joueur par excellence du football universitaire
canadien. Quart arrière dominant à St. Mary's, il détient toujours le record de
Sport interuniversitaire canadien (SIC) pour le nombre de passes de touché en une
saison (30, 27) et de touchés en carrière (87) malgré le fait qu'il n'ait disputé que
quatre saisons (1987-1990) chez les Huskies. En quatre ans à l'Université St.
Mary's (SMU), Flynn a mené les Huskies à un dossier de 27-2 en saison régulière
en route vers quatre participations consécutives aux demi-finales nationales. Ce
fait d'armes a marqué un revirement pour une équipe de SMU qui n'avait
remporté qu'une victoire à ses trois saisons précédentes.
En 2011, Flynn est devenu le premier joueur amateur intronisé au Temple de la
renommée du football canadien depuis Gordon Perry en 1970 et le premier
intronisé uniquement sur la base de ses réalisations dans les rangs universitaires.
En 2014, il a été nommé meilleur joueur de football de l'histoire de SIC tandis
que plus tôt cette année, il a été intronisé au Panthéon du sport de la NouvelleÉcosse.
Flynn a été Directeur des ventes publicitaires nationales au sein de Real Estate
News Exchange et représentant territorial des ventes au sein du groupe Herjavec.
Pour discuter de possibilités de commandites, veuillez faire parvenir un courriel à
l'adresse [email protected].
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Football Canada 100 – 2255, boul. St. Laurent Ottawa, ON K1G 4K3 Telephone : 613-564-0003 Fax: 613564-6309 [email protected]
Contacts Rose-Anne Joly
Administrative Coordinator:
General inquiries
[email protected] ext: 221
Shannon Donovan Executive Director:
Operations, events, competitions,
officials, finance
[email protected] ext:
225
Aaron Geisler
Technical Coordinator:
JPD, 6-A-Side, Flag Football,
Aboriginal programs, NCCP
[email protected] ext:
227
Patrick DeLottinville
Communications Coordinator
[email protected]
ext: 226
Tamara Hinic
[email protected]
Event Coordinator
ext. 222
Jean François Lefebvre,
[email protected]
Manager, Program Development
ext. 228
Chris Flynn Director of sponsorship
[email protected].
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