End of game - Dirty Play

[jontheref]

I only do HS -- but besides the ejection, I am ending the game if it would have taken a second kneel down. You dont get a second bite at the apple. If that means I have to stand over the ball for a half minute reconfirming what down it is, then so be it.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by jontheref

I only do HS -- but besides the ejection, I am ending the game if it would have taken a second kneel down. You dont get a second bite at the apple. If that means I have to stand over the ball for a half minute reconfirming what down it is, then so be it.

I like it.

[trocared]

End of games, especially "highly spirited" ones can get a bit furry. I am reminded of a game my junior year in college against a bitter rival where they had no chance of winning and were going full tilt, trying to hurt someone. I believe there were two pf in that series. When the buzzer sounded, their whole sideline sprinted on the field and it was on.
The officials sprinted, just as fast, off the field, which I thought at the time was a bit odd.
As a player at the time, I thought it was cool, going after one another after the game. Now, as an official, I think I would have been greatly embarrassed if something like that would happen under my watch.
Surely I wouldn't expect officials to break up a fight after the game, I just think surely something could have been done to prevent it in the first place.
cheers,
tro

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by trocared

End of games, especially "highly spirited" ones can get a bit furry. I am reminded of a game my junior year in college against a bitter rival where they had no chance of winning and were going full tilt, trying to hurt someone. I believe there were two pf in that series. When the buzzer sounded, their whole sideline sprinted on the field and it was on.
The officials sprinted, just as fast, off the field, which I thought at the time was a bit odd.
As a player at the time, I thought it was cool, going after one another after the game. Now, as an official, I think I would have been greatly embarrassed if something like that would happen under my watch.
Surely I wouldn't expect officials to break up a fight after the game, I just think surely something could have been done to prevent it in the first place.

"Surely"? One team showed up to play, the other to injure. The only thing that could've prevented that would've been for one team not to be there.

[jjrye22]

I'm in a situation like Rich
If the O says they will take a knee - we relay it and the D is expected to sit back and wait.
If O pulls a play - USC unfair tactics
If D attacks - PF probable ejection
In this case definate ejection. We report all ejections on our game reports and the association deals out penalties, ususally 1-3 games, but this would probably have been either 3 or 5 games (depends on the player's history). We have also had a few year long and lifetime bans.

[NM_Ref]

I should probably note that the LB'er DID wait till the ball was snapped. He didn't go for the ball or the center...he drilled the TE.

I did hear his statements and I did tell him they were kneeling a few times.

I also did throw my flag and we got together as a group to discuss the situation. I let my white hat know what happened and that I thought this situation deserved an ejection. As we talked it over, the AD and head coach came over to discuss it with us. We talked about it and it was determined (by the white hat) that nothing would come of it and the coach and AD would address it with the player.

[Welpe]

I don't mean to be harsh but you should not have discussed this with the coach prior to making a final decision about the player. For all you know, the coach knew his player should've been ejected and was lobbying you to not eject him to keep him in next week's game.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by jjrye22

I'm in a situation like Rich
If the O says they will take a knee - we relay it and the D is expected to sit back and wait.
If O pulls a play - USC unfair tactics
If D attacks - PF probable ejection
In this case definate ejection. We report all ejections on our game reports and the association deals out penalties, ususally 1-3 games, but this would probably have been either 3 or 5 games (depends on the player's history). We have also had a few year long and lifetime bans.

So if the Offense says they are going to take a knee, and then the offensive tackle blasts out and nails the defensive end, are you going with PF and probable ejection on the OT also? Or is it just the defensive players you nail for attacking in this situation? I ask because we had this happen in our game Friday night - the U tells all of my defensive players that The QB is taking a knee - all my defensive players relax somewhat, and then the tackle absolutely blasts my DE off his feet - and the U and White Hat said "He should have been prepared." When I asked them if they would have flagged the DE if it was reversed, they got kinda red-faced and said "Probably" and then left the field...

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by jjrye22

If O pulls a play - USC unfair tactics

Under what rule?

[ajmc]

As this play is described, including the pre-snap comments that the covering official heard, not DQing the offending player suggests a real problem with understanding what the role of an official actually is.

We can argue from now until forever about whether, or what, to say to the teams when you're told the offense is taking a knee. That has absolutely nothing to do with a player taking a premediated "cheap shot".

There is no rule, no interpretation, no intent anywhere that can, or should, be weasel worded to allow, or encourage, a player to engage in this type behavior. The consequences of such behavior are severe, as they well should be. It's our job to insure that the full weight of these consequences are enforced.

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by ajmc

There is no rule, no interpretation, no intent anywhere that can, or should, be weasel worded to allow, or encourage, a player to engage in this type behavior. The consequences of such behavior are severe, as they well should be. It's our job to insure that the full weight of these consequences are enforced.

But what if there is no consequence to be enforced? Unless the school or the league the school plays in has some beyond-the-game consequence for such a player -- suspension, cleaning erasers, whatever -- nothing is to be gained by your pointing out the violation. Everyone who was still paying att'n to the game saw the cheap shot, so I don't see how your pointing it out could embarrass the player any further, and delaying the end of the game under such circumstances only increases the chance that things will really blow up. So unless you know that there's some beyond-game sanction that depends on your official report, just get out of there fast! And even if there is some such beyond-the-game sanction, you can give your report later, no need to stick around. If a rumble ensues, that's not your responsibility.

Robert

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by jontheref

I only do HS -- but besides the ejection, I am ending the game if it would have taken a second kneel down. You dont get a second bite at the apple. If that means I have to stand over the ball for a half minute reconfirming what down it is, then so be it.

Getting a new ball can sometimes take a while.