Situation from Last Night

[IceGator8]

Here in Utah sideline control is being hammered hard. There is a no tolerance policy. I guess once officials start getting sued people wake up and start to enforce the rules.

Frankly enforcing the three in a box rule with coaches not being allowed on the field has helped the game here. The first games of this season were a bit rough. One official exhausted his sideline warning and the five yard penalty and ended up throwing two fifteen yarders on his bench. It caused such a stir it made the news.

Now the teams are staying back and the coaches in the box are staying on the offense side of the wing official so they don't get run over. It has been great to not have to worry so much about coaches as it lets me concentrate more on the field.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by IceGator8

Here in Utah sideline control is being hammered hard. There is a no tolerance policy. I guess once officials start getting sued people wake up and start to enforce the rules.

Here, too. For me, it's a license to have zero tolerance on the field.

Liberating, frankly. And once the coaches understand we mean business, they learn they can coach from off the field, where they belong.

[IceGator8]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Here, too. For me, it's a license to have zero tolerance on the field.

Liberating, frankly. And once the coaches understand we mean business, they learn they can coach from off the field, where they belong.

Another byproduct that I neglected to mention is that many teams are pushing the team box back further (We aren't forcing or recommending this in any way) and the coaches are staying two yards back which leaves me the whole sideline.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by IceGator8

Another byproduct that I neglected to mention is that many teams are pushing the team box back further (We aren't forcing or recommending this in any way) and the coaches are staying two yards back which leaves me the whole sideline.

I had a game last Friday on a brand new field with soccer lines so that the "2 yard box" was about 4 yards wide. Even better, no one was in this box (by the head coach's request). On top of that, there was another line about 8-10 yards off the side line where the coach told all his players to stay. We probably had about a dozen guys (coaches, stat guys, cameramen) in that 4-10 yard back box, but no players to be seen anywhere near the field. That was an extremely nice sideline to work on, too bad it doesn't happen more often.

[Forksref]

Last Friday my linesman threw the flag on a coach in the first quarter for a sideline warning. This was after several verbal reminders. He had no problems the rest of the game. And...the linesman got the first drink free after the game!

I love the sideline warning because it is visible and costs no yardage. It signals that you mean business. Giving repeated verbal reminders to stay off the field doesn't work most of the time. We need to do more sideline warnings early in the game.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Forksref

Last Friday my linesman threw the flag on a coach in the first quarter for a sideline warning. This was after several verbal reminders. He had no problems the rest of the game. And...the linesman got the first drink free after the game!

I love the sideline warning because it is visible and costs no yardage. It signals that you mean business. Giving repeated verbal reminders to stay off the field doesn't work most of the time. We need to do more sideline warnings early in the game.

My wings and I have talked about this and we've agreed on ONE verbal reminder before the first sideline warning. Hey, the first flag on the field is free, so that's TWO warnings, then, without an actual penalty.

[GoodScout]

I agree. I'll warn a coach about being on the field once in a live ball situation -- which by rule I don't have to. After that, I'm absolutely going to enforce.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by GoodScout

I agree. I'll warn a coach about being on the field once in a live ball situation -- which by rule I don't have to. After that, I'm absolutely going to enforce.

Live ball, dead ball, what does it matter? Keep them off the field ALL the time (except for an authorized conference with the team).