players on the floor-held ball situation

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I've always been taught to stick my face in the middle of the pile, while maybe giving a few toots on the whistle. For some reason, players seem to relax and let go when I've got my ugly mug near theirs.

I'm not sure I'd be digging in and pulling them apart, but at least getting close to the players has that tendancy to keep them from going overboard on the tug-o'-war.

That was my question. If you do stick your face in and they still ignore you and just keep a-tugging away, now what? Iow, if they're ignoring the whistle from 15 feet away, what do you do if they ignore the whistle from 3 feet away? If you do try to get between them, you're gonna be causing phyical contact of some kind to a coupla 8 year olds. Do you take the chance of doing that in order to get them to stop? Or do you say "have at it, you l'il sh!ts"?

[ChuckElias]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

That was my question. If you do stick your face in and they still ignore you and just keep a-tugging away, now what?

Blow the whistle real hard right in the middle of the pig-pile. They'll stop whatever else they're doing and hold their ears. And the damage to their hearing won't show up for a couple years, so they won't remember how it happened.

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

Blow the whistle real hard right in the middle of the pig-pile. They'll stop whatever else they're doing and hold their ears. And the damage to their hearing won't show up for a couple years, so they won't remember how it happened.

And if they do, you just have to say "What?" because you were just as close to the whistle blast.

[Back In The Saddle]

Getting in there is important. Usually they'll behave if you're breathing down their necks. But once you're in there, it's also important to stay in there until everybody is off the floor, moved apart and settled down.

The only punch I've ever had thrown in one of my games came after I turned away from the aftermath of a held ball on the floor too soon. I thought I had it sorted out. One of the two players was standing up again, everything looked kosher. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the kid still on the ground take a swing at his opponent. Not cool.

So, maybe offer the kid on the ground a hand up? It gives you a reason to stay with the play and may defuse the emotions a bit?

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Iow, if they're ignoring the whistle from 15 feet away, what do you do if they ignore the whistle from 3 feet away?

Well, at least in my experience, I've never had them ignore me at 3 feet away, at any level. There must be something about my ugly mug, or the striped shirt, that gets them to stop. Maybe players get accustomed to hearing the whistle and knowing 9 times out of 10 it has nothing to do with them, so hearing the whistle doesn't always have much of an effect, where seeing an official that close takes their mind off all the tugging.

I guess if they do ever ignore me, I'll treat it like a fight. We'll try our best to keep it from happening, but if it does, get out of the way and start writing down numbers. I do think Chuck has a good point - blow the whistle loud enough that close and they'll be using their hands to cover their ears rather than pushing and tugging on each other.