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The worst a coach said to me this year
Well, with me having maybe a dozen games left in the year, it might be safe to say that the worst that a coach has said to me has already been said:
"What is that call? You just made that up." It seems rather innocent, but it reeks of disrespect. There was no "joking tone" to his comment whatsoever. He made the comment while running down the sideline with a much louder than necessary voice. The coach further showed his lack of knowledge by using terms like "false start" (I'm in Canada where there is no such term). My colleagues would confirm how much time and effort I put into officiating. Between reading forums, mechanics manuals, etc, etc, I easily put more hours into this avocation off-field than I do on-field. To me, this assistant coach is calling me a cheat and a fraud. I don't recall having ever been that disrespected before. For that team, I would rather them keep the game fee and show me respect than feel like that they think this type of comment is beneficial all the while paying me $45. What was the worse that someone directed to you this season? Oh ya... the call: illegal contact on an eligible receiver. |
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Mine was just last week
I moved to Savannah, Georgia this past year after 8 years in Indiana. We only did down to middle school in Indiana. Here they do as low as 6 & under. I got a chance to do the "city" league 10 & under this past Saturday. Late in my second game, one of the teams has the ball on the 6 yard line going in. Leading by 6, they decide to attempt a field goal. Don't ask how dumb this is...just go with it. They kick, and to no surprise, miss. The ball rolls into the end zone. We pick up the ball and place it on the 20. An assistant coach asks why we put the ball on the 20? That's where we put all kicks that go into the end zone. His response: "That is the dumbest thing I have heard of!"
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And the sad thing is the ball would go to the 20 at any level of play (NF, NCAA, NFL). "Frankly coach, that's the dumbest thing I have ever heard". |
Dumbest thing was I had someone complain that entering the NZ is not a dead ball encroachment foul (Federation rules). This guy is thinking NCAA and NFL style live ball foul. I told him that it was a dead ball foul and he said that it must have been a new rule. I told him it was changed for the 1975 season. I'm not sure if that is correct but that is what it says on this website.
http://football.refs.org/rules/NFrules1.html |
High School Frosh game.
Coach was mad that too many players left to go downfield on a punt. |
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Always understand, most fans and coaches get their rules knowledge from watching football on TV. |
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Shortly before the end of the 3Q, I was forced to call another IG on the same QB. He threw it from 15 yds behind the LOS, into the home team bench, nowhere near a receiver, as he was being tackled. It was a huge penalty. After marking off the distance, the visiting assistant yelled at me from 35 yards away, "That was a home call!" I looked at him, didn't move, and he shouted it again. I dropped the flag. 3Q ends, and the visiting head coach wants to talk about the IG. He doesn't agree with what I told him I saw. I say OK, we don't have to agree. We spot the ball for the start of the 4Q and the wing on the visiting side blows his whistle, drops his flag. He tells me that the coach said the only reason you called that was because there are "two of us" coaching. We decided that we liked being called racists less than we liked being called cheaters. |
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Thanks! |
Working with a whiney coach, who asked for an explanation. I gave him a brief, polite, exactly correct ruling. He replied, "It was still a lousy call and you still stink". Told him I'd move the ball 15 yards further downwind to see if it helped.
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After we penalized his team for intentional grounding on a pass that was nowhere near anybody offense or defense and he argued his TE was in the area, the coach yelled "I'm going to murder you on the Internet." This is in reference to our state's process for rating officials for playoff advancement. It is done once a year online and any coach can vote for any crew. In our post-game we decided the coach probably deserved an opportunity to re-state his opinion (give him enough rope to hang himself) or an instant flag.
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bison, I am a bit of a red @$$ but I might've considered making that not only a USC but flagarant as well. I take a very low opinion of a coach that thinks he can threaten us like that.
MNBlue...sorry to hear that. That is horrible. The worst I've heard this year was during a youth game while working LJ. I had a coach in my ear from the first quarter about their receiver being held...I didn't see it once but it was supposedly there. Later in the quarter I had a spot on their opponent's ball carrier that they thought was a bit too generous. An assistant got in my ear and quietly said "You're just not seeing anything today." What made the comment worse was the way he said it with a whine, almost as if he were a 5 year old throwing a temper tantrum. The most amusing comment this year so far was during a freshman game. I was working at HL, and had a big name school on my sideline. You more than likely have heard of them. Well the coach didn't like my PF call against his team for a decleater 25 yards behind the play. He asked me "What if we had run a reverse?!" My response "Well coach you didn't, the play was long gone." His last word "Oh come on, you wouldn't have called that in a varsity game!!!" Never mind that I have but I didn't bother telling him that. :rolleyes: |
Never had another word.......
