Parent Coaches

[Ed Hickland]

I just love those well meaning Dads who volunteer as coaches without learning the game.

Yesterday I had a classic.

Team on offense lines up eight players on the line with a backfield consisting of a quarterback, halfback and slotback. The player on the line next to the left tackle goes downfield on a pass play and I flag them for ineligible downfield as he was covered by an end.

Now the crack coaching staff says what is wrong with that. I say the player next to your tackle was covered. What do you mean covered, they ask. I tell them that only the players on the end of the line, the ends, can go downfield on a pass.

Then here it comes. They tell me they have the tight end, the slotback and the split end. I respond they can only have one end on each end of the line. They answer, we are only sending the ends downfield, one is the tight end and the other the split end.

I just walked away and enforced the penalty and told them not to do it again.

[Rich]

I just moved to the Madison area last summer. I skipped football season as I didn't really have time to make contacts, etc. Besides, I had a new house and job to worry about.

This season I've thrown myself into the game. I had the opportunity to fill my Saturdays with well-paying youth ball that I figure would shake some of the rust off and even be fun at times.

I know how some of these leagues can be, so I asked the organizer before the season. I mean, I wondered aloud how come none of the serious officials work this league -- many told me they wouldn't touch it. I'm stubborn.

This is the response I got before the season:

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One board member should be in attendance at every game.

Ropes will be put up to separate the fans and parents from the field.

The league will enforce a “no-nonsense” rule to deal with unruly fans and coaches.

Licensed officials are paid $30 per game.

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Well, anyone here can pay $10 and be "licensed." There are no requirments for being a Level 1 official here -- no test required or rules meeting required unless you want to move up.

I worked 3 Saturdays in this league. The last one was the worst. I threw 2 USC flags in 4 games at coaches that were coming onto the field (beyond the hashmarks) to question calls. None of the officials, except me, work organized football. The last time I threw the flag the "organizer" had hopped onto the field and worked back judge. When I threw a PF flag for a vicious head slap the defense's head coach came onto the field to talk to the director/back judge. As the WH I threw a flag immediately and had the umpire step off another 15.

Today I got an email -- the parent coaches decided they'd rather not have me work their games. They didn't like getting flagged so they complained and the board gave in. According to the organizer they "like coming on the field and getting explanations."

I've never been so happy to get "fired."

Rich

[i011763]

I have a very similiar view to this problem. My son (10) plays on a youth team. My wife wonders why I stand in the end zone or along the far ends of the field and don't sit in the stands or stand along the ropes with the other parents/fans. After the second game she realized how ignorant these people can sound during a game. There is one guy, that is a judge, who is brutal. (I may go to his court room and help him out some day with his calls.)
Some opposing coaches are telling players to "take him out on the next play" The lack of understanding of the rules is amazing.

To be fair, some, not all, of the refs are also brutal. Here are a couple of things that I have observed this year.

Punt play. Change of possession. 20 seconds on the clock(ref keeping time on the field lets everyone know this). Ball ready for play, chains set and then the period is over before a snap.

Play runs out of bounds untouched. Ref wind his arm to keep the clock moving. When asked by the coach (in a polite manner) why the clock is running? Coach, he slowed down before getting out of bounds so it doesn't matter. The clock keeps running by rule. (I heard this with my own ears)

Kind of tough to keep from saying anything at times like those.

[MD Longhorn]

In my local area, the officiating at the PeeWee games is actually pretty good. The same folks that schedule varsity also schedule the PeeWee games, and they know who is good and who is not. I've not worked any PeeWee game with an official that I would feel uncomfortable working at least a SubV game.

That said - I agree 100% on parents and coaches. Most are worse than even the 7th grade coaches. I hear at least once, after some sort of argument or yelling, "That's my kid that just got hit." As if it's less important for us to watch the other kids. It kills me sometimes.

2 weekends ago (I was off that weekend) it got very unruly, and the board member in attendance had us hold a pregame conference with the head coaches with this to say:

Coach - you are the only one that can talk to me about a flag or a ruling. If any other coach raises their voice about the officiating, it's 15 yards, no questions asked. If a fan gets out of hand, it's 15 yards, no questions asked. If it happens twice, the field administrator will clear your sideline - the parents can watch from their cars. Period.

I thought it was harsh, however - it was the most hospitable day of PeeWee I've ever had, and all 7 games ran smoothly.

[Snake~eyes]

I do club ball too and at the pregame we tell the coach that they're responsibile for their sideline. If we have a problem with a fan, we just turn to the coach and tell the coach that he needs to control his fans or he'll recieve a 15 yard penalty. That usually works.

And there's no toleration for Coaches coming on the field to complain, instant 15 yarder. Last sunday a coach was ejected for this very reason. He came on the field, he got a 15 yard penalty and then said "You damn official suck, you guys suck..blahblahblah" so he was given a second USC and ejected.

The great thing is, the league comissioner comes to all of our association meetings and asks if anyones had any problems with a coach. He will get on them so fast, he doesn't put up with it and he backs the referees 100%.

[cowbyfan1]

Originally posted by i011763
I

Punt play. Change of possession. 20 seconds on the clock(ref keeping time on the field lets everyone know this). Ball ready for play, chains set and then the period is over before a snap.

He may have been right on this one. In subvarsity games we run the clock on the ready after change of possessions unless on OOB or incomplete 4th down pass.

[i011763]

Concerning the punt play...

Clock should start on the snap after a change of possession. They are using NF rules with an exception for weight restrictions and length of periods.