Run the trench like the judge it deserves
This course certifies you to officiate Approved 5v5 lineman tournaments. You will learn the rep, the 3-second count, how points are awarded, and every penalty in the Approved rulebook. Then you pass a 10-question exam and log one hour of live observation. The course fee is $99.
How certification works
- Register and pay the $99 course fee by Venmo to @v-12elite. Enter your Venmo details to unlock the course.
- Work through Modules 1 to 5. Each ends with a quick ungraded check.
- Take the Final Exam. Score 8 or better out of 10. You can retake it.
- Complete one hour of live observation at an Approved 5v5 event, standing with a certified official.
- Sign the Observation Acknowledgement and send your submission code to Approved for verification.
- Once verified, your certification is valid for one year from the certification date. Recertify each year by retaking the course, exam and observation.
Pay the course fee · $99
Includes the full course with game film, the final exam with retakes, your certificate, and one year of certification.
Send $99.00 on Venmo to @v-12elite. In the Venmo note, write Approved 5v5 cert so your payment can be matched to you.
The game and your role
A 5v5 game is a series of one-on-one pass-rush reps. Five offensive linemen protect a pop-up bag that stands in for the quarterback. Five defenders try to reach it.
One official per game
You are the judge. You hold the 3-second timer and you award every point, to offense or defense.
The host team assigns a neutral scorekeeper. You call the point; the scorekeeper records it. Announce each call loud and clear so the scorekeeper and both benches hear it.
Game length and scoring
- A game runs 6 minutes or to 21 points.
- Each rep is worth one point.
- Each player gets 2 reps.
- After the first five on offense compete, the teams switch and the other side goes on offense. Play continues until one team is declared the winner.
Pre-game equipment check
Mouth guards on every player (mandatory)
Cleats on every player (mandatory)
Headgear: soft-shell helmet or ring (mandatory)
No inappropriate language displayed on uniforms
Rosters
A team may carry a maximum of 12 players. Entry fees must be paid before the tournament starts; the tournament host handles that, not you.
No substitutions between reps.
The score is 17–14 and the game clock shows 6:00 elapsed. What happens?
Set up and start the rep
You set the line of scrimmage and the pop-up bag. Once all ten players are aligned, you may start the first rep.
Setup checklist
Five offensive players form the line of scrimmage.
Pop-up bag set 5 yards back to represent the QB.
Defenders may align head up, on a shoulder, or in a gap.
Reps go in order, left tackle to right tackle.
How a rep starts
There is no verbal cadence. The rep begins on the movement of the offensive lineman.
The offensive player is allowed to get settled into his stance. Once he is set, his first real movement starts the rep and starts your count.
You run a 10-second rep clock. If a player delays past it, that is delay of game, point to the other team.
What to watch
- The lineman (#13, gold) walks up and settles into his stance. Nothing has started yet; settling is allowed.
- Once he is set, watch for stillness. A head bob, a hand shift or a hip twitch now would be a false start.
- His first pass-set step starts the rep. That is when your 3-second count begins, not when the defender moves.
- The defender has to rush inside the tackle box toward the bag.
Tip: use 0.25× and step frame by frame to find the exact start of the rep.
Before the lineman moves, the defender crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact. What is the call?
The 3-second count and the point
Every rep ends one of two ways. The defender gets to the bag inside 3 seconds, or the blocker holds him off until your whistle on the 4th second.
Practice your count
Start counting on the lineman's first movement. Defense must touch the bag before 3. Blow your whistle at the 4th second.
Point to defense
- The defender touches the pop-up bag within 3 seconds.
- A clean rush or a technical sack (outside hand) wins the rep for defense.
- Any offensive penalty on the rep.
Point to offense
- The lineman keeps his block for 3 seconds, until the whistle, without a penalty.
- Any defensive penalty on the rep.
What to watch
- Position yourself like the official in black: off to the side, even with the action, with a clear look at hands and feet.
- Hands first. Are the blocker's hands inside, on the chest? Hands outside the chest, or gripping shoulders or back, is holding.
- Count the defender's steps while he has two hands on. By the second step, one hand must come off. Two hands for three steps is a bull rush.
- Keep counting seconds in your head the whole time. The engagement does not pause the clock.
This clip is short. Leave it on 0.25× and loop it to read hands and feet.
The blocker rides the defender past the bag. The defender's outside hand brushes the bag at about 3.5 seconds, before your whistle. Whose point?
Penalties: point to the other team
Every penalty awards the rep's point to the other team. Know who commits each one and what it looks like at full speed.
The lineman drives the defender to the ground with a legal block. Then the defender gets up and hip-tosses a different blocker on the next rep. Which is the penalty?
Conduct and challenges
Taunting escalates
| Offense | Result |
|---|---|
| 1st | Warning |
| 2nd | Point to the other team |
| 3rd | Disqualified from the tournament |
Keep a written tally per player so the escalation is consistent across games.
Challenge cards
- Each team gets 1 challenge for the tournament, handed out as a card at the start.
- Teams that make the championship get 1 more challenge.
- When a team challenges, collect the card.
- A challenge results in a replay of the rep. Win or lose, the challenge is spent.
Automatic calls
- Hands to the face: automatic penalty, point to the other team.
- Playing after the whistle: automatic penalty, point to the other team.
- Delay of game: past the 10-second rep clock, point to the other team.
Optional awards
Some events award a Game MVP (player with the most points in the game) and a Trench King / Tournament MVP (most tournament points). Your clear calls to the scorekeeper are what make those totals right.
A team uses its challenge and the replayed rep goes against them again. In the championship game they want to challenge. Can they?
Final exam
Score 8 or better out of 10 to pass. Answer every question, then submit. You can retake it; the order of the questions changes each attempt.
Live observation acknowledgement
Before you officiate on your own, spend one full hour at an Approved 5v5 event standing with a certified official. Watch their count, their positioning and how they announce calls. Then sign below.
During your hour, watch for
How they set the line and the bag, and confirm all ten are aligned
When their count starts on the lineman's first movement
Where they stand to see hands and feet
How they announce calls to the scorekeeper
How they handle a challenge card and a taunting warning
Your status
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Send your submission code
Copy this code and email or text it to your Approved certification coordinator. It carries your exam result and observation log. You are certified once the coordinator verifies it.
Certification roster
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Add a submission
| Name | Org | Contact | Payment | Exam | Observation | Status | Certified | Expires |
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