Coach didn't like my ruling on a judgement call. Made a remark that it looked like we were going to have a long night as this would be a battle of our wits. Told him that would never happen. He foolishly asked why. Told him I never fight a battle of wits with anyone unarmed. Never had another word from him.
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Had an assistant chirp off to me recently. There was what looked like a violent tackle across the field from me at the five yard line. The coaches all start harpping. I tell them that it looked legal to me and that my partners were on top of it. The assistant chimes in with "That's what they all say!" and I turn to him and say, "I don't want to hear another word out of you, you're an assistant"! Were fine for quite some time and then it happens again. A rough but legal tackle and he chimes in again. "Are you ever going to throw a flag?" I turn, look him in the eyes and toss my flag. I earlier in the game had tossed one for sideline warning so this was a five yarder. I could have gone USC, but I didn't feel that was fair to the kids to punish them for this idiots comments. Plus it didn't really hurt them anyway as it was fourth down and they were punting anyway.
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I've got one from this year that is probably my most upsetting yet (9 years and counting).
I ran into a coach when covering a punt and threw my flag (15 yards). After we set up, he calls the R over (who brings me). Coach agrees that the flag is valid (he was about 2 yards on the field when we collided), but said that I attacked him (by putting my arm up for a 'forearm shiver' when he came into my periferal view) and that if I ever touched him again there would be hell to pay and I would be sorry because no one would hold him back. The R - who has reffed all levels in Germany, has officiated numerous championship games and is a top European official (I'm not sure but he might have also been invloved in the NFL Europe) - not only does not warn or punish the coach for an obvious threat, but doesn't even take off a timeout for the 'coaches conference' to complain about a legitimate flag. What upsets me is that he didn't take the threat to me serious. As a side comment, that was a youth game. The coach was a player on his men's team who played right after, and I was U - right in the middle of the action. He didn't step out of line on the field, but I was a little jumpy during plays when I knew he was there. |
I made up my own mechanic Saturday after an hour of assistants carping about BIB's that weren't there. I started pointing at blocks on long downfield plays just to indicate that I saw the block, and that since I didn't throw a flag it was in my opinion legal. Don't think I'd adopt it, but it at least shut them up about me "not seeing blocks in the back."
All these comments are making me happy that I get to stay between the hashes for most of the game.... |
I was working a two man freshman A game, and I was working with someone of advanced age (79 years old) and he was obviously not running nor throwing any flags. So the coach on his sideline comes to me and tells me that I need to stop calling any penalties because the guy on the other side is not calling anything and I am cheating him out of plays by calling holding or DPI. Well, if that was not bad enough, he then comes out to tell me that the guy across from me has missed 10 calls against the home team, and I am obviously being biased for them because I am on their side of the field, "I wonder how much they are paying you?" he says. I throw the flag, and he tells me he was wondering about the pay rate I was getting and that I should get double because I was doing all the work...Yeah right. This was all during a series of time outs. My only thinking was, why the heck is he yelling at me and not the other guy!
