Southern Miss elected to "kick" during the coin toss

[TerpZebra]

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...40379/0/SPORTS

From the article:

Given an option, the Eagles chose to kick.

Referee: You mean you want to defer?

USM: No sir, we want to kick.

Ref: Are you sure?

USM: Yes.

And so USM kicked off to open the game and the second half.

oops!

[Welpe]

"A big-time miscommunication," said Bower, who seemed miffed that the officials let it happen.

Those dastardly officials and their trickery!

[JRutledge]

This is college football. If they are not coached better than that so be it. The official did ask to make sure he was not making a mistake. That is all we can do.

Peace

[MD Longhorn]

Of course it comes back to it being OUR fault.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

I'm just curious, was that exchange recorded, or broadcast?

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Of course it comes back to it being OUR fault.

Well officials are omnipotent afterall. Just look at what zebras are doing to the price of gas!

[ljudge]

I'm a rookie college official this year and I (as I did when a LJ in high school) still ask the captains at the sideline. That way, when they go out to the R and U they have their head on straight for the options. I only have a handful of games under my belt at this level but so far it's worked just fine.

Just last week some of you (I'm sure) will say I crossed the line. I'm a R in high school. I asked the QB (an honor student at that) at the sideline and when we got out to the toss he still said we want to kick when he meant receive (after opponent deferred). I asked him two more times "Are you sure you don't want the ball, they get the option in the 2nd half." BEFORE I walked out the coach said to me "I don't trust him to make the right decision and HE'S an honor student. Imagine what the rest of 'em are like." A veteran LJ gave me kudos for not letting the kid louse it up. But, like I said some of you may disagree.

[No Fair Catch]

Up here in Canada I can not tell you how many times I have heard the coin toss go that way this season! In fact, during a CFL game the winner of the coin toss chose to defer, and the other team chose an end to defend apparently due to wind conditions......P.S. The flags on the uprights were straight down....lots of wind eh...

[Mike L]

Don't always assume it's the kids fault. I've had to explain to coaches that they probably want to defer on their first half choice rather than choose to kick.

[JugglingReferee]

22-Sept-07:

University of Western Ontario Mustangs vs. University of Guelph Gryphons. My thoughts in red.

• UWO chooses heads.
  • Heads is one of the possibilities.
• Coin comes up tails.
  • It happens 50% of the time.
• UG elects to defer.
  • No worries - I often think if I was a coach, I would always defer; but as a rule, I hear defer less than 50% of the time.
• UWO chooses the south end.
  • Fair enough - they want the wind now to help get out to an early lead.
• Guelph chooses to kick.
  • LOL - we (the whole crew) were all stunned.

This in a CIS game!

[No Fair Catch]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

22-Sept-07:

University of Western Ontario Mustangs vs. University of Guelph Gryphons. My thoughts in red.

• UWO chooses heads.
  • Heads is one of the possibilities.
• Coin comes up tails.
  • It happens 50% of the time.
• UG elects to defer.
  • No worries - I often think if I was a coach, I would always defer; but as a rule, I hear defer less than 50% of the time.
• UWO chooses the south end.
  • Fair enough - they want the wind now to help get out to an early lead.
• Guelph chooses to kick.
  • LOL - we (the whole crew) were all stunned.

This in a CIS game!

Maybe it wasn't such a bad choice though....did UW not fumble the opening KO and Guelph run in it for a TD?!?

[Mike51]

I was the WH at a junior high game tonight. We toss the coin with the coaches beforehand and simulate the toss with captains later.
Visiting coach won the toss and before I could give him his options he said, "we want to kick". I replied, "let me give you your options, you can defend, defer, kick, or recieve".
Again he said, "we want to kick". So I asked the home coach what end did he want to defend. The meeting continued to an end. The home team won 46-0.

I did all I thought I could to get a "defer" answer from the visiting coach, but he just wanted to kick.

[txrefcshou]

Tonight after team A def, I gave B three options:Rec, Rec, or Rec and asked him which one, he told me the first one.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by No Fair Catch

Maybe it wasn't such a bad choice though....did UW not fumble the opening KO and Guelph run in it for a TD?!?

I don't remember that. Sorry.

[boboman316]

I just let them know that their choices are to receive, defened a goal, or defer to the second half. At no time do I give them the kicking option. If they choose kick, I will do as most do, and reiterate their choices two more times, after that we're playing football.