The worst a coach said to me this year

[Rich]

Originally Posted by parepat

The type of official that many people despise is the one that looks for any reason to call as many fouls as possible. The ones that want to "send a message". The ones that are obsessed with side line warnings, uniform compliance and what the assistant coaches might be saying about them.

In dealing with coaches I go by an axiom told to me by a wise old official. "Remember, this is our hobby and it is important to us, we work hard at it, but, coaching is this guys job."

I'd be insulted by that. This is more than a hobby. It's NOT the coach's job, BTW. His job is "teacher" at the school 99% of the time. Just like me, it's something he does when he's not working his primary job. I consider him no more important to the process than me or my crew.

We don't let people on the field. The state has said this is how it will be and we enforce it. We've had at least 6 sideline warnings, 1 5-yard penalty, and one IP called when my line judge backed right into an assistant coach. If it costs me ratings, so what? Look, here you either get one playoff game or two playoff games with the exception of the 7 crews that work the state finals. So at most I could cost myself one playoff game by offending the wrong coach. Is it worth selling my soul or the crew down the river? No freaking way.

We flagged a head coach for USC on Friday night. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's part of the job. If you're not willing to do that part of the job, I'd prefer you quit so it's not so hard for the rest of us.

[Refster]

Whoa Nellie! We're all supposed to be on the same side. I thought this thread was about stuff coaches say.

[Jmuvol]

Sloth and bisonlj...I feel your pain. I spent the last 8 years in Indiana and the last 5 as a referee and crew chief. The system such, there is no doubt about it. Name recognition is the key in Indiana. Work one sport at a high level, and you will get votes for your other sports. I'd love to say that it is better now that I am in Georgia, but there is still a system in place that is not overtly "fair." The association I am in assigns the crews for all playoffs. We may get as many as 5 the first round and less there after. The hard part is that I could be rated the 4th best at my position during the season but not get a playoff game because guys who run white hat all year go back to their "regular" positions for the playoffs. All I try to do is work what I get and go on.

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by Jmuvol

The hard part is that I could be rated the 4th best at my position during the season but not get a playoff game because guys who run white hat all year go back to their "regular" positions for the playoffs. All I try to do is work what I get and go on.

I don't like that at all. That used to be what would happen in my association. The members spoke up and we voted to change the way it's done. Now, an official much work at least 3 varsity games at a position to be qualified to work that position in the playoffs. If you work white hat all year long then that is the only position you'll be considered for.

[Brett]

I had an assistant coach tell me not to address him and that I should run my concerns about his behavior though his head coach after telling him he was walking a (not so) fine line for coaching his players to "blast" opposing players after the play had ended if a whistle hadn't yet sounded.

After his response, I ended up taking his advice and explained to his head coach why I was walking off 15 and sending one of assistants home.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Brett

I had an assistant coach tell me not to address him and that I should run my concerns about his behavior though his head coach after telling him he was walking a (not so) fine line for coaching his players to "blast" opposing players after the play had ended if a whistle hadn't yet sounded.

After his response, I ended up taking his advice and explained to his head coach why I was walking off 15 and sending one of assistants home.

The LJ told me this happened.

LJ's sideline is on defense. A23 runs out of bounds and B54 is nearby but does not hit him as he ran out of bounds. Coach from team B yells at B54 for not hitting A23. B54 tells him that he was out of bounds so he didn't hit him. B coach replies that the whistle had not yet sounded so he expected B54 to hit him even though he was out of bounds....

