Quote:
Originally Posted by RichMSN
It's unfair, perhaps, but I consider forfeiting a game to be a CLM (career-limiting move). The scrutiny after the fact should be 100% on the coach, not on you as the official.
It would take quite a bit more than a minute (maybe even more than 5 minutes) before I'd forfeit a game. I'd even probably ask game management to have the coach removed (even with the help of law enforcement) before I'd forfeit the game. If the coach doesn't leave and then *gets arrested*, who's going to be seen as the unreasonable party?
The exception to this would be if game management wasn't cooperative. And I could see that happening, too. If that's the case, eventually you may have to forfeit the game. Again, this is something that reflects poorly on the school, not on you. You've provided the rope and in ample length...
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This. All of this. And what Brad said earlier also.
Those that can't successfully blend the letter of the law with a common sense approach are not going to be successful in this business. As Brad pointed out, you
may forfeit a game, but as other folks have mentioned it should be a
last resort. If you allow game management and police to handle the problem, the s***storm falls back on the coach, not you, yet you have still followed procedure. If everybody else is uncooperative, you still have the rule in your back pocket as a last resort.
It's the same as warning a kid whose behavior is bordering unacceptable and who is walking the line of a technical foul. You can still give the kid a chance to correct his behavior by talking to him and warning him before giving him the T. I don't believe it's actually in the book anywhere that you can talk to a player and warn him before T'ing him, but you're blending the letter of the law with common sense.
Besides, if you forfeit a game you're going to catch hell over the fact that this game is for the kids, you decided the game for them, yada yada yada. Nobody wants to deal with that when it's avoidable.