Set the stage: 7th grade Jr High Boys Tournament, Indiana team playing an Illinois team
<Start Lesson>
I learned two new things today.
1) When a thrower has the ball at their disposal and they jump in the air and land still out of bounds (without violating 3 feet or stepping inbounds) that this player has committed a traveling violation. In addition, since I didn't call it, it was "understood" that it must be a difference in rules from Indiana to Illinois.
Coach: "It must be an Illinois' thing."
TJ: "No, coach...it's a Fed thing."
2) When a dribbler jump stops (i.e. jumps off one foot and lands simultaneously on both) that the player may now choose any foot to be their pivot.
Soooo, when his player did this and I called a travel he proceeded to tell me that he had been coaching for 32 years, has 322 varsity wins, officiated for 22, and has taught his kids this and won a state championship doing this -- great, whatever.
While I admit I somewhat allowed him to crap on my floor while he took a 30-second time-out to tell me all this... I didn't whack him as I thought he had already embarrassed himself enough.
Sadly, a comment from a bleacher jockey said this: "Hey Ref, the coach is right... there's a referee sitting right by me and he says the coach is right." Eh, boy.
<End of Lesson>
It was an interesting morning to say the least.
I think JR said it best: Silly monkeys!