Quote:
My take on stop signs......
They're fine for some situations, not all situations. However, if used they are a final warning. Someone had better cease and desist immediately or the "T" should be given, also immediately. You sureasheck don't hold one for 7-8 seconds while a coach continues to jabber at you. You also sureasheck don't use it multi times on the same person. That's just repeating your warning while not doing anything about it. A stop sign is just the non-verbal way to say "that's enough"-- and mean it.
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As a user of the stop sign, although late on this quote (page1) its absolutely right. Every official has a different tolerance level of coaches. The spectrum goes from too lenient to too much of a hard azz and everywhere in between. I would like to think that I am somewhere in the middle maybe leaning towards leniency, since I used to belong to the dark side (coaching). So, if a coach is expressing frustration, without crossing the line, I will try and communicate with him(her). If the coach doesn't like or react well to my answer, the stop sign is coming out. That's it. Next time the coach acts up...
WHACK! But if I just whack a coach after trying to communicate to him(her) what I saw or called it could appear on tape that I went over there to pick a fight. I certainly don't want to get THAT reputation as my assignments will start to dry up.
As another veteran official I respect once said....
STOP
LOCK & LOAD (whistle in your mouth)
FIRE (WHACK)