Confusion At the Highest Level
 

GV NFHS State Optional Coaches Box Rule

I was attending my daughter's Varsity game last week when this controversy developed. Home team coach is significantly pregnant and cannot stand. She tells the officials during the pregame that she is going to designate her Assistant to be the head coach and let him coach the team as she doesn't feel well. Referee's agree.

Visiting team's Assistant coach is hacked off now because they had the same situation last season and it was NOT allowed. They came to me after the game to see what I thought. I told them that I probably would've allowed it but that I would check with the assignor.

I could not get ahold of the one for that conference so I called another one I work for and he agreed to let it happen. The next game, there was a third assignor actually doing their game so the HC and I both asked him for an intepretation and he said its a No-no. So even the assignors don't agree.

What say you?

What, and who, defines a head coach? I have no idea going in who the head coach is. As long as there's only one all game, that's all I care about.

Game Management 101
 

Absolutely allow! She made a request during pregame in a professional manner. No questions asked, wish her well with her new child and say congratulations!

Allow it! I don't want to feel the wrath of a woman, especially a pregnant one ;) (Ladies, I am only kidding)

-Josh

Look at it this way: she wasn't feeling well, and might have had to leave during the game. Would the assistant then be designated as head coach?

If so, why can't they do the same with the nominal "head coach" still present?

Allow it.

Question: What if the HC wasn't at the game?

Answer: You wouldn't know, because the person there would be the head coach. There is nothing in the rules that defines the HC; let it go.

That is the proper question to ask.

The state office or local school district might have a certification program for the coaches. They might even have a registry of all the head coaches. If that is the case, then that person may be the only qualified head coach. There could be implications for insurance or liability.

However, I seriously doubt if the game official should get involved in this unless the state has issued a directive about the matter. I would allow it and simply notify the local authority about it. The folks in that capacity and the school ADs can hash it out and decide if they have a problem with it.

Under the NFHS rules there is no requirement. The head coach is whoever says he/she is the head coach at the start of the game. A team could be temporarily without their head coach, but someone is certainly going to fill in for that night.

Last season we had a team whose head coach was on duty with the National Guard and out of the country for the first four games of the season. The asst simply took over the duties of the head coach until his return.

I agree in every case. It bothers me that one of the assignors said no though. One clarification though. If the coach becomes incapacitated DURING the game, I was under the impression that the assistant cannot beome the head coach.

We have a local coach that is paralized and in a wheelchair. He always designates his able bodied assistant to be the speaking coach during pregame. That way he can scream at his players from his chair and his assistant can scream at us standing up! :(

Note that the pregant coach "stepped aside" from her head coaching duties. That is, for that game, the other coach became the "head coach" -- the only one allowed to stand, request a TO, ....

Where some teams get in trouble is that they want one person to stand, but the other to still be recognized by the officials as the head coach.

Have coaches stopped using common sense. Their players can request timeouts too. I do not understand why we need to make provisions for this kind of situation. What does standing have to do with calling a timeout?

Peace

It makes it so the coach can stand to request TO, and stare down the official that has offended them....oh wait, wrong thread :D

Until we give them the stop sign;):D

How silly, common sense, as long as there is one head coach.

My point is if they have the coaching box, they do not need a special rule to request a timeout. I realize the rules say they can stand, but it does not say they must stand to request a timeout or we do not grant the timeout. I think they were over-thinking the situation. Which is why I say it does not matter if the coach can stand or not. I am just not giving the (all) privileges. Then again we have a coaching box in our state and I do not work many Girl’s games, so this really would not be something I would face. :D

Peace