The worst a coach said to me this year

[JugglingReferee]

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.

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

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."

Annnnnnnd, that's 15. Thanks for playing.

[Jmuvol]

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!"

[mikesears]

Originally Posted by Jmuvol

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!"

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".

[LDUB]

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

[Sonofanump]

High School Frosh game.

Coach was mad that too many players left to go downfield on a punt.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by LDUB

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

Now that is Funny (with a capital F)! To actaully give the year that a rule changed AND said year was that long ago.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

The coach further showed his lack of knowledge by using terms like "false start" (I'm in Canada where there is no such term).

This is no different that us hearing about "horse collar" tackles, "crack back" blocks and "uncatchable" passes. Like my dad used to say, let it go like water rolls off a duck's back.

Always understand, most fans and coaches get their rules knowledge from watching football on TV.

[MNBlue]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

What was the worse that someone directed to you this season?

HS JV game. 3 officials. I already had called IG on the visiting QB, which was not very well received because "he was out of the tackle box". I tried explaing to them that that wasn't a high school rule, but it didn't matter.

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.

[bossman72]

Originally Posted by Sonofanump

High School Frosh game.

Coach was mad that too many players left to go downfield on a punt.

Just curious - there is no restriction to when players can go down field on a punt, correct? Is it like the NCAA rule or the NFL rule?

Thanks!

[ajmc]

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.

[bisonlj]

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.

[Welpe]

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.

[raider]

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.

Raider

[w_sohl]

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.