The indices for the NFHS rule and casebooks are not the greatest in the world (as I found out the hard way as I had to pull out the rule book during a game for the first time this past year). Does anyone know of an expanded index for either book?

Please tell me you didn't pull out your book during the game?

Please tell me you don't carry your rule book out to the field during a game?

Please let this be a joke.

Having the book ON you during a game is just big a no no. :(

In Ohio we are required to have the rule book on the field at every high school game. If the coach asks for a coach/referee conference about a rule interpretation and we can not produce a rule book and he complains to the state athletic association the officials are subject to a $100.00 fine. We normally have one of the chain crew hold the book during the game.

Dale

Maybe Ohio should trust their officials more than they do.

Wasn't Ohio the state that replayed a portion of a game this last season???

wow !!

Georgia I think.

Yep you are right it was Georgia, my applogies to all of the Buckeye state...

"Maybe Ohio should trust their officials more than they do."


It is not a matter of trust. It is a matter of getting it right. Several years ago in a state final game a referee enforced a penalty wrong. The coach asked for a conference to review the enforcement. To make a long story short the rule book was not consulted because none was available. The crew got it wrong. The penalized team lost the game. When the coach found out the he was correct, he complained to the OHSAA and blamed the lose on that wrong enforcement.
This was some thing that could have been prevented just by having the rule book available.
I have never had to refer to the book during a conference, but it is nice to know that we have it available just in case. After all it is our job to get things right.
Dale

I think if the coach wants to have a conference than he has to provide his own rulebook. That's how I would make it if I was the state rules interpreter or what ever their title is.

rulebooks on the field
 

In the California playoffs we were told to bring a rulebook on the field with us. Most of us laughed, but did as requested. I'd hate to bring the NCAA book out there with me.

So do you guys carry the casebook too? Also mechanics manual just incase you need to review mechanics during a TO? :D

Ay carumba, the R for a state title game didn't know an enforcement? Maybe, instead of carrying rule books around, they should get officials who study it before they get to the game.

Snake eyes is right, why stop there? You would then need a case book, and don't forget the comic book, that would be good illustrative purposes - maybe we could give that one to the public address announcer as well.

Wow. My post has taken on a life of its own!

Some Background.

Firstly, I do work in Ohio and until this moment I thought that everyone brought a rulebook to varsity games.

In eight years this was thefirst time that we ever had to pull it out.

The play in question was a scoring play in overtime that involved a backward pass to an ineligible player (by position and number). Coach for B calls a TO and requests a conference. Due to the uniqueness of the play and the magnatude of the play we decided to pull the book, verify our call (correct as it turned out) and satisfied the coach. With that in mind, a couple of thoughts.

1. I am stunned by the arrogance of the above posters. Not one of you knows the rules and their application without fail. If you claim to you are a liar.

2. Why not use every resource at our disposal? The game is not about us.

3. To those of you that think having the rulebook available is a bad idea, a question. Is it better to make a mistake in a critical situation that unfairly hurts a team than to lower yourself to look at the book.

4. As I said, this was the first time we ever had to pull it. I also would not pull it to satisfy a coach and prove my call. We had a question and we answered it.

5. We do carry a case book. Put them in a little Ziplock bag with the clip and hand it to the box man and hope we never have to use it. Kind of like a nuclear weapon.

6. Lastly, this dialogue is great between officials from different areas.

Feel free to attack me. I'm comfortable with my rule book orientation.

I agree with Parepat. It is about the game and not us. Take the official's egos out of the game and it will be a better game.

How many times has a crew gone into the locker room at halftime or after the game and looked up a rule only to find out they got it wrong? Often times it effects the outcome of a game.

We should all strive to know the rules and we should not pull out the rule book every game. But on those rare occasions when the crew is not sure and it is an important call that may effect the outcome, I say pull it out near the sideline and get it right.

I have never personally carried a rule book during a game, but as a previous poster stated, one member of the crew was required to carry one during the California Southern Section playoffs.

You had a question about eligibility on a backward pass that the referee need a rulebook to answer???

Uh ... even without my rulebook I know that eligibility rules don't apply to a backward pass.

WOW is right !!!

