Situation from Last Night
 

This year I've been working the wings in the under class games. I've learned a lot, but obviously I'm still in the process. Here's the situation I had last night and I appreciate your feedback.

First half...
Coaches (Team B) are wondering out onto the field and in front of me. I say: "Hey Coach, could you help me out a lot and stay within your box."

Fast forward to the second half...
Team B is on defense. Team A runs a sweep toward me. As the runner advances, I'm moving down field with him. All of a sudden a coach from Team B pops out in front of me (on the field) and I don't see him - we collide. I admit that when it happened I know I looked like a deer in headlights because I certainly wasn't expecting it. I threw my flag and tried to recover getting down field to the end of the run. Obviously, I was late getting down there and getting a spot for the umpire.

Obviously, the coach wasn't happy I dropped one on him and began to give me his coaching resumé saying that he'd be coaching for 41 years and that they were freshman and he'd never seen anything like that before, etc.

Side question... I know as wing officials we carry an important part in the game in that we are a link of communication between the coaches and us (officials). As a wing official, is there a point where that bridge is burned and you no longer provide that link?

As always, thanks for your help and feedback.

Edit: I don't believe it matters but it was a 4-man crew.

I hope you gave him illegal participation and not a sideline warning.

You would think after 41 years he would know not to be on the field during a play.

Agreed.

Sideline control is your responsibility as a wing, and if diplomacy doesn't accomplish that task quickly, you have other arrows in your quiver.

First one's free.

Just curious, was it this guy?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y19...89qupdate3.jpg

"In my day, you didn't have sideline warnings. The referees didn't even have flags, they had horns, and if they blew one near you, you went deaf and that's the way it was! You were walking around, getting out of your coaches' box, knocking over the linesman and losing your hearing and that's the way it was and you liked it!"

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.

When is the bridge burned is a question only you can answer. Most experienced officials realize, and accept, that coaching can be an emotional experience the often produces flashes of over reaction. The key can be in your ability to recognize a flash, as an emotional outburst, ignore "flashes" as much as possible and differentiate between flashes and flames.

However, when a flash smolders and builds into an enduring flame, the only way to deal with it is to extinguish the flame. You might try a simple approach, advising the coach that you've heard his complaint and understand it, so there's no good reason to keep repeating it, and if you're really in an understanding mood, offer a final, "Coach, that's enough", but if the flame continues a flag becomes necessary and appropriate.

When you can satisfy yourself that you've provided ample opportunity for the coach to take a different approach, yet he has decided to continue arguing, he has earned any flag(s) he gets. The fault is NOT yours, it is entirely on him.

After the 1st flag, if you're not the referee walk away. If you are the referee, give the appropriate signal and turn away from the offending coach. Unless he's a complete fool, he will recognize the flag as having sawed off the limb he has chosen to walk out on, and should stop acting like a child. Thankfully, that is most often the case but every now and then a coach will decide to continue his rant. Again, that's not your choice, it's totally his choice and the consequences are clear and severe.

If the second flag is necessary ( that second one you carry, but rarely ever use) throw it without any additional adrenalin or emotion. Once it's thrown, the coach who's earned it is gone. He is no longer a part of the contest you are officiating. All your dealings and discussions should be with either game management or the designated replacement head coach. Any and all conversing with the disqualified coach is a MISTAKE. If he requires instructions on what he must do, or where he must go, give them to game management of his replacement and let them relay the details to the disqualified coach.

I think the ongoing case in Texas means that we have to enforce the rule book as written (in dealing with non-players on the field). To not do so opens us up to legal action for neglect based on not following the guidlines set down by the NFHS.

When is the bridge burned is a question only you can answer. Most experienced officials realize, and accept, that coaching can be an emotional experience the often produces flashes of over reaction. The key can be in your ability to recognize a flash, as an emotional outburst, ignore "flashes" as much as possible and differentiate between flashes and flames.

However, when a flash smolders and builds into an enduring flame, the only way to deal with it is to extinguish the flame. You might try a simple approach, advising the coach that you've heard his complaint and understand it, so there's no good reason to keep repeating it, and if you're really in an understanding mood, offer a final, "Coach, that's enough", but if the flame continues a flag becomes necessary and appropriate.

When you can satisfy yourself that you've provided ample opportunity for the coach to take a different approach, yet he has decided to continue arguing, he has earned any flag(s) he gets. The fault is NOT yours, it is entirely on him.

After the 1st flag, if you're not the referee walk away. If you are the referee, give the appropriate signal and turn away from the offending coach. Unless he's a complete fool, he will recognize the flag as having sawed off the limb he has chosen to walk out on, and should stop acting like a child. Thankfully, that is most often the case but every now and then a coach will decide to continue his rant. Again, that's not your choice, it's totally his choice and the consequences are clear and severe.

If the second flag is necessary ( that second one you carry, but rarely ever use) throw it without any additional adrenalin or emotion. Once it's thrown, the coach who's earned it is gone. He is no longer a part of the contest you are officiating. All your dealings and discussions should be with either game management or the designated replacement head coach. Any and all conversing with the disqualified coach is a MISTAKE. If he requires instructions on what he must do, or where he must go, give them to game management of his replacement and let them relay the details to the disqualified coach.

I think your USC on the coach was reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances. His reply, while no doubt facinating, means nothing - he should know better.

At this point the lines of communication between you and the coach are fine. You called a penalty and explained it to the coach. He understood the call and offered his disagrement. You're communicating perfectly. The problem comes when anger gets in the way and you stop listening to each other.

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

That's fricking hilarious!

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.

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.

No tolerance. Over-exuberance (coming onto the field) once is free. The second is five yards. The third and subsequent is 15. Period.

If a wing runs into someone not where they belong, it's 15. Period.

A coach can disagree, but if I can hear him as the WH, I expect the wing to take care of it quickly. If I continue to hear it from the middle, I have to get involved, and that usually ends up as USC.

We (HS officials) don't work the NFL or high level NCAA. The field is an extension of the classroom and the coaches should be better examples.

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.