annual rules and interpretation meeting

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Each year, the state association requires all of each sport's head coaches to attend a rules meeting before the season. Ours is tonight. Basically, it's the officials' meeting, review rules changes, interpretations, and points of emphasis. The coaches sit in the back of the auditorium and arrange plans for post-event adult beverages.

I'll let you know if I hear anything of interest. Are there any questions I should ask? I think I'm going to ask about the jump stop rule, just because I have a player that does it very well and once in a while we get an official that calls it a travel.

[stripes]

The travel rule has not changed in how it was written. What the NF want is for the rule to be inforced like it was written. Our enforcement has slipped. At our rules clinic, it caused a lot of coaches a lot of heartburn. It was the most exciting rules clinic I have been to just because the coaches were saying that moves that were technically illegal should be called legal and the guy running the clinic was trying to make moves to demonstrate legal moves and travels and was screwing it up. It was entertaining.

[Ref in PA]

Oddly enough, our madatory rules meeting (which is next Wednesday) is geared toward coaches. Our rules interpreter goes over the rule changes and points of emphasis for the coaches - in fact, we have been instructed (as referees) not to bring up questions in this meeting, but to wait for a regular chapter meeting. This year, we have a chapter meeting before the madatory meeting with the coaches. Maybe our interpreter will go over the stuff there.