Speaking of rats...

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The OhioHSAA and the MichiganHSAA both use an online system for filing game reports. The two systems are different but both have a section where all officials in the crew are to be listed.

Both the OhioHSAA and the MichiganHSAA have the same ejection report protocol:

1) The school Principal or Athletic Director is to be called within 48 hours of the game (which I think is too long of a period, the call should be made the very next morning) or the first school day if the ejection was on a Friday or weekend.

2) The online game report is to be filled within 48 hours of the ejection; the school is set a copy of the game report immediately.

Mark, Jr., and I have always called the Principal (and not the Athletic Director for two reasons: (i) the Principal is the AD's boss and (ii) because we all know that doggie do-do flows downhill not uphill) the very next school day, but we also do something a little different. As soon as we return home we write up a game report on a Word document; this allows us to (i) put the relevant facts to paper while they are still fresh in our minds, (ii) look up all relevant Rules and Casebook Plays, and (iii) make sure that we use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. We can then copy and paste the report into the online game report. But more importantly, we can copy and paste it into an email which we immediately send to the Principal. The email is CC'ed to the AD and all members of the crew. It also alerts the Principal to expect a phone call from us and why we are calling. That way neither the Principal (nor the AD, who, depending upon the sport, may not know that an ejection had occurred) is not blind sided about the ejection by our phone call.

I read about this situation online over the weekend. There was no video of the infractions that resulted in the Player's and the HC's ejections. And even if there were, as someone who does not officiate football I would not be qualified to evaluate the situation. And the article that I read left a lot to be desired in describing the infractions so I could not tell really what happened and what the complaining official was disputing in the game report. This will be a situation that will be handled behind closed doors and we will never (I apologize to the late J. Dallas Shirely) know the complete story.

MTD, Sr.