Last night - 9th grade B-game, normal NCAA rules except for only 10 minute quarters. (A-team coach is assistant for this game)

Visitor scores a TD in the 3rd quarter. Kick is blocked. R returns it for a TD, but holds at the point of attack at about the 50. Without talking to kicking team, we assume an accepted penalty, and call the try no-good.

Visiting coach is IRATE, comes out to midfield and lets us have it for at least a minute, without listening to anything we told him. He probably got 3 different explanations as to why he wanted to take the penalty. Finally he says, "I'm telling you right now that I want to decline the penalty! Decline the GAWD-DAMM penalty!!!" Finally, the referee says, "Are you sure?" (Giving him way more leniency than he probably deserved). "G-D right I'm sure - you people are morons!" (How Ref didn't give him 15 at some point in this conversation is beyond me).

Referee turns, faces the pressbox, resignals the penalty, points toward HOME's Endzone, and puts up the TD signal, giving Home 2 points.

Visiting coach sees this, and still doesn't get it, starts yelling, "1st offense - get back out there!!!" and storms back to his sideline. I see A-team coach just staring at him with this "You Dumb@$$" look on his face, waiting for light to dawn.

When it finally does, and he notices the score, he blows up again, earning 2 separate 15-yarders and a free escort off the field.

When it all calms down, A-team's coach takes over and just calmly asks me - "Do you guys have to put up with that every week?" I see he's jovial, so I say, "No, that had to be a first." He replies, "I have to deal with that every DAY."

REPLY: Aren't they the cutest things!?! And a continuous source of entertainment.

I love it when coaches, parents, players and even sometimes officials are adamently or beligerantly wrong. The real joy is their reaction/expression when they realize the error of their ways.

You say this was a game under NCAA rules??

Hmmm, normal live ball fouls by team-B on a TRY down after a change of possession are declined by rule and any score is cancelled.

Uh .... that's a good point. Even stranger that none of us remembered that - considering that all 4 of us have been doing this a while, and we normally quiz ourselves on weird plays.

Dangit.

Under NCAA as Tom pointed out. On a try, distance penalties by either team after B gains possesion are declined by rule and scores are cancelled. Team A has no choice in this matter. Also, what rule reference do you cite for ejecting the coach after the 2nd Unsportsmanlike. There is no NCAA support for ejecting a coach unless he was fighting.

You can't eject a coach in an NCAA game? That simply can't be right.

On ejecting the coach for his behavior:

It was a high school game. It doesn't matter what rulebook was being used. He needed to leave. High school kids may be a bit more intelligent than we give them credit for at times, but they aren't quite all that great at social graces. An unruly coach should not be allowed to stick around the kids in an instance like that.

-Craig
Who has yet to toss a coach. *shrug*

There IS a God! :)

I don't even know why you waited so long to decline the penalty after he said it the first time I would have said okay fine, I would not have asked him if he was sure, especially since he's being a real *** about it.

Whitehat had WAY more patience than me (or most people I've worked with before).

As to the ejection, he would not leave the field of play.

I would get the game administator involved to have him get control of the coach. As to the rule though, 2 unsportsmanlikes and your gone only applies to a player or an identified squad member. See section 9-2.

In HS federation, 2 UC's on a non player (coach) results in disqualification.

See rule book page 64, Penalty notes for Rule 9-8.

NCAA rules they were playing by.

He did not get ejected because of the 2nd penalty. He got ejected a minute or 2 after that because he would not leave the field.