[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Rita,

I do not know of any StateHSAA that requires its high school coaches to prove that they know the rules and officiating mechanics of the sport in which they coach. I have been a basketball official for 31 years and I know only In fact, in the 31 years I have been a basketball official I have met only three coaches who were also officials at the time they were coaching. One was my high school basketball coach, the other retired years ago, and one is currently officiating as I type this post and I am trying to get him to leave the dark side because he is a very good young official.

Coaches will never go for a requirement to become knowledgeable in the rules of the sport in which they coach because they prefer to be ignorant of the rules because they are quite lazy about wanting to know the rules of the sport. I know that will tick off a lot of coaches but I have had too many coaches tell me that they cannot afford to spend the time studying the rules.