Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
Again that book can get you guys in trouble trying to use it without consideration of the real world.
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It's a double edged sword, cutting both ways. The rulebook can hurt us, but it can also help us.
My point is that if in an end of game, close score, situation, if an official admits to "guessing" within earshot of losing coaches or athletic directors, those coaches and directors will find out from one of their official buddies (they all have them) that "guessing' was not by the book (lots of rule, casebook, and interpretations to support that the official screwed up), which can come back to bite the official in the butt if the issue is bumped up the ladder to an assigner, or the state association.
Rather than admitting to "guessing", I'm saying to just say, "Coach, I spotted 0:00.02 on the clock as I sounded my whistle" (be firm, sell it, all good officials watch the clock in the last seconds of a period), after making your best judgment estimate in your mind, and then the actual rule can't hurt you.