You came all the way over here for that?

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Varsity game Friday night, NFHS rules.

Visitors are leading 14-7 midway through the second quarter. They have the ball, 4/5 around the home 40-yard line on my hash (as HL, I'm on the visitors' sideline), and elect to go for it. They run a naked bootleg to me side - only one home player picks up on it, but he's fast, and he catches up to the QB about two yards short of the stake, but the ball pops out on the way down. It shoots forward, bounces about five yards (i.e. past the stake), and goes OOB. No problem, 1/10 for visitors. R comes over to see what we got, I tell him, and we get the chains moving. Home captain also asks what happened, I tell him, and he says "Wow, lucky break for them, huh?" I nod my head and say "Yes it was," and we play some more football. So far, no problems.

The next half-dozen plays are ugly and chippy in middle of the field and on the other side - vistors commit both a USC and a DB PF with ejection (launching helmet 10 feet in the air and charging an opponent). It's 3/25, so the visitors take a timeout. I record the timeout and keep an eye on their huddle when I hear my last name called out. I start looking at other officials, and then at sidelines - I thought maybe a few of my students were at the game or something. Finally I notice the home coach has the card with our names on it in hand and is approaching me from his huddle at the center of the field, yelling that the visitor's QB had thrown the ball OOB on the bootleg play, and I've got to make that call.

It took me a few seconds to figure out what he was talking about - I'd already put the play out of my mind. Then I look at him and said (probably with more heat than I should have), "Coach, there's no way you're coming three-quarters of the way across the field to complain about a play that happened five minutes ago. Go back to your huddle." He didn't, I flagged him, he says "I know it's a flag, I don't care! You have got to call that." At which point my R and U step in and escort him back to his huddle, with him yelling the whole time.

What gets me is that he's got the opponents in a deep hole and he's probably going to get the ball back. He can't change the result of the play he's complaining about. And he knows he's going to draw a 15-yard penalty for doing it, but he came over here anyway. If I were a player on that team, I'd be pretty pissed off at my coach. Visitors end up gaining about eight yards on the ensuing 3/10, converting on fourth down, and driving down to score. Home team had no answer after that, and they ended up routed 47-7.

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by The Roamin' Umpire

Varsity game Friday night, NFHS rules.

Visitors are leading 14-7 midway through the second quarter. They have the ball, 4/5 around the home 40-yard line on my hash (as HL, I'm on the visitors' sideline), and elect to go for it. They run a naked bootleg to me side - only one home player picks up on it, but he's fast, and he catches up to the QB about two yards short of the stake, but the ball pops out on the way down. It shoots forward, bounces about five yards (i.e. past the stake), and goes OOB. No problem, 1/10 for visitors. R comes over to see what we got, I tell him, and we get the chains moving. Home captain also asks what happened, I tell him, and he says "Wow, lucky break for them, huh?" I nod my head and say "Yes it was," and we play some more football. So far, no problems.

The next half-dozen plays are ugly and chippy in middle of the field and on the other side - vistors commit both a USC and a DB PF with ejection (launching helmet 10 feet in the air and charging an opponent). It's 3/25, so the visitors take a timeout. I record the timeout and keep an eye on their huddle when I hear my last name called out. I start looking at other officials, and then at sidelines - I thought maybe a few of my students were at the game or something. Finally I notice the home coach has the card with our names on it in hand and is approaching me from his huddle at the center of the field, yelling that the visitor's QB had thrown the ball OOB on the bootleg play, and I've got to make that call.

It took me a few seconds to figure out what he was talking about - I'd already put the play out of my mind. Then I look at him and said (probably with more heat than I should have), "Coach, there's no way you're coming three-quarters of the way across the field to complain about a play that happened five minutes ago. Go back to your huddle." He didn't, I flagged him, he says "I know it's a flag, I don't care! You have got to call that." At which point my R and U step in and escort him back to his huddle, with him yelling the whole time.

What gets me is that he's got the opponents in a deep hole and he's probably going to get the ball back. He can't change the result of the play he's complaining about. And he knows he's going to draw a 15-yard penalty for doing it, but he came over here anyway. If I were a player on that team, I'd be pretty pissed off at my coach. Visitors end up gaining about eight yards on the ensuing 3/10, converting on fourth down, and driving down to score. Home team had no answer after that, and they ended up routed 47-7.

I understand that you thought the coach was a DOPE for coming over but you baited him with your answer and the unprofessional way you talked to him and then you stick him with 15 yards. Who is watching the teams huddle during the TO? Where is the help from your umpire/referee to keep the coach from coming all the way over to talk to you? You just should have let him make an A$$ out of himself and then stick him, your conduct was uncalled for. We need to stay calm when everything around us is going to crap.

[waltjp]

I don't fully agree. The coach knew what he was doing. Maybe the reply could have been a little different but the coach was warned before the flag was thrown. I don't like to get into all the woulda/shoulda/coulda's. I have seen usually mild-mannered officials react in ways that I would deem uncharacteristic at times, me included. Bit don't pin this on the official - the coach drew this penalty himself when he left the conference and confronted the official.

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by waltjp

I don't fully agree. The coach knew what he was doing. Maybe the reply could have been a little different but the coach was warned before the flag was thrown. I don't like to get into all the woulda/shoulda/coulda's. I have seen usually mild-mannered officials react in ways that I would deem uncharacteristic at times, me included. Bit don't pin this on the official - the coach drew this penalty himself when he left the conference and confronted the official.

The wing officials should have said nothing, this is the difference between a good and great official. The reply was totally uncalled for, even the poster is second guessing himself on that point. If that is a warning I need to rethink how I warn coaches. I always thought saying, "coach that is enough," seems to be a bit more professional and gets the point across.

[Rich]

I'm the referee on my crew and, based on the situation posted here, would prefer to give out any warnings like this myself.

As Ron mentioned, a brief "that's enough" should suffice. If it continues, then be a bit more stern and direct the coach to his team huddle.

My wings aren't expected to be mute -- they are quite demanding when it comes to sideline decorum and making sure the teams are in the right spots during timeouts. But with a coach in the middle of the field I would hope that any USC flag thrown would be mine after giving the appropriate warnings.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

I'm the referee on my crew and, based on the situation posted here, would prefer to give out any warnings like this myself.

If all R's were as diligent as you this situation might have been prevented. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the R working the game in question caught it in time.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by RonRef

The wing officials should have said nothing, this is the difference between a good and great official. The reply was totally uncalled for, even the poster is second guessing himself on that point. If that is a warning I need to rethink how I warn coaches. I always thought saying, "coach that is enough," seems to be a bit more professional and gets the point across.

Ron, you contradict yourself.

First you say that the official should have said nothing. Then you say he should say 'enough'. I agree with the latter.

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Ron, you contradict yourself.

First you say that the official should have said nothing. Then you say he should say 'enough'. I agree with the latter.

I was refering to him address the coach first in a unprofessional manner, if he had enough from the coach give him a formal warning, "that is enough coach."

[Zebra in NV]

Originally Posted by The Roamin' Umpire

Varsity game Friday night, NFHS rules.
snip...
is approaching me from his huddle at the center of the field, yelling that the visitor's QB had thrown the ball OOB on the bootleg play, and I've got to make that call.
snip

Don't know if my typical response would have worked in this situation, but, consider this response:

"Coach, what I saw was a fumble, if it happened they way you say it did, I booted the call."

For me, this disarms 'em and shut's 'em up 99% of the time. They usually respond... "Oh....hmmm... OK" and return to wherever they were.