Situation from Last Night

[PA-28-181]

This has happened to me last year & I gave them a illegal participation. This collision came after I had already given them a sideline warning flag. I now need a knee brace because I messed up my MCL.

During my meeting with the head coach I tell them about the crash & that I want them IN the box & not in the field. Most understand, some don’t. My thought is to start the dialog early and mean it. Some coaches are a lot like kids (no disrespect to coaches here) they will push it to the limits. If you show them you mean it the will except it.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by PA-28-181

Some coaches are a lot like kids (no disrespect to coaches here) they will push it to the limits.

I can't even get the kids to give enough clear space around sumo and other contest-type drills we use in practice. Why they have to crowd around as if they're all nearsighted, I don't know. There's plenty of space for all of them to see if they just step back.

Robert

[falsecut]

Understand that like another poster said, somebody can get hurt if somebody is out on the field and you run into them. Worse, it might be you getting hurt.

Bang 'em early with the flag. Getting the warning in early is better than later (although I don't follow my own advise often enough; I try to work with them more than I should). I do tell them that the kid can't hear them any better from a half yard on the field than he does when he's a half yard off it.

It also affects your officiating when they are on or really close to the field, even if you never make contact. You become conscious that they are there, and then you start peeking to be sure that they are behaving, and then you take your eyes off the field and uh oh, trouble, you missed something.