[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

When we have these discussions, I am really not trying to convince you or anyone what you should do. Ultimately each of us has to decide what works for them and why. I just think that officials spend too much time worrying about what a coach is going to do if we apply the rules that are clearly stated. I have been ultra-successful doing the things I talk about here and so has my crew as these are not just my ideals or experiences brought to the crew philosophy. Our Referee worked 2 State Finals as Referee long before he got to my current crew for his third and would not handle this as you have stated by saying "never" at the varsity level for sure. It is very unlikely we would ever have a captain "live" with that choice or make that choice without some challenge or questioning from the Referee. As I said, the other captains hear their choice and if we "save" the team from themselves and make the choice for them, we will be seen much worse and predetermining the outcome. I would much rather be in a situation where I followed a rule, then seen as doing something nefarious that affects the game.

I equate this to what we do in basketball when a timeout is requested. Yes we can ignore a timeout request when a team is out, but that means that we do so with the other team hearing such request and thinking we did not do our job. The funny thing at the college jamboree I worked on Sunday is that very thing happen and we gave a team a technical foul for calling an unused timeout. And the coach of the team that was given the T claimed, "You should have helped him out." But there was not much he could say when I stated, "The official did not grant the request, but there is only so much you can do when he is yelling at you." The coach obviously backed off and got the overall point. If we did not give the technical in that situation, the other coach would have claimed we ignored an obvious rule. We cannot win either way, so why not do what the rule says?

Peace

Comparing this to a timeout request in basketball is like comparing apples and kumquats.