The 70/30 Rule is a play-calling concept used when judging illegal contact. It helps officials focus the majority of their attention where contact is most likely to occur, while still maintaining awareness of the other player involved in the matchup.

Under this concept:

• 70% of your focus goes to where the contact is most likely to occur
• 30% of your focus remains on the other player or action in the matchup

This does not mean that 100% of your attention should be on one player. Officials must still maintain awareness of the full play.

Examples:

• When a player is in the triple threat position, you may officiate 70% offense because the offensive player is more likely to travel, pivot illegally, or make illegal contact with their elbow
• On certain defensive plays, you may shift the 70% focus toward the defender if that is where illegal contact is more likely to occur

Why the 70/30 Rule matters:

Officials cannot watch everything equally at the same time. The 70/30 Rule gives structure to visual discipline and improves decision-making.

Officiating focus:

Use the rule to guide your eyes toward the most likely source of illegal action while keeping awareness of the complete matchup.

This concept is explored more deeply in **The Art of Play Calling** lesson.