[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by BigCat

I usually know when I screw up. I'll give the player a little rope in an emotional game ...and the coach, if I'm next to him and he is in his box.

Yeah, when I know I kick one they get a little extra rope. Mason's reaction warranted a T but his teamate came over quickly and grabbed him and if I know I just kicked that call I have a hard time sticking the kid based on his immediate reaction there. Would have been interesting to see if the calling official or one of his partners would have got him if Self didnt create the easy T.

Originally Posted by OKREF

Mason earned a T as well. If you notice Self was already in the guys ear before the play happened. He's trying to talk to Self, and officiate. He just missed that. Didn't have a good look at it.

Yes, Self was in his ear about something else as he made the call.

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

You know, some guys who work tableside C/T multi-task by talking to the coach while officiating all the time. And they're good at it. Gene Steretore is a master at it (sometimes I think he could lay out a picnic blanket at the coach's feet and still officiate). I'm smart enough to know I can't do that. Heck, I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time.

So if you can get away with it and keep getting plays right, why not? The lesson learned in this case may be that the final 10 seconds of a half isn't the best time for it.

Edit: I just saw the play from an angle by the table. You know, I don't think the C got straight-lined so much as he just anticipated. Rare at that level, but we all do it sometimes. Look on C's face was that of immediate regret. I had one like that about four days ago. My worst call of the year; fast break, I'm racing to new L, pull up jumper.....and air in the whistle too quickly. It was a great, clean block. Fiddlesticks.

This may be the biggest takeaway from this play. Yes, talking to coaches, especially at this level, is a big part of officiating but you can't let it distract you from your primary job of calling plays. I'd bet that trying to multi-task here is what led to just reacting, putting air in the whistle, and guessing on a call. We've all done it. This was just a really bad one.

Originally Posted by johnny d

I missed the play and haven't seen the replay, but it doesn't matter how bad the call may have been. If Self was out of the box acting like an ass, then he deserved the T. He has been around long enough to know he will briefly get his say, and then it is time to move on.

I don't think any official in America sees Self's conduct and argues that he did not deserve a T there. That was as easy as it gets.