Penalty Choices

[ABoselli]

Two weeks in a row now, big numbers representing for the coin toss. I'm not passing judgement, but....

Second half options - R asks the team with the choice what they want to do, they turn around and look quizically back at their bench for guidance. "Do you want to defer to next week or would you like the ball?" was coming next but they finally said they wanted the ball.

This week, white has choice, takes ball. I ask green what goal they wish to defend and they both look at each other with that 'uh oh' expression. I say, "you guys talked about this, right?" "Umm, that one" one captain says, pointing sheepishly at the scoreboard end.

It's like you're talking to high school kids!

[North Pole Alaska Ref]

Have you thought about asking the coach(es) "If you win the toss you want_____? Write it down (on your card)and then when the team chooses to defer, you tell the other team "you want the ball" and then the team that defered to point their backs to the goal they want to defend, no kid gets chewed out, everyone gets what they wanted.

[North Pole Alaska Ref]

Yes, the first two weeks they moved the games south of here (a crew went to the games about 300 miles), but the last three weeks we have had games here. The regular season ends 2 Oct and then the playoffs with the State Chmpionship on 23 Oct

[PiggSkin]

Kinda late for the thread, but here's a couple of comments...

1) On pre-snap penalties, the new local mechanic is to not even do preliminary signals, but to just tell the offendees, give the "real" signals and mark off the penalty...

2) I work exclusively JV and freshman games, so as part of my pregame meeting with the coaches, I ask them if their captains know the difference between kicking and deferring... That's usually enough to get them thinking about instructing the captains, if necessary...

[SouthGARef]

I don't work WH in Varsity sports, but I do work WH in flag-football in pretty high levels. I've found that on most penalties, I know what the team's want. Like has been said before, on a long gain with a hold by A behind the line... I know what B wants to do. The only thing walking up to the captain and explaining things is doing is making the game longer, confusing 18 year old kids who have coaches screaming at them already, and risking a kid screwing up and getting the crew yelled at.

Doesn't the rule book itself say somewhere that the Referee doesn't have to give the captains the option on an obvious penalty? Maybe that's just NIRSA (flag football).

At the coin toss I make it simple. Home wins the toss and wants to defer. I look at the visiting captain and say "You would like to receive, correct?" If he says no he wants to kickoff, I turn at him and say "Okay, do you understand that if you say you want to kickoff, you're giving the ball to the other team both halves? Are you SURE you don't want to receive?" If he says no he wants to kick again, you just have to just settle with the fact you did the best you could to help him out but he shot himself in the foot.

I think the bottom line is that our job is to keep the kids safe, keep the game fair, and make the tough calls. I don't see how helping them out with obvious decisions is hurting the integrity of the game.

[cowbyfan1]

Sometimes a kid will be "programed" into a response by the coach to were he is spouting off an answer before I have a chance to finish the options. I will stop them and tell them listen to me and give them their full list of choices.

Sometimes it cannot be helped. I had a live ball Chop block and a dead ball USC against the defense. I presented the options to the defensive captian first telling him " I have a 15 yard chop block foul against white. You want the 15 don't you?" He said "decline it." I told him that he needs to understand that when I mark off the USC it will probably give the offense a first down. He again said to decline it because that is what the coach wanted. Sure enough the half the distance walk off on the USC was enough to give A a first down. (It was so close we actually had to measure.)

[ABoselli]

These were second half options - not much gray matter needed.

I normally ask the captains I' walking out with what they're going to do in the event of winning the toss, losing the toss and the other team winning and deferrng.

Second half options are the brainpower equivalent of writing your name at the top of the SAT answer sheet - you assume they'll be able to handle that one.

[SJoldguy]

I'm a LJ. Prior to taking the captains out to the referee for the 2nd half choices I say to them. "It's their choice, if they receive do you know which goal your coach wants you to defend?" Many times I get a blank look from them, then they turn and ask the coach. The coach tells them and since he doesn't know I primed them, he thinks he choose the captains wisely.