[w_sohl]

The first sideline warning I gave was because I was spending more time worrying about where coaches were in the coaches box than what was happening on the field. This happened in the first quarter. Pretty sure this is a proper use of the sideline warning. No coaches were on the field, they were just getting in my way, without contact, during a live ball. Somewhere in the second quarter a tackle that they thought was questionable I explained that from where I was at it looked legal (the tackle was on the other side of the field at the five yard line) the assistant said to me, "That is what thy all say." My response, "I don't want to hear another word out of you, you're an assistant!". Nothing happened till either late in the third or early in the fourth quarter. Another tackle they disagreed with. The coaches complained but nothing out of the ordinary so I just ignored it, till the same assistant I warned earlier decided to open his mouth again. He asked, "Are you ever going to throw a flag?". I turned, looked at him and threw a flag. My intent at first was to go with USC, but by the time I got to the middle of the field I had decided that the second sideline warning would be more appropriate and that is what I went with. Was it to the letter of the law, probably not as some of you have pointed out, but if I remember correctly the rules are not to be applied black and white but with some grey. I used that grey and it took care of the situation. I accomplished what I had hoped for, so I am happy with how I handled it.

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

My intent at first was to go with USC, but by the time I got to the middle of the field I had decided that the second sideline warning would be more appropriate and that is what I went with.

Please understand what I am trying to impart. You stated, in your judgment, the coach had done nothing to deserve an USC penalty. While I might disagree with your judgment in this situation, that is not the basis of my disagreement with the way you handled it, and I totally support your right to make that judgment.

According to what you have written, he had done nothing to warrant a five yard sideline penalty, yet that was your call. Think of it this way. A player contacts an opponent above the waist in the side right as the ball carrier is being tackled. In your judgment, the contact was not late nor was it unnecessarily rough. You want to send a message to the player, however, so you call him for a block in the back. Would you do that?

That is what you have done here. The coach's conduct was not USC but you wanted to send a message, so you penalized him for something he did not do. That is not gray nor is it common sense, it is just wrong.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Pretty sure this is a proper use of the sideline warning. No coaches were on the field, they were just getting in my way, without contact, during a live ball.

That is not a sideline warning. I've already said it a few times, but being in your way is not a sideline warning. You can stand out of bounds and they can put one coach directly behind you and one on each side of you.

Sideline warning - More than 3 coaches in the 6 foot area or any players between the 25 yard lines. Players are only allowed in this 6 foot area as they are entering or leaving the field.

Sideline interference - Being outside of the team box but not on the field. That means that someone is out of bounds, but has gone past the 25 yard line.

Unsportsmanlike foul - Only players allowed on the field; anyone else = USC. There are a few exceptions:

Authorized conferences (charged timeout) - Middle of the field - 1 coach allowed on field.
- Within 9 yards of sideline - Everyone can be out there.

Three attendants (water boys) allowed on field during timeouts (charged, TV, after try/field goal/safety, injury, heat/huminity) *Note that the rules do not allow coaches on the field during the timeout following a score.

Injury timeout - Coach and attendants (doctor, trainer) allowed on field to attend to player.

That is the summary of where people are allowed to stand during the game. Nowhere does it say it is a foul for getting in an official's way.

On your second flag, he didn't commit a USC foul, so you just decided to call a different foul on him. That doesn't make sense. He may or may not have deserved the USC, but he for sure did not deserve the sideline warning.

[parepat]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'd be insulted by that. This is more than a hobby. It's NOT the coach's job, BTW. His job is "teacher" at the school 99% of the time. Just like me, it's something he does when he's not working his primary job. I consider him no more important to the process than me or my crew.

We don't let people on the field. The state has said this is how it will be and we enforce it. We've had at least 6 sideline warnings, 1 5-yard penalty, and one IP called when my line judge backed right into an assistant coach. If it costs me ratings, so what? Look, here you either get one playoff game or two playoff games with the exception of the 7 crews that work the state finals. So at most I could cost myself one playoff game by offending the wrong coach. Is it worth selling my soul or the crew down the river? No freaking way.

We flagged a head coach for USC on Friday night. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It's part of the job. If you're not willing to do that part of the job, I'd prefer you quit so it's not so hard for the rest of us.

If you think what we do in terms of time and effort is comparable to the coach you are sadly mistaken.

If you set the record for improper side line warnings can anyone fire you as an official.

Do you spend six days a week several hours per day for 4+ months during the season working at your officiating.

Don't compare our job to the coaches because it is not even close. But you can certainly show them who is boss on Friday night.

My point was simply that we need to be patient in our dealings with these folks.