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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 08:13am
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Free Throw lane

Girls varsity last night - 3 man.

After the referee met with the captains, my captains came back and informed me of a new rule this year. All players on the free throw lane must have both feet near the lane line. I went and questioned the crew becuse there was still a couple minutes on the warm up clock. They all were in agreement.

Since the game hadn't started yet, I was tempted to pull out "the book". I did not. I just told the girls, "when in Flint, do as Flint does."

Is that a case where it may have been OK for me to whip out the rule book, pregame?
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 08:31am
I got a Basketball Jones!
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CoachP View Post
Girls varsity last night - 3 man.

After the referee met with the captains, my captains came back and informed me of a new rule this year. All players on the free throw lane must have both feet near the lane line. I went and questioned the crew becuse there was still a couple minutes on the warm up clock. They all were in agreement.

Since the game hadn't started yet, I was tempted to pull out "the book". I did not. I just told the girls, "when in Flint, do as Flint does."

Is that a case where it may have been OK for me to whip out the rule book, pregame?

Yes, and you would have been half embarrassed as the NFHS provision specifies one foot must be 'near' the lane line. New clarification this year found in very front of 2009-2010 Rules book

Editorial Change
9-1-3g Clarified that a player occupying a marked lane space must have
one foot positioned near the outer edge of the free-throw lane line
with the other foot positioned anywhere within the designated 36-
inch lane space
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 08:35am
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Keeping Abreast of Rule Changes?

Certainly not a "Flint issue."
Whereas this new rule (actually an "editorial change") was well published by the Fed and the MHSAA and studied by all officials and officials' associations I'm aware of, I'm at a loss for why you, as a coach, never got word of it. Isn't there a means of communication whereby coaches are able to keep up with rule changes?
(BTW, I'm not saying I agree with the rule clarification, as subjective as it seems to be .)
"Bringing out the rulebook", assuming it were an updated 2009/10 edition, would have clarified the point.
Gametime seems to be a challenging time to bring everyone involved up to speed.
Whose issue is this to avoid ahead of time? The coach's? The AD's? A coaches' association you might belong to? I'd hesitate to say it's the officials'.

Last edited by Freddy; Wed Dec 09, 2009 at 08:42am.
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 08:56am
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Guys, I knew the the clarification. They wanted BOTH FEET near the line.

Exact words were "both feet near the line, body parallel to the line"
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 09:01am
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Originally Posted by CoachP View Post
Guys, I knew the the clarification. They wanted BOTH FEET near the line.

Exact words were "both feet near the line, body parallel to the line"
Rather than "bringing out the book," ask, "I thought the rule was ONE foot near the line. Can we look that up?"

If they say yes, then all is well. If they say no, then go along with their ruling for the night, but ask them to look it up after the game and send the rule to you so you'll know for next time.
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 09:07am
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Originally Posted by bob jenkins View Post
Rather than "bringing out the book," ask, "I thought the rule was ONE foot near the line. ?"Can we look that up?"
If they say yes, then all is well. If they say no, then go along with their ruling for the night, but ask them to look it up after the game and send the rule to you so you'll know for next time.
I did the above red.

Good advice on the green, Bob.
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 11:05am
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A Coach I'd Like to Have!

Coach, thank you for clarifying your original inquiry. I'm also happy you didn't take my response as some kinda criticism. And I admit my mistake in not seeing that your reference was to having "both feet" near (?) the lane line. I appreciate your advance knowledge of the rules.
If my response seemed laced with any kind of frustration, it's regarding some coaches on every level who, quite frankly, need a rules refresher course before each game because they likely haven't seen a rules book since receiving their baptismal certificate.
I had a coach last Thursday who, in a polite post-game conversation, expressed his frustration with our tactful enforcement of the Head Coaches' Rule (cf. "Jack-in-the-Box Coaching" previous post) and two other violation situations that occurred. His exact words were, "We never know what we're gonna get--every set of refs comes with a different set of rules." Now, some of this is no doubt due to the fact that, on the 7th grade level, he's getting some officials who, again quite frankly, don't keep up on the rules themselves and just don't enforce those that are inconvenient to them personally. In the main, it was obvious that this young, up-and-coming junior high coach and his veteran assistant share some of the responsibility for their own frustration in that they themselves apparently don't do what you do--keep up on the rules.
I laud you for your diligence. You sound like the kinda varsity coach I'd like to have in a game.
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Old Wed Dec 09, 2009, 03:06pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freddy View Post
Coach, thank you for clarifying your original inquiry. I'm also happy you didn't take my response as some kinda criticism. And I admit my mistake in not seeing that your reference was to having "both feet" near (?) the lane line. I appreciate your advance knowledge of the rules.
If my response seemed laced with any kind of frustration, it's regarding some coaches on every level who, quite frankly, need a rules refresher course before each game because they likely haven't seen a rules book since receiving their baptismal certificate.
I had a coach last Thursday who, in a polite post-game conversation, expressed his frustration with our tactful enforcement of the Head Coaches' Rule (cf. "Jack-in-the-Box Coaching" previous post) and two other violation situations that occurred. His exact words were, "We never know what we're gonna get--every set of refs comes with a different set of rules." Now, some of this is no doubt due to the fact that, on the 7th grade level, he's getting some officials who, again quite frankly, don't keep up on the rules themselves and just don't enforce those that are inconvenient to them personally. In the main, it was obvious that this young, up-and-coming junior high coach and his veteran assistant share some of the responsibility for their own frustration in that they themselves apparently don't do what you do--keep up on the rules.
I laud you for your diligence. You sound like the kinda varsity coach I'd like to have in a game.
Not a problem Freddy. After reading yours (and justacoach's) reply, I thought I may have screwed up the OP. But I realize how officials eyesight can be sometimes.

Let me know when you are in Mid Michigan and I'll hook ya up!
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