Our Captain Said What???

[TerpZebra]

Originally Posted by buckrog64

Friday night the home team won the opening toss and deferred. Visitors then chose to defend a goal that would give them a healthy wind during the first quarter. We clarified with the captains, which I know is doing more than most crews should, that they wanted to defend that goal so they could have the wind. So of course at half-time it's home's choice since they deferred and naturally they wanted the ball. Visitor's coaches went nuts. Informed us that these kids were only high schoolers...

Question is: would you inform the coach immediately as to what could happen at the beginning of the second half? Or just let them spin on it when the time comes?

My philosophy is that these are high school juniors and seniors. They have been playing football for a while now and should know what to say. If they don't, then the coach should have instructed them better. You gave them an opportunity to change their mind, and they didn't heed your warning.

Not sure if you said it, but whenever I get in that situation I will say something similar to this:

"now captain, if that is your choice, then you will most likely be kicking off after halftime, too."

if they still want to "kick" then that's their choice.

[BigFarns]

We had the same situation in a JV game a few weeks ago. The kid said kick in the first half and the white hat just shrugged. Being a JV game I piped up discreetly as possible from my position opposite the ref (I was Umpire that game) and said "Sir, does the captain know he'll be kicking off in both halves most likely?" The ref stopped...looked to the captain and clarified the choice. The cocky little turd said "they'll need all the help they can get, so we want to be on defense." We both shrugged and went on with the game. Game ended Home team 16 cocky visitors 8. Guess they coulda used another series, eh? LOL

[RoyGardner]

But think what the coach probably told his captains. I'll bet it was "If they win the toss, we want to kick from the scoreboard end." (with the wind). Oops, he forgot to tell them "If they win the toss and take the ball...."

We avoid that kind of problem by responding back to the other team (after winner of toss has deferred) so you'll take the ball this half? That way we avoid the messy discussion with the irate coach even though his players "did what they were told". This is my 4th year of being the U at the coin toss and we have not let one of those boneheaded calls go in a HS game yet.

We did let it go in a JC game once when after we tried three times to get the winning team to defer, they kept insisting that the coach said he wanted them to kick, so kick they did, in both halves.

[parepat]

I try and lead them in the right direction with "if you choose to kick now, they will have the choice in the second half and thus you will never get to receive. Is that what your coach would want?" If they insist, let it go.

[MJT]

You should definitely try to explain to them that they will be kicking off both halfs and not get to receive either half if they make the choice they formentioned. Maybe give them one more shot yet, then I'd tell the coach what happened right after the captains meeting, telling him we explained it a couple of different way so he was certain to make the choice he wanted.

[ljudge]

To avoid these kinds of issues I learned when I was a LJ is my referee asked the captains at the sideline before we walked out to the toss if they knew what choice they would want if they did win the toss. Then, you don't have unwanted criticism of allowing the captain to change his choice (or give further clarification). Our Umpire did the same at his sideline.