Debunking the "over the back" myth

[canuckrefguy]

Originally posted by just another ref
Don't we all know what it is the coach is yelling for when he yells "over the back" or "reaching in" or whatever?

Bravo. Common sense, please. The point is COMMUNICATION.

If I have a player go, ahem, over the back on someone and there is contact, and I blow my whistle and announce "Red 14, push", the player is likely to say "WHAT? I didn't push him". If the coach asks what the foul is, and I say "push", he's likely to give the same response. But if I say "you went over his back", he will get it.

Sure, when I go to report, it's "Red 14, push", but only because I like to keep my foul report short and sweet. Otherwise, the better I can communicate, the better.

Whether or not "over the back" is in the rulebook is silly. The call is what's most important. Making sure everyone knows it and understands it, runs a close second. Whether or not the exact words as I said it appear in the rulebook does not even rank.

I'm not saying we don't need to be knowledgable about the rulebook, but do we really need to split this hair?

The notion that this is some sort of "threat" to proper adminstration of the game is overstating things. I've never had an evaluator say "Gee, that was a great call on that rebounding foul, but "over the back" isn't in the rulebook. I don't think you can do Varsity anymore."

And if an evaluator decides that even though I make great calls, am a good partner, and have good game management, that I'm a crappy official because I don't blow my whistle and announce "Red 14, illegal use of the hands", well stop the bloody planet. I wanna get off.

Hmmm, think I'll go out and buy a flame-resistant suit...