Spotting

As the Clock Scout, you have fewer play-to-play responsibilities than the Play Scout. However, that does NOT mean that this role is less important. It is imperative for the success of the operation that you remain engaged during the game and be an asset to your Play Scout partner. 

The best way to do this is to be an extra set of eyes and verbally relay information as a spotter. Every play-by-play operation across the nation, whether it's radio, TV, online gamecast, etc., has a spotter whose job is locked in on the field and verbally relays information to the scorers, statisticians, and/or broadcasters.  That's essentially what this operation is - we're building our own play-by-play for our clients and other departments. 

You and your partner will determine what works best for you in terms of communication, shorthand, timing, etc. And there is certainly no exact science for how this has to look and sound. Below are some ideas to stay engaged with the play-by-play and be a good spotter for your partner: 

Call out yard lines

• As soon as the ball carrier is tackled or pushed out of bounds, call out where it appears the ball will be spotted

• Getting yard lines in quickly is extremely important, so if you can help your partner get an accurate number tapped 2 seconds earlier, that's a win

Be on the lookout for Penalties

• Scan the field for penalties, particularly during and after the play

• The pre-snap penalties will be obvious, but if you can spot a random penalty by the back judge for a defensive holding or a post-play shove that results in a personal foul within moments of the flag being thrown, that is also a win

Alert Alert

• Checking the alert toggles on the yardage screen is extremely important. As the Clock Scout, you have a huge role in doing this quickly and accurately

• If you see the ball on the ground, "Fumble!"

• If you see the ball carrier break free, "Score Alert!"

• If the ball carrier goes down near the yard to gain, "Down at the __ yard line, we might have a 1st down here."

Be a professional, take pride in your work, be a good teammate, and enjoy the experience. We're paying you for 3-4 hours of your time to watch a football game. Yes, this is a job, and we are counting on you to take this seriously and give us good data. But also enjoy yourself! After all, it's football.