Things Officials Should Probably Not Be Saying In A Game ...

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

As has been said, you're not giving a rules clinic. If they want to know what the spot is, they can find out but at least they're not getting misled into believing they can't move. In fact, they can legally move and move a lot....forwards and backwards. Why are you telling them to not do something they are permitted to do?

If you're going to tell players anything, at least make the effort to make your statements accurate. It is OK if the statement is incomplete, just avoid things that are contrary to the truth.

Again, I think telling them "Don't move" tells them what they cannot do, which is what many of them might think they can do. And that is run the end line. And if you tell them spot, they are not going to know if they can move forward or backward, so is that incorrect too?

I just find this as extremely splitting hairs. Even if you say "You have a Designated spot" they still are likely not to have any idea what you said to them. After all sports and rules definitions are not the same as real life or world definitions.

Peace

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Again, And if you tell them spot, they are not going to know if they can move forward or backward, so is that incorrect too?

I just find this as extremely splitting hairs.

If you tell them spot, that should tell them it is a spot throw-in and they cannot run the line. What they don't know after that is not our concern.

I agree this is splitting hairs.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by just another ref

If you tell them spot, that should tell them it is a spot throw-in and they cannot run the line. What they don't know after that is not our concern.

I agree this is splitting hairs.

Well isn't "spot" not a complete description of the rule? After all it is a "Designated Spot" not a "Spot" throw-in. And if you tell them spot, do they know what that means?

That is why it is spitting hairs because when you tell them "Don't move" they know they do not have the ability to "run." I consider most of this considerably shallow and silly. And I would not care either way if it works for someone to communicate to a player or coach.

Peace