Weather Conditions and Suspending a contest

[chapmaja]

At what point do the weather conditions become such a problem that officials should suspend a contest (speaking football specifically). I understand the thunder and lightening is an automatic, but what about snow. When the field gets so covered in snow the officials are no longer able to determine if a player is in bounds or out of bounds, does that warrant a suspension of the contest?

The reason I'm asking is there was a bit of controversy in Michigan Saturday. In one of the state semi-final games, played in a Winter Storm Warning, the field become so snow covered the officials were having difficulty seeing the sidelines and endlines. On the last play a regulation, a team scored the game tying TD (and won in 2OT). The issue was one official apparently ruled the WR went out of play on his own, returned and was the first to touch the pass. This would have negated the TD. Another official supposedly came over and either overruled him or gave additional information that made the call change to a legal catch, TD and then 2 OT periods. This issue was supposedly if the officials could see the line the receiver supposedly went across on the play.

[Matt-MI]

If there was any controversy it wasn't because of the weather. There was no Winter Storm Warning for Oakland County. The nearest National Weather Service alert was a Winter Weather Advisory for Ingham County(Lansing). I also checked photos online from the game and snow is almost non existent on the field.

The other official must had more info because an official working a Division 1 state semi-final is not going to get bullied into a call.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Matt-MI

If there was any controversy it wasn't because of the weather. There was no Winter Storm Warning for Oakland County. The nearest National Weather Service alert was a Winter Weather Advisory for Ingham County(Lansing). I also checked photos online from the game and snow is almost non existent on the field.

The other official must had more info because an official working a Division 1 state semi-final is not going to get bullied into a call.

The game I am talking about absolutely was played in a Winter Storm Warning and was not played close to Oakland County. It was played in West Michigan.

[Matt-MI]

My apologies. When you said 2ot game in the semi finals I assumed that it was the Belleville/Cass Tech game.

How much is too much snow? As long as both coaches are agreeable to playing in that amount of snow there is not much we can do. I suppose we could invoke the "God" rule but I think that would be stretching it.

[Robert Goodman]

How about this: You tell both benches that conditions are making it hard for you to do a good job, and if they want to play on, they just accept the consequences?

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

The issue was one official apparently ruled the WR went out of play on his own, returned and was the first to touch the pass. This would have negated the TD.

This isn’t a foul in FED.

[paulsonj72]

Originally Posted by SC Official

This isn’t a foul in FED.

Rule 9-6-1 and 9-6-2 beg to differ.

[Altor]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

When the field gets so covered in snow the officials are no longer able to determine if a player is in bounds or out of bounds, does that warrant a suspension of the contest?

I was once in the stands for an NCAA D-III game where the home school AD was scooping the goal line with a shovel at one end of the field when play was at the other end. One team threw an incomplete pass on 1st-and-10 and the next down was 2nd-and-12 because the umpire could not see the parallel lines to determine where to spot the ball in relation to the down marker (it was very obvious from the stands that he was at least two yards off).

If it's not dangerous, play on. Make the best calls you can make. GIGDGO.