Here's a new one.

Becuase there and been "so few" changes in the rules the last few years, Ohio is moving to an every-other-year rules interp meeting schedule.

Starting next season there will be no rules meeting. The next scheduled set of meeting is the 2002-2003 season.

Any thoughts?

I would prefer to eliminate one of the 4 required local meetings but keep these.

Hmmmm.....

I'm also in Ohio (Cleveland) and I didn't hear this one yet! However, I agree and disagree with your suggestion and the elimination of the rules meetings, respectively. I don't think it's a great idea to have once-every-two-year meetings, since it seems like too many referees (myself included!) benefit from a brief rules review--even if there are no new ones. However, I certainly wouldn't mind dropping one from the local agenda....

Is this every-other-year thing across the board--all states?

That just sounds like a BAD idea. There are some folks that won't touch a rules book, EVER, unless they have to do so. Not only should there be a rules meeting each year, but all officials should be required to take a test each year. In Texas at least I know that every official I work with passed a rules test that year -- makes me feel a lot more comfortable. In some of the other states in which I've worked, where annual testing wasn't a requirement, there were some folks who hadn't OPENED the current years rules book. If the Federation and the NCAA publish new rules books each year, we should be tested each year, even if there are few changes.

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox.

Jake

Hear, hear Jake. I buy a new book every year - somehow, I seem to need a fresh copy anyway! One of our leagues actually hands out the list of NF rule changes and discusses them at the organizational meeting before the season. If us coaches are doing it, y'all should.

Brian, are you talking about a rules-interpretation meeting of the local association, or the area meeting where each association is expected to send a representative that can return to work in the local meeting(s)?

I agree that local associations should regularly review the rules. Seems like we hit that in 2 or 3 of our meetings. (I think we have 6 required meetings each year.) I could also support bi-annual regional meetings.

No, I mean the annual rules meeting where all coaches and refs get hearded into an room to review new rules and expectations for the coming year.

That is what I don't like the most about the idea. It was a good time for us all to be in the room together, and for the state to set expectations. That way there ws no wiggle room for the coach when we called rough play or the such.

Here is Ohio, if the coaches bailed on the meeting, they banned from the state tourney for that year. It kind of encourages attendance.

What i meant by dropping a local meeting is this. We are required to attend a minimum of four local meetings per year. If we don't, we lose our license and have to do a big dance to get it back.

Rules Meeting
 

In Virginia, we are required to attend an annual "rules" clinic. This clinic is given several times at various locations throughout the state. If you fail to attend the clinic, you cannot officiate at the varsity level (at least in my association). We are given a card at the end of the clinic (used to be passed out at the beginning) and you record your name, SSAN, association, etc. and this goes to the state. BTW, the clinic is for officials and coaches. If I remember correctly, the schools are fined $50.00 if the coach/AD, or some other representative does not attend. If you attended a camp and the rules were covered at camp by a state official, you do not have to attend again until the next year.

Regarding exams, we have 2 opportunities in VA to take the exam. Once in August and again in December. This was done primarily because VA used to have girls "Fall Ball" (A and AA schools) and "Winter Ball" (AAA schools). Beginning this year, everyone will play Winter Ball. In my association, you have to score 85 or better and attend the rules clinic to officiate at the varsity level. You also have to attend a 3-person clinic to work playoffs. We hold a 3-person clinc twice a year. We have about 8 or 9 meetings per season and you are allowed to miss 2 (unless officiating) without being fined ($15.00).

Coaches.
 

Do all the coaches that are actually going to coach have to attend a rules meeting? In Illinois, only one coach is required by school. But every single officials must attend one.

I think coaches should attend, but because many of them do not, coaches have no understanding of the new rules.

Peace

There is a regional meeting in our area that some representatives of our association attends. Any of us can go, and it counts for one of our meetings. Our association president attends and then acts as our association rules interpreter.

As for the coaches meeting, all I know of that we have is one meeting sponsored by our association. Only 3-4 of our association leaders attend that meeting. I attended this year out of curiosity. At that meeting we handed out a copy of the school's schedule as the association had recorded it. The point is to find scheduling errors early! We also talked about rule changes, points of emphasis, and explained our new mentoring program so that the teams would know what was happening.

We expect only a single representative from each school to attend, not all coaches. The only leverage we have is that schools who want officials for their pre-season scrimmages had better be there. (Those scrimmages are training for us and unpaid.)

Re: Coaches.
 

[/B][/QUOTE]


Do all the coaches that are actually going to coach have to attend a rules meeting? In Illinois, only one coach is required by school. But every single officials must attend one.

I think coaches should attend, but because many of them do not, coaches have no understanding of the new rules.

Peace [/B][/QUOTE]

the varsity or jv coach from the boys side <u> and </u> the girls side is expected to attend. AD's can sub in, but in truth you usually see the Varsity guys here. I suppose in some areas they don't bother, but I think they realize the importance of showing up around here.

Since we have 10 new rules this year, it is a bad idea to start that this year. My opinion is that all officials should attend a rules meeting every year and it is a good idea to go the extra mile and attend a rules clinic with the newbies every few years to refresh yourself on those obscure rules you never have to deal with until you do a 6th grade game.

They could have picked a better year for hoops, but all sports are in the same boat. I would think that football, baseball, and Basketball will the have the hardest effect on officials.