Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim D.
In the case of spearing/butt blocking/face tackling, etc. I think the normal philosophy of not calling a foul unless your 100% is a key part of the problem that the NFL, NCAA and NFHS have with these calls not being made.
For the spear, etc. we really need to look at it in the opposite way - unless we're 100% sure it's legal, we should throw the flag. The failure to penalize these hits is so great (death or paralysis) that we can't wait until it's a textbook case with a perfect angle before we call it. If we let these go because we're not 100% sure, then the kid will try it again and again until we either call it or he breaks his neck. We'd be doing the players, coaches and parents a favor to be too quick with the flag rather than hold off.
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The reason the practice is to "be sure before you throw a flag" is because guessing (assuming, almost, might be) ultimately creates chaos. We have to trust each other, that we are each mature enough to realize the seriousness of certain fouls and to set our standards appropriately. However, wherever we set our standard, the one absolute must be certainty about what we see before we take action.
It's not a question about being too slow or too fast. It's a matter of being sure and being willing to accept any and all criticism for doing what we
know is right.