Middleman, you as an official know the rule. A lot of coaches don’t. If a head coach calls a time out and asks for a conference, and insists on seeing the rule in black and white we have the book handy to show him what the rule says. If we are correct, and we usually are, he goes back to the sideline a little humble and the game goes on. If we booted the call we can correct it and go on a little embarrassed, but at least we got it right.
Dale

Gentlemen, it goes to the look of being professional...I think it looks pretty Busch League to consult a rule book on the field or court. In the NFL where the rules are more complicated, and the coaches have the ability to ask for instant replays, you see plenty of conferences between officials. What is one thing you never see? The rulebook being consulted, if at that level where there are jobs on the line, bigger, faster, stronger athletes, more scrutiny, they don't pull out the book, then I think we should all strive to not have the book on the field.

In all honesty I think you lose credibility when you take the book to the field, right away people think you haven't studied it, right wrong or indifferent. Perception is usually reality. In our area, we leave ours in the locker room. While each one of us may not be able to quote the entire rulebook and/or enoforcements verbatum, we should be pretty darn close to that, and out of a crew of 5 at least 1 should know the correct rule and application in every situation...that doesn't mean mistakes don't occur, but every time our crews have made a mistake it can usually be chalked up to a brain fart, or hurrying through an enforcement....

Amen, brother.

I wouldn't characterize it as arrogance, but confidence. If I saw a copy of "Flying passenger jets for dummies" laying on the console as I boarded my flight, I'd get a little puckered.

I'd hate to be the one explaining all but one enforcement to a coach. It wouldn't be a two minute conversation and the longer it took, the worse we would look.

LOL
You know that book wouldn't really bother me as much as seeing "landing the 747, its as easy as 1-2-3"

Okay, so now we're arrogant for sharing different views, well that's great.

If he wants to see it he better have his own rulebook.

LOL :D

REPLY: From someone who's landed a 747, it's not all that difficult...except that you're roughly six stories up when you touch down! But back to the discussion at hand: If a coach asks to see my ruling in black and white, he'll need to wait till after the game. I, for one, am not disrupting the flow of the game by taking the time to find the ruling in a rule book and show it to him on the field--just to validate a ruling I <u>know</u> is correct. If I'm confident enough in the ruling, he'll need to trust me...at least till after the game. And for those bringing a rule book and a case book out there, what about a printout of the updated interpretations on the NFHS web site? I think it's a silly policy, IMHO. As mentioned by someone earlier, none of us know the rules perfectly. However, for 99% of the situations that arise, I will be able to apply the correct ruling--whether or not the coach believes that. For the other 1% that I don't know, chances are good that neither the rule book or case book will be explicit enough to satisfy him anyway.

1.Does anyone think there aren't manuals aboard a 747. Heck my 78 Chevette has a manual. Or, Do you think that these pilots have a thorough knowledge of every part in world's most complex machine. I bet if a system failed in flight we would all hope our pilots had every available resource at there disposal.

2.So what I'm hearing is "I'd rather get it wrong than pull out the book and risk losing face."

3."It goes to credibility?" How good is your credibility when you get apply a rule incorrectly because you were too stubborn to pull out the book?

4. We pulled out the book one in eight years. My self esteem is suprisingly unaffected.

There was only One that was perfect...
 

Hey, parepat

I think the point being made by those that disagree is that having the rule book on the field is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. My guess is that most crews make the correct rulings +95% of the time. Sure there are mistakes, but many times it's a matter of lack of attention vs. lack of rule knowledge. And, officiating is one of the few avocations where you're expected to be perfect and improving all of the time. :(

Having said that, I do agree that most of us would do about anything to get a call right on the field and not make a mistake. Anything except consult the rule book on the field. It's not arrogance, it's what is expected of every official. Rules study, understanding the proper mechanics and philosophy of the game is important to study BEFORE YOU GET ON THE FIELD. For reasons of both perception and game flow (both mentioned before), it's not practical to consult the rule book on the field.

What's expected of officials is to be PREPARED before you walk on to the field. Will we kick some? Sure, and that should be expected because we're not perfect. If having a rule book on the field to get every rule enforced correctly was as important as you deem it to be, don't you think that from youth leagues on up you would be encouraged to carry a rule book in your back pocket? Don't you think that Honig's would publish a pocket version? :D Wouldn't this practice be encouraged or mandated by all associations at all levels?

The game should expect a lot from officials. However, when you expect perfection, you will be disappointed and can't put enough mechanisms in place to guarantee it.

