[stripes]

Originally posted by Camron Rust
While I don't usually stretch on the floor more than a little. I would like to pose the question:

Why would it be considered unprofessional to stretch?

This is atheletics. We will be running along with the teams. I'm not so sure that being seen stretching will in anyway be viewed as unprofessional by anyone other than another ref who has been taught tought so.

Could stretching even be seen as being more professional? You would appear to be getting ready for the gae and taking the game seriously as opposed to appearing that you don't plan on exerting yourself...perhaps loafing.

Would it really be a negative to stretch?

I'm not suggesting lying on the floor and doing stretches of that nature but more like the calf/hamstring stretches (by leaning/pushing foward on a wall/table/chair) or back/stomach stretching by leaning around.

I'm with you Camron. I know that the book says not to stretch on the floor, but I have never figured out why this would be considered unprofessional. I look at as being prepared to go when the kids are ready. That being said, I do my stetching in the locker room before hand, but I would not have a problem stretching on the floor. The 15 minutes on the floor before tipoff (30 minutes for my college games) gets painfully boring--I would love it if we could come out at the one minute mark, shake the coach's hand and toss the ball, but that is another issue.