[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by fiasco

It's not my job to "care," but it is my job to communicate. I wish I could go through a game and not have to interact with the coaches, but the fact is that we do. It's not unreasonable for a coach to ask a question (if he/she does it in the right way), and for us to give a reasonable answer. Problem is, I still haven't been able to come up with a reasonable answer in this instance.

When I pass on a handcheck because I don't think an advantage (or disadvantage) was gained, coaches are consistently asking me this year why I'm not calling it. Some of them are composed when they talk to me, others fly off the handle. The latter I can deal with.

The former is who I have been struggling with. These are coaches who remember explicitly from the rules clinic that if you put the hand on, then take it off, then put it back on, it's an "automatic" handcheck. That's how it was explained at this year's rule clinic, and we were told that was coming down from NFHS. Also, that two hands on the body is an "automatic" handcheck. Or that keeping a hand or forearm for an "extended" period of time is "automatic."

So, my opportunity as an official to make a judgment call is taken away and I either have to give the coach a stupid look and feel like an idiot when he asks me (in a reasonable manner) why I'm not calling it, or, since I'm doing freshman and JV ball, I have to call 50 handchecks during the course of one game.

I could give a crap what coaches are told in a clinic. I do not base my communication based on what they think they know or understand. I call my game based on the rules and my judgment. If they do not like it, that is their problem. I probably passed many schools to work their school, so what they think is a hand-check is not my concern or affect what I do. The rules say what a hand-check is, and if there is no advantage I am not calling it. Touching is not a foul. And I use the RSQB position (Rhythm, Speed, Quickness and Balance). If those things are not affected, then it is not a foul. Some players blow by defenders that try to put their hands on them. I am not calling a foul or calling a "game interrupter" just to satisfy a coach. I do call a lot of hand-checks early and it stops really quickly because those players will not be in the game too long if they do not know how to play defense without their hands.

Peace