Strange Case Continued ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Sounds like you're trying to justify your teaching of "automatic" rulings to new officials without having current references to validate your interpretation.

I actually teach mechanics, not rules (although I have in the past). However, I do mentor inexperienced officials. If this issue (head contact) comes up, knowing that they don't have access to the POE (which may be invalid), I refer them to the current intentional foul, and flagrant foul, rules, and mention that they may consider upgrades for head contact, advice based on my knowledge of the Point of Emphasis (degree of swinging elbows) without mentioning any "automatic" part.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I actually teach mechanics, not rules. However, I do mentor inexperienced officials. If this issue (head contact) comes up, knowing that they don't have access to the POE (which may be invalid), I refer them to the current intentional foul, and flagrant foul, rules, and mention that they may consider upgrades for head contact, advice based on my knowledge of the Point of Emphasis (degree of swinging elbows) without mentioning any "automatic" part.

You could teach them how to adjudicate that without referencing an out of date citation. You could just explain to them that certain contact to the head needs to be addressed differently than your run-of-the-mill foul. You could just tell them "around these parts we use certain guidelines to judge how the call should be made."

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[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

You could teach them how to adjudicate that without referencing an out of date citation. You could just explain to them that certain contact to the head needs to be addressed differently than your run-of-the-mill foul. You could just tell them "around these parts we use certain guidelines to judge how the call should be made."

Maybe I wasn't exactly clear, that's what I do.

Because I'm old I know of the intent of the NFHS to decrease head contact, and I know of an old POE that described upgrades. I mention to them that they may want to consider upgrades involving contact to the head resulting from moving elbows (excessive, or not), without actually citing the POE, and never mentioning anything about anything being automatic, as implied in the POE.

While I still accept the POE for myself (until told otherwise), I'm not stupid, I know that the POE is both old, controversial, and possibly invalid, so I just tell them to consider an upgrade as allowed under the current rule language (intentional, flagrant) for circumstances involving contact to the head resulting from moving elbows (excessive, or not). Don't want the young'uns to get stuck on a ladder step (or fall off) because they have a old coot like me as a mentor. Here in my little corner of Connecticut, we teach "around" the POE (purpose and intent).