Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandon Kincer
If a coach comes on to the field and starts screaming and cursing in my face, After I throw the flag can I give him a second if he contiues?
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I think the way you avoid that necessity is to disengage after throwing the first flag. Essentially, you have to walk away to give the first penalty signal, see that the penalty is enforced, etc.
By doing so
you end the incident. There is no need for lecture, admonisment or even explanation, your flag speaks all that is necessary to be said and your signal confirms what has happened. 99.9% of the time, a rational coach will realize he has stepped over the line and accept that the incident is over, perhaps with some, ignored, decreasing mumbling and grumbling by the coach as you walk away.
For that other .01%, who are stupid enough to insist on continuing their "unsportsmanlike conduct", after your flag has signaled the end of the incident,
they are creating another, separate, incident and are fully responsible for the consequences that action.
As much as a coach has to consider the consequences of a second flag,
so do you. That second flag
requires the coach be disqualified (you're not ejecting him, he's disqualifying himself), which is a
very serious, and rare, situation (in most leagues). He is
required to physically leave the "stadium area", which equates to his being, "sent to his room", which should be embarrassing and shameful to him. This is not baseball, and his behavior is not acceptable as being strategic or motivational.
Someone foolish enough to push something that far, may resist the required disqualification and refuse to leave. In that event you could be faced with the inevitable prospect of eventually
forfeiting the game if his refusal to leave persists.
So, knowing full well, that if the situation is pushed to the extreme you will most certainly have the last word, you may want to disengage further, after that first flag, to minimize the chances you are dealing with a complete fool to
avoid approaching the need for a nuclear solution.
You have the absolute authority to control how far the situation may go, and when you have absolute authority you should be cautious and reluctant to unleash it, considering that reporting the incident after the game may very well generate sufficient and appropriate consequences for the offending coach.