I thought that this might fit in the other post but thought I would start its own thread.

Last year we had a situation where the coach would come onto the field during a time out wearing his head phones. Federation Rules apply here. Now I know there are rules about players wearing headphones during the game as addressed in the other thread, but what about the coach? I don't have my rule books handy but, does it matter if the conference is held on field or by the sidelines? Or does it even matter? Can a coach wear the headphones during a charged timeout no matter where the meeting occurs? Should this even be addressed?

Thanks for your help.

REPLY: He can wear the headphones while in a team huddle timeout between the hash marks. He can even be using them to communicate with his assistants if he wishes. I thought there was even a case play on this topic, but I'm not positive.

*3.5.7 During a charged time-out, an official's time-out for heat/humidity, a TV/radio time-out, or the intermission between the first and second or third and fourth periods, or following a try: ...(b) the coach of B goes to the huddle of B and talks to an assistant via a headset he brought to the huddle... RULING: It is a legal conference in (b).

Canadian Ruling
 

The coach shouldn't be in the huddle in the first place, let alone with a headset on.

If the players want to talk to him they can go to the sideline.

Re: Canadian Ruling
 

J, as I see it, there is nothing printed that says a coach cannot wear a headset.

Re: Re: Canadian Ruling
 

I never said he couldn't wear a headset, I just said he couldn't wear one while on the field in the huddle, because he isn't supposed to be on the field in the huddle.

My understanding is that when people use the format:

You can't do "A", let alone "B",

the act designated A is less severe than B, and both are illegal.

But in your statement, B is perfectly legal. Being in the huddle is not made more illegal because the coach has a headset on.

You guys sound like you are vying for the new Supreme Court opening.

Along the lines of headphones, there is the old wives tale about if one teams headphones don't work, that the other team must remove theirs. Not true. This is a game management issue, not an officials' issue.

JugglingReferee uses the correct initials. ;)

I noticed how the CBS correspondant that reported on the nomination was John Roberts.

In an MSN story, John Roberts from CBS jokingly e-mailed friends that he was to be addresses as "Your Honour".