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SECTION 8 NONCONTACT UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT BY NONPLAYERS ART. 1 No coach, substitute, trainer or other team attendant shall act in an unsportsmanlike manner once the officials assume authority for the contest. Examples are, but not limited to: a. Using profanity, insulting or vulgar language or gestures. NOTE: The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed to embarrass, ridicule or demean others under any circumstances including on the basis of race, religion, gender or national origin. b. Attempting to influence a decision by an official. c. Disrespectfully addressing an official. d. Indicating objections to an official’s decision. e. Using any illegal communication equipment as outlined in 1-5-3b and 1-6. f. Holding an unauthorized conference. NOTE: Between downs, communications between players and coaches near the sideline are not an unauthorized conference. g. The failure of a team to be ready to start either half. h. Failure of the head coach, following verification, to have his player(s) wear or use legal and/or required equipment. i. Being on the field except as a substitute or replaced player. (See 3-7-6; 9-6-4a) j. Using tobacco or smokeless tobacco. k. Being outside the team box, but not on the field. (See 9-8-3) l. A substitute who leaves the team box during a fight. ART. 2 Three attendants, none of whom is a coach, may enter the field to attend their team during a charged time-out or a TV/radio time-out, during the one-minute following a try, a successful field goal or safety, and prior to the succeeding free kick, between periods and during an official’s time-out for unusual heat and humidity. During a time-out for injury, the coach and/or such attendants as may be deemed necessary by the referee may, with permission, enter to attend the injured player(s). In no other case, except as in 2-6, shall any non-player other than an entering substitute enter without the referee’s permission. ART. 3 A non-player shall not be outside his team box unless to become a player or to return as a replaced player. A maximum of three coaches may be in the coaches’ area. PENALTY: Non-player fouls (Art. 1a through j) (S27), (S7-27) if dead ball 15 yards. Non-player foul (Art. 2) (S19) 5 yards, unless repeated or unsportsmanlike (S27) 15 yards. (Arts. 1k, 3) (S15) First offense-warning. (S7-29) Second offense 5 yards, each subsequent offense (S7-29-27) 15 yards. (Art. 1) (S27-47) 15 yards and disqualification. (Arts. 1, 2, 3) Any single flagrant foul is disqualification. A second unsportsmanlike foul with a 15-yard penalty results in disqualification. (See 9-5 Pen) A disqualified member of the coaching staff shall be ejected from the stadium area and be prohibited from any further contact, direct or indirect, with his team during the remainder of the game. For failure to comply, the referee may forfeit the game. |
[QUOTE=JugglingReferee;544255]Well, with me having maybe a dozen games left in the year, it might be safe to say that the worst that a coach has said to me has already been said:
"What is that call? You just made that up." QUOTE] No way he said that. I don't believe that for one second... If you are in Canada he might have said, "What is that Call, You just made that up eh (pronounce "A" of course)? But no way did he say it the way that you portrayed it above. :D I crack myself up. |
Maybe not the worst but definately one of the ... Last friday night during our pre-game conference with the coach. Us: Coach do you have anything planned that might suprise us? Coach: We run a tackle eligible with number 64. but don't worry, he'll report.
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An assistant coach (known for stuff like this) complaining that my linesman "took up my whole timeout" trying to get them to move to a legal location for a conference. I told him, yes, my linesman was correct in doing that and quickly explained the rule. Then he said "but he called me by my name. I don't know his name (he does, actually)."
So I said (names changed), "Coach Johnson, I'd like you to meet Steve Smith." Then I went to the headcoach, who had a (edited)-eating grin on his face, and said, "You gonna take care of this for me?" The coach laughed, patted me on the back and said "Yeah, I"ll take care of it" as he walked away laughing. He later told my linesman, "You know better than to listen to anything he says." |
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This thread is cracking me up! Lol!
I've seriously laughed out loud a couple of times. I'll have to think about mine and post later. It's been a pretty calm year for me. But I've heard some doozies over the years. |
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A coach can rate a crew he hasn't seen during the season? |
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Once the state finals are over we get a report listing the schools that voted for us and the votes we got (scale of 1 to 5) but those values are not mapped. We also see what our average is compared to other crews so we have an idea of where our ranking fell. Most of the schools on our list are schools where we have worked but there are some I've never seen in my 7 years. This is such a strange process I don't think I could make it up. We are working to change it and the state is listening. At leat this year they required all officials working the second round and beyond to be certified. |
hollow threat
We had something not nearly so vile, but along the same lines.
(First of all, if coaches are allowed to ding officials because they don't agree with calls, then that system is FUBAR in the first place.) We had a private school from several hours away playing one we service. I meet with the coach and give him a list of officials, out of courtesy. In the first half there's a pass interference call -- I don't remember if it was a call or no-call -- that this coach didn't agree with. He starts screaming "I'm reporting you. I have your name." All I did was laugh because this was a completely hollow, meaningless threat. He has no authority to call anyone to complain about a judgment call. Even if he knew whom to call, the call wouldn't be well received or given any credence. So all he really did was prove himself to be an a$$. |
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Also you do not get to decide which way to handle it is more appropriate, it is already decided for you in the rules. |
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I don't know how long you've been doing this, Blue37, but an official trying to apply some common sense to correct a problem, before it becomes a major issue, by getting someone's attention with the least consequence doesn't cause anyone to dispise him.
