Coin Toss Options

[RoyGardner]

IMO the R should have taken the original choice and clarified it. It would have eliminated any confusion. The R repeating the list of four options after it's clear there is some confusion borders on arrogant. I really don't care that according to the rules he is "technically correct".

After two of these instances in key game 3 years ago, our R's now ask the team winning the coin flip "Do you want to exercise your option now, or defer to the 2nd half?" There's only one "choice" here and that's now/defer. If they say defer, then option is offered to the other team and that is started off by R clearly saying they have deferred their option to the 2nd half, you have the option for the first half ......

Once the winning team indicates defer, we ignore the rest and of the response and pass the option to the other team. The coach clearly told the player something like "If we win toss, we want to defer, and defend the North goal." If we take that response to mean the team is using it's option to defend a goal, shame on us. It's our job to get it right, and I have no interest in showing the coach how "technically well we know the rules".

[RoyGardner]

Additionally, the R's response "You only get one choice right now; kick, receive, defend a goal, or defer to the second half." is very misleading.

When a team defers it will in most cases get a 2nd choice. When team 2 uses the option to receive, team 1 then has a 2nd option to decide end of field to defend. Let's not be "smart", let's be fair.

[Middleman]

When I'm Referee, I ask the coaches what they want if they win the toss and see to it the captain makes the right choice. If I'm on the wing bringing the captain in, I ask him if he knows what his coach wants and make him tell me before we even see the Referee.

[golfdesigner]

I haven't been WH for very long, but my approach is to ask the coach during our initial meeting with him prior to coin toss, coach, if you win the toss what is your captain going to tell me? and which end do you want to defend? Then if the captains don't say what coach told me prior, then we say are you sure? This last Friday night prelim game, when Red won toss elected to defer, White took ball, asked Red, which end will you defend, captains, looked at each other and said, " I don't know Jeff what do you think, which way do you want to go" I stepped in and suggested that I thought their coach wanted to defend the scoreboard, they said okay, "we'll defend the scoreboard."

It seems to work for us anyway.

[MJT]

I also say you need to make sure he understands the mistake he is making even at the varsity level. I would say, "if you choose to defend a goal, you are going to kick and they are going to receive BOTH halves and I don't think you want that. Again, your choice is to receive, defer your choice to the 2nd half, kick, or defend a goal." If he still says defend a goal, I'm going over with him to the sideline after the announcement and explain exactly what happened out there.

[schmitty1973]

Ok I have to ask, what do you do if the Home team wins the toss and elects to defer, then the Visitors elect to Kick because that's what the coach told him to do if he won the toss? Do you correct him or not?

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by schmitty1973

Ok I have to ask, what do you do if the Home team wins the toss and elects to defer, then the Visitors elect to Kick because that's what the coach told him to do if he won the toss? Do you correct him or not?

I only give the options in this order RECEIVE, DEFER, KICK, (I DON’T GIVE THE OPTION OF DEFENDING A GOAL UNLESS THE CONDITION MAY WARRANT THAT OPTION). When I team defers I look at the other team and say "you want the ball, right?" Then I turn away and ask the deferring team which way they want to kick no even giving the other team a chance to screw it up. Deferring to the second half is not meant to screw a time out of the ball both halves. It is just an option if you want the ball in the second half, treat it as such. Just because they are captains doesn't mean they are smart kids, they may just be the best player or they may rotate captains for the toss from game to game. When we talk to the coach before the game I always ask him if he has a preference which captain will talk at the toss.

We need to use common sense and preventing officiating in this case.