Sideline control

[JugglingReferee]

In my neck of the woods, if the play is at the other end of the field, the coaches are permitted to be a yard or 2 on the field. When the play is close, we expect that they will be away from the sideline to allow the official room to move. I remind them of this agreement/compromise and they always back away.

I also will remind them that I like to work out of bounds, that way the athletes feel that they have full use of the field, and that an official is not in their way.

If it needs to be, I'm not afraid to tell the coaching staff that "they're not permitted to be there", pointing to the area I want clear.

If I ever run into someone, our mechanics tell us that it's a flag.

[Reffing Rev.]

When I am on a wing I start early, before the game. Find the get-back coach, as someone already mentioned. When I come over on the first kick-off I do not turn and give my ready until everybody is where they are supposed to be. Next time someone is not where they are supposed to be, I go straight to the head coach and I ask him to help keep his team where they are supposed to be. After that I go to the book. Sideline warning, 5 yarder, 15 yarder. I've only once had a 5 yarder and never a 15 yarder. The 5 yarder came in a game when the coach could care less about the sideline and was often on the field. The WH ended up giving him 2 USCs in the game and he was gone by the 4th quarter.

Interestingly enough last year I filled in most of the season on a crew who had an injury at LJ. Their WH had an interesting philosophy. Whenever there were too many coaches in the box, or players in coaches box, or coaches on the field he would just charge them a timeout. He said to the coach on my sideline once, "I assumed you wanted a timeout because you were on the field." I do not agree with his practice, but it worked.