What can cause such a problem, a lot more likely, is an official following the exact verbiage of a rule without considering the appropriateness of how it applies to the situation at hand. Nuclear warheads on mouse traps will absolutely eliminate a lot of mice, but the collateral damage might just be a little extreme. |
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I wonder what you would say when the supervisor sees the game tape and you called a sideline warning when it was obvious that a sideline warning didn't occur. If some guy is yelling at you either ignore it, tell him to shut-up, or call the USC foul. There are no other options. |
Freshmen game Coach asks if he can ask a question I tell him sure so ere goes
" If a player blockes someone from the side but his n helmet is in the back isn't that a block in the back" I said "His block was from the side?" He sai "Yes" "then coach you answered your own question" |
LDUB, I would expect a good supervisor would ask me what the situation was regarding that particular play, and what my decision was based on and designed to accomplish. If he's a seasoned supervisor I would hope he would understand and agree with my objective.
If he's not a good, or seasoned, supervisor, it really doesn't matter. Sometimes, being even 100% correct isn't always all it's cracked up to be. |
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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." |
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- Send a message to the team that you aren't going to put up with them by calling that first sideline warning. They didn't believe you when you said to get back so show them that you mean business. - Obsessed with sideline warning, well that is a POE so I would hope that all officials would work hard at enforcing it. - What the players wear is a big deal. Pants not covering the knees, not enough pads in their pants, tinted eye shields, casts not padded enough... - No official should have to put up with some assistant coach. Quote:
And I don't know where you are from, but around here I have never seen a coach who did not have a real job. |
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As a referee and crew chief in Indiana, I can tell you that this rating system really effects the way that you handle coaches...and they know it. While there is talk of changing tha rating system, there really is not incentive for the IHSAA to make the change nor the coaches to relinquist the power they have. I tell my guys that I don't want to see an USC on a coach unless you have NO other option. The ultimate proble with this system is the fact that some crew have name recognition that gets them votes. If your starting a new crew you have to spend a lot of time talking to AD to not only get your schedule lined up (because the crew chief books all game for the crew) but to get your name out there for the vote. Another quark to Indiana (since I've said what I have so far) is that you book games out YEARS in advance. I have all but three Fridays booked for the combined 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons; I'm half way through 2012 and have three for 2013. |
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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. |
Whoa Nellie! We're all supposed to be on the same side. I thought this thread was about stuff coaches say.
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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.
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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. |
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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.... :confused: |
Just to be clear...
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.
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Our wings do a great job of working with coaches and handling sidelines. They try to keep coaches informed (penalty #'s, when the clock will start, injured players etc.) Most of the time, when a team has not worked with us before, we start out as suspects and end up as prospects. By the middle of the first quarter or so, the coaches realize that we will communicate, answere questions etc. and stop worrying about us and go on with what they have to do.
We try not to let anyone's emotional behavior effect the way we conduct ourselves. We will get a coach an answer in a timely manner-and get on with the game. If the coach does not like the answer he gets-we allow him to do most of the talking, and go on with our business. This seems to work. We don't put up with a lot from assistant coaches, but will answer communicate if questions are asked respectfully. You cannot completly blow off assistant coaches- they do grow up to become head coaches, and some of those guys have long memories. |
For playoff games, the state calls our association and we provide the crews based on ability and experience. We put together crews of individuals for the playoffs. Unfortunately, coaches are going to have an increasing say in who gets the games in the future. I fear this will cause more A**-kissing and that will be bad for the game.
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This wasn't something nasty addressed to me, but it sure gave us in the middle of the field a grin:
Varsity game, Home team has a nice run from scrimmage of 15 yds or so. Visiting coach starts yelling about a BIB on one of his players. Of course we had nothing. He yells it about 3 times and we are all pretty much ignoring him. Finally, he says "Tony... You were blocked in the back, weren't you!!" Tony, a linebacker is quiet, coach yells the same thing. Tony yells back "No, coach, I wasn't!". We were very pleased with the honesty of the player. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Too true, but I try to inoculate myself wherever possible. What do you consider to be an improper sideline warning?
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For example, last week I had a coah become irrate because of a horsecollar tackle (that really wasn't all that viscious to begine with). I had to tell him three times before he would believe me that its not a federation foul. I can't tell you how much I hear coaches call BIB "clipping". |
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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. |
Worst thing said … During pre-game conference of a varsity game – asked the coach if he might do anything unusual. He said he may attempt a drop kick for two on a try. I told him that was fine but it’s only worth one point. First balloon popped!
Worst thing II … He then said he planned to move his holder up 3-4 yards on the drop-kick in hopes of drawing a roughing the holder call. I explained if the holder never possesses the ball … Second balloon popped! Needless to say, he lost several more balloons during the game. |
A coach complaining about a call at a previous game. Defensive lineman called for USC for what the official explained was attempting to disrupt the snap count. Claims all the defensive player was dojng was shouting, "hut, hut".
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