Burden of proof on the CREW? (Ohio)
 

I was talking to a buddy who moved to Ohio and officiates football, and I was shocked (and somewhat angry) when he was talking to me about the Gold Book. I'd read things about officiating in Ohio before on this forum, but this was something else. In Ohio, when a coach thinks the crew messed up a rule, the CREW has to pull out the rule book and show the coach the rule!! And if the crew refuses then it can be suspended for up to TWO YEARS!! What lunacy is this?? If the coach thinks the crew kicked a rule it should be HIS job to show the crew the rule, no!?

Am I naive or is this one of the most ridiculous things ever mandated on officials?

It's Ohio, where the powers that be think they know more about officiating than anyone else.

I have never worked a game or watched a game or heard about a game where the officials had to get the book. We have our rule book, case book and pages from the Gold Book in a zip lock bag usually under the 20 yard line marker. It's just one of our mechanics we use.

It's already in the NFHS rule book that the coach has the right to have a coach/referee conference, all this does is lay out that if the coach does so and if the coach doesn't agree with the explanation, you show him in the book (which you already have at the game, per the mechanics).

This is truly a tiny little molehill, unworthy of even an iota of fury.

What a waste of time. In our state the only coach required to take the rules test is the head coach. And he is not required to PASS it. If he wants to waste a timeout on a conference, fine. The first thing I ask him is, "What color is the rule book this year?"

Don't know what's in the Ohio Mechanics requirements, but NFHS 3-6-11 defines the procedure for addressing a coach's opportunity to review an official decision, and it says absolutely NOTHING about ANYONE referring to a Rule Book on the field.

True...this is a state-level refinement and addition on just exactly how to go about it....any sound and fury on this molehill really is wasted, because it truly signifies nothing. It's pretty much a non-issue. But in the exceedingly rare event that you have a coach-ref conference and the coach doesn't buy it, yes you would show him. I've never met anyone who ever had to do it.

I enjoy not being micromanaged in my state.

Suppose for a moment you are arrested and charged with an unlawful garthok gnarfle.

Are you entitled to be shown the law or are you just supposed to go with a "trust us on that"?

I'm pretty sure the rules of the football game fall under the 10th Amendment. ;)

At the exact moment you're arrested? No.

When the cop stops you for speeding, does he show you the statute that makes it illegal?

He may not pull out the book and show it to you, but I bet the statute number is written on the ticket.