Today I worked a game with a guy I had not worked with before. He was OK, but one thing has me still shaking my head. A1 has ball, wants to bounce pass to A2. Bounce pass hits B1 in foot. Partner blows whistle for kicked ball. B1 never moved his foot, the pass just hit it. I don't say anything, but at halftime I ask him about it. I asked him if B1's intentionally kicked the ball. He said that he always calls a kick anytime the ball hits anyone's foot. He said that to try to determine if the kick was intentional or not is too hard for him, after all, he is not a "mind reader" and cannot be expected to know whether there was intent or not, so he just calls them all a kick. He further stated that "none of the coaches or players know that rule anyway, so what's the difference?" I told him that if I started making up my own rules for everything that coaches and players don't know, I'd have to make up the whole game! He didn't "get it".

Mark,
Sounds like you are off to a roaring start this season. Called a benefit game, HS Senior girls and boys. The home team provided a new ball that when we dropped it to check the bounce it only came off the ground about a foot. So the game was briefly delayed until it could be re-inflated. Hope that is my only weird stuff this season.

TESTING TESTING TESTING....Mark, I am trying to get a response to your reply to be accepted...So bare with me. Thanks. Gary

Testing testing

testing

[quote]Originally posted by Mark Padgett on 10-17-1999 07:09 PM
Today I worked a game with a guy I had not worked with before.

Mark,
This is always fun. Especially if you travel to the game in separate cars and get dressed late and have little time to have a pregame. However, I am not sure the kicking violation question would have been a pregame topic. Coach's igorance of the rules is not a green light for us to call the game the way we want. Have a good season.

Gary

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Sometimes you just have deal with some of these officials. It is good to point out some things, but if I am working with these officials, I just try and concentrate on improving my game and not letting my partner bring me down.

In addition, if you don't already do this, bring your rulebook to each game and double check it at halftime.

Having moved around the country with the Air Force over the last 12 years, I always run into calling with someone new. It always happens you're only as good as the both of you together. You can try and improve "your" game - but it comes down to the luck of the draw getting a compenent partner.

Fortunately, my last two season here in Northwest Florida I have called with more quality officials than the ones you described. Thank God...