First let me remind - I'm only a 3rd year guy, but I think I have a decent handle on coaches most of the time (still learning, trying to make that ALL the time). Anyway...

I'm R - a very young, but pretty good 2nd year guy at HL. Play flying out of bounds on his side, and he diligently gets his spot, but doesn't turn to dead-ball officiate. U is hustling to get there, but doesn't see dead-ball action. I see it. Defender and ball carrier were attached as they rode out of bounds and defender disengages as they cross, but runner flies to the ground after taking 2 steps to try to catch himself. It looked AWFUL, and probably worse from the coaches angle.

But I didn't think it was late.

HL is taking CONSTANT screaming from the coach. I was helping get the ball back to U and getting ready for the next play. I consider approaching the coach, but don't, wanting to let our young HL handle it himself.

I should have.

I should have, before getting the ball ready, gone to tell him that I saw the action after the play, and explained why I didn't think it was late. But I didn't.

Ball goes over on downs a few plays later. Coach still going. 2nd down for the other team and it breaks toward HL's side. As the play passes him, he blows an IW (with a finger-whistle). This kid would have scored. He felt badly, but I felt just as badly, as I could have fixed this. I think he was flustered from the constant berating.

You guys have any similar experiences? How would you, as R, have handled this? Should I have stepped in after the ribbing continued for 2, 3, 4, plays? At halftime we told HL not to be afraid to use the SL Warning to settle down a coach like that, but I wish I'd have headed this off.

It is easy to look back and know you should have done something, and maybe you will do it different next time, but don't beat yourself up about it now. Anytime you can help out a fellow official, by telling a coach "I saw it too, coach, and we got it right," or "I agree with him," is a good thing.

Another good thing to say to a coach is "how did you see it," if he gives you an explanation that would be a foul, say "if it happened like that we probably missed it." They like communication, like to know you will listen, and value there opinion.

I will help out my wings if it is getting out of control, but do not want to "infringe" on them either. For some reason, however, if the white hat goes over, the coaches seem to calm down.

Step Up
 

A lot of officials leave the game after a year or two because of the constant berating from the sidelines.

As more experienced officials, we should take the time to help the younger, less experienced officials.

I probably would have gone to the sideline and told the coach that I saw the whole thing, and there was no intentional late hit.

But I know of sone WHs who let the younger guys fend for themselves; "That's the only way they will learn to get tough". What a crock of S***.

We work as a team, when one guy is having a difficult game, it's up to the rest of the crew to step up.

Re: Step Up
 

Totally agree! Help out the new guys so they stay in this "awesome profession."

Communicate,Communicate,Communicate!!!!!

Don't be afraid to talk to each other on the field. This being among yourselves(officials) and to the players. A good thing to do at times when you have a big play at the sideline or near it is come in and compliment each other on a good call. In this instance say come over and say " Good no call Jim(whatever his name may be) I saw the whole thing as well." You do not need to scream but loud enough where any coach within ear shot can hear you. Be supportive towards one another out there. We have very few friends during the game.

Talk to the kids as well. Encourage them to play hard and stop at the whistle. If somebody makes a nice play politely and quietly let them know. They can be your allies if you treat them with respect.

One trick I have learned instead of yelling directly at the coach I may talk/yell at my wing man and say something like "Jeff tell the coach over there when that end actually holds his end we will call it." In a round about way you are communicating to the bench but not directly but rather thru your crewmembers. Very rarely does your wing man have to repeat your statement to the bench and they will get your message. Remember to once again to do it respectivley.

Remember to never show up a coach as you do not want him to show you up.

Excellent Points! We do that as much as possible as well.

We also emphasis great communication with the players.
"nice block, nice run, way to let up, good job of unpiling, good hard run and nice hit at the end, way to play hard." All those things said to players get back to coaches and they appreciate that you are being positive with their kids.

Definitely some good points, you probaly could have helped him out at hte sidelines, especially being that he is rather new. He probaly just isn't comfortable with taking care of coaches yet. Did you bother to talk about this at halftime/postgame? It would probaly help if you tell him the best ways to shut a coach up. It is especially important since it appears that it affected his game.

Yes, we definitely discussed this at halftime - encouraging him to use the SW if necessary. Also discussed dead-ball officiating. I think it wasn't just inexperience - it was his youth as well. But he was an avid listener at halftime, and understood what we were saying - he'll be fine. I learned something from this as well.

PS - I kind of dislike the passive communication thing "Jeff, tell the coach blah blah blah" in the coaches earshot. I think it's insulting to the coach, just like think it's insulting to us when the coach yells at his players (players that were not saying anything to their coach to begin with) "I don't care if they are holding you, break free!" or "Don't worry about the holding, these guys are never going to call it." I think I really should have spoken briefly to the coach telling him I saw the play and it wasn't a late hit.

I know people will use the sideline warning in this situation, but isn't that really for the 3 in the box. I will let the coach let off a little steam, but after about 30 seconds I'll tell him I've heard enough. If that doesn't work, an USC is appropriate.

A muzzel come to mind<img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/11/11_4_123v.gif' alt='Flirty 2' border=0></a>

Yea really it is for sideline, not for sportsmanship but it is effective. lol

hello all

i have been the head referee for over 6 years now and in those 6 years any time a play goes toward the sideline im right their on the sideline with it. i was taught by a gentleman years ago that is no longer with us its better to have 4 eyes on a play near the sideline and 2 flags on any infraction on the field, and you will never have to worry if the coaches has a question or a doubt.

tim

[Edited by timharris on Oct 24th, 2004 at 01:22 PM]

Play last Wednesday in V game. I am BJ. Pass thrown to LJ side, receiver comes back to ball near the sideline, may have dropped the ball, may have caught it then fumbled. I couldn't see it because the receiver had his back to me. The LJ ruled a catch and fumble. At half-time R chews me out for not getting there. I chewed right back that I got as close as I could since the receiver was not my primary coverage to begin with and that he had his back to me. I told him I don't guess, I let the guy with the better angle make the call. Maybe the LJ may have gotten it wrong, based on what the coaches were yelling about, but I am not going to guess or second guess. If I had seen the play, I would have made the call, talked it over with the LJ and moved on with what we decided. Sometimes "stuff" happens and we can't all see it. The R probably had a better angle than I did. Just because you have 5 or more guys doesn't guarantee good angles. I finally got the R to settle down and he accepted that I couldn't see it. We need to work better as a team out there. I hustle pretty well out there. As BJ, when the ball goes OOB, 90% of the time I get there to help relay the ball to the U. I like running and the BJ suits me well for that, but I respect angles very much when making or not making a call.

I would be careful with this, only throw the flag if you actually see the infraction, it is nice to have two flags on one foul but what if the guy decides to wave it off? It can turn against you, how can it be a mistake if you both threw it?

I am taking it that the crew in pregame desided that the sideline official would look OOB on plays like this. I know some people like the wing man to look in and that is may be what he is used to. That could be why he was looking in.
As far as dealing with the coach saying something then and there would be better. Most times (not all) a second offical (not just the white hat) saying something in agreement would settle the coach down.
He also may not have been able to respond to the coach since he did not really know what happened and as a result it got to him.