I completely understand your opinion, however I also understand the position of others. The NFHS, well they do write the rules and indicate how said rules will be enforced and interpreted, does not pay my bills. I, as an official, need to balance doing things according to what is right, and doing things according to the way the governing body wants things called. I personally, would not be enforcing things the way the NFHS wants if it were to cost me hundreds or thousands of dollars, and was a non-safety related issue. Now if it were a safety issue, then I would be making a much bigger issue.

As with all things in life, there are battles you choose to fight, and battles you let the other side win. Very few wars have ever concluded with one side winning every battle. The war is getting the games called in the best manner possible. This battle may not be something worth fighting in the short term, but is something to discuss in the long term.

I'm with you except that you're confused as to who ultimately gets to set the rules.

The NFHS sets the model rules, but the teams playing the game hire the referees and they get to set the rules. For the most part, they tell us to use the NFHS rules, but when they say otherwise (for example, OHSAA saying we are not to use the team control signal) we enforce the rules of the competition as set by the organizing association.

So if a league says that want this situation dealt in this way, you are ethically obligated to either deal with it this way or turn down the assignment. What the NFHS wants really doesn't enter into it.

Making this a moral issue is a bit....

So are you calling every travel when officiating for a disabled school?

or not following...

"Member associations of the NFHS independently make decisions regarding compliance with or modification of these playing rules for the student-athletes in their respective states."

Or the whole being cooperative with different associations.

I can respect your take on that matter, but that's for you, and by no means a moral values issues on an individual basis.

There's almost always more to be said, but turning this into some sort of ethical issue is over the top, Mark. Calling an official unethical because he or she follows the wishes of those who set the procedures and policies for the area is over the top and inappropriate.

The phrase "lighten up, Francis" comes to mind.

What we do is officiate a game. I'm as serious about it as one should be in this endeavor, but I'm not curing cancer.

+1. I had to double check that I was on a basketball officiating forum, discussing high school rules, nonetheless, after reading Mark's comment.