I am proud that most officials I know can take the field without a book and get it right on almost every play! :cool:

LOL ok maybe I should edit my original post...I am sure I too could get a 747 to the ground........albeit I am not sure how smoothly or safely LOL....

JMN

If what your saying is true then you would never have to consult it. What I'm saying is that if you ever did need it, it would be there.

Having it soes not mean that we prepare any more or less than anyone else. It is just a tool.

Pare,

I understand trying to get every call and enforcement correct but I do believe that referring to the rule book on the field leaves everyone to believe that we did ot come prepared. You have to do what the state association demands, but I do question their logic.

If a coach ever saw us using a book to review an enforcement or interpretation we would never convince them that we don't need the book on the next situation. Everytime we had to get together to discuss something they would be asking the wing "Did you get the book to make sure your right?" I don't know any wing that wants to give a coach more ammunition.

Now, I have gotten the book out at half time and immediately following a game but never had one on the field, nor do I want to.

Good Luck,

WOW. You mean the wrong enforcement of 1 penalty wiped out an otherwise perfect game for a team????? They did not loose any yardage? No incompletes? No turnovers? NO missed tackles or assignments? I would have loved to see that perfect game, except for the officals mistake. Sorry to that coach@!
I am a coach for basketball. We have lost close games on calls/no calls. Buit I do remember to tell my players that it did not loose the game for us. We had (as mentioned above but for BB). Can not hang a lose on a official. The call/nocall/enforcement might be big, but the game should not have been in a postion for that to matter. Just my take as a coach/official! My crew will NEVER carry a rule book to the field. I may use it at 1/2 time or end of game to make sure I did something correct or not. BUT NEVER DURING A GAME ON THE FIELD.

As far as I know
 

NFL officials don't carry a rule book on the field.

NCAA football officials don't carry a rule book on the field.

NBA officials don't carry a rule book on the court.

NCAA basketball officials don't carry a rule book on the court.

MLB umpires don't carry a rule book on the field.

NCAA umpires don't carry a rule book on the field.

In fact, I can't think of a single collegiate or professional organization that requires the officials to have a rule book handy. Can anyone else?

Track&Field.
It's either your the equipment bag right at your event or possibly even in your back pocket.

Re: As far as I know
 

RVFOA* Officials don't carry a rule book on the field

RVSOA** Umpires don't carry a rule book on the field
And woe-as-me to the Coach who pops one out during a game . In this association, this can get you ejected.




*Rogue Valley Football Officials Association
**Rogue Valley Sport Officials Association

Gentlemen we have made a mountain out of a mole hill. I understand all of your objections as to not having the football rule book on the field during a game. How ever one thing that you have missed is that in Ohio the OHSAA (the governing organization for interscholastic sports in the state) REQUIRES that the book by at the playing surface for every sport. Not just football. The officials do not carry it in their back pocket. In football we give it to the down box man. In basketball it is at the scorers table.

In twenty-six years of officiating I have never had to refer to it during a coach/referee conference. But I will if pressed by a coach, during a coach/referee conference, over a perceived misapplication of a rule. It is used as a tool. Like I said in my first post, if I don’t do this and the coach complains to the OHSAA, I can be fined $100.00 and/or have my officiating permit suspended for not following their rules and regulations.

BktBallRef, you are correct, when I officiate NCAA football we do not take the rule book on to the field. But if my coordinator ever made it a requirement to do so we would comply with his instructions.

Dale.
I don’t think anyone here has a problem with you taking a rulebook to your games. I mean come on, it’s what you’ve been told to do and you must comply. But you have to admit, this is not the norm for most of us and quite frankly I was aghast at Ohio’s requirement. Anyway, most of us here at this board are die-hards and won't need the “book “ to recite it chapter and verse. Well at least recite it close enough to make any coach think we know it LOL. When I think about it, the playing field is just about the only place you’ll find me without the dam thing. 8^)

Parepat and Dale:

I'm sorry if I stirred the pot with you guys too much. I have just never heard of officials being "ordered" to take the rule book on the field.

I've officiated in PA and IL and taking the rule book on the field is considered a "cardinal sin" in those states. I guess that's why I was so suprised.

I disagree with Ohio's mandate on you guys, but you have to do what your association tells you.

I'm sure you both are great officials rule book or no rule book! :-)