Sideline Warning/Sideline Interference
 

when would you issue a sideline warning?

Could I throw a flag and issue a sideline warning/penalty for a player that steps over his line to get a better view and impedes my path?

Could I issue a sideline warning to a coach who is yelling at me from the sideline in lieu of a USC Penalty?

When issueing a sideline warning do you throw the flag?

Just to let you know I did reference the rulebook. The rulebook only references NF. 9-8-1k which states Being outside the team box, but not on the field. It also says (See NF. 9-8-3) Which states A nonplayer 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

It really depends on the philosophy of the state, group or crew that you work for. Some use sideline warnings as a way to send a message about sideline issues without issuing a yardage penalty. In my area we are encouraged to use sideline warnings for all kinds of reasons including the question you have asked. Some might disagree with that philosophy, but the purpose of the sideline warning is to give a public proclamation that the sideline is not following instructions or rules associated with the sideline. The situation you have described applies in my opinion.

Peace

We as a crew and association toss the flag. Some choose not to though.

Brandon, although it's important to understand what you could do, it's at least as important to understand what you should do.

Like most punitive behaviors, the intent and recommended response is usually to use the least amount of force necessary to correct the behavior. A competent official has several tools at his disposal to modify behavior from ignoring silently enough that you are clearly heard, through "the look" to an appropriate comment that conveys the necessary message before resorting to the need for a flag.

Keep in mind that the sideline rules are changing this year and the exact wording has not yet come down from the Fed.

However, it is best to use the SLW early as the first one carries no penalty. Its intended use is to back the sideline- players, coaches and other team personnel off the two yard area for safety and for the wings to work unimpeded. This was necessary as wing officials have been told to work wider as a part of their mechanics.

The prior rule was the coaches box could have up to 3 coaches in it but now they will have to retreat back "prior to the ball becoming live" behind the line into what was the "team box".

A SLW on one team will also usually get the attention of the other sideline when the WH gives the signal to the press box so your partner will love it when you throw it first.

A SLW can also be used in lieu of harsher penalties or unruly behavior depending on your local philosophies which is why most of the stuff we're telling you here you need to see how your local group wishes to handle.

You will learn to be creative on the field.

This past season I had a coach come to me saying, "I'm not going to talk to him again." What had happened was my umpire who is a really big guy had been yelled at by this coach. So, the umpire threw a sideline warning. Not the correct call but you get the message.

We don't use it for coaches who are yelling at us. I don't believe that is the intent of the rule. We have been using it more frequently lately for coaches who come onto the field during a live ball. This is a safety issue and I love the SLW because we throw a flag and it gets everyone's attention. When the coaches see that there is a flag and then there is no yardage, they are relieved and believe me we have never had a second flag in the game for that reason. If one of my wings throws a flag for that reason, he is entitled to the first free beverage after the game. It truly makes it easier to handle the sideline after the flag is thrown and that includes less yelling.

It depends on the local as has been said.

When subs or other non-players are on the field during a down technically speaking you have IP. Now I ask myself a few questions first.

1. Did the coach/sub/trainer being on the field affect in anyway the play? If so IP 15 yards.

2. Did the coach/etc being on the field affect my covering the play and ruling on the play? If so IP 15 yards.

3. Did the coach/etc being on the field affect my covering the play but not my ability to rule on the play? If so SLW etc.

4. Did the coach/sub/etc. being on the field have no affect? If not then after the down I will address the HC directly to control his sideline and get em' back. I'll do this 2 times, then I'll bring out the SLW.

Now when team members are simply out of the team box and not on the field I'll use #4 above, also under the old rules a 4th coach or a player in the coaches box I used #4.

Now when I clear the sideline prior to the 1st kickoff I make sure everyone knows what line I'm expecting them to be behind, and our crew lets each HC know what we expect on the sidelines in our pregame.

When its between downs and a coach is out of the box/on the field I ask myself these questions:

1. Is he out of the box to coach his kids and gets back without any affect? If so, no penalty.

2. Is he out of the box to yell at an official? I might address an assistant coach to "get him off the field" But I never have a conversation with a coach who is on the field, unless it is during a timeout, and we're in front of his team box.

3. Is he out of the box and across the line of a USC? Then USC 15 yards. The first USC is a warning, 15 yards as opposed to ejection. In my opinion giving him one USC as an SLW abuses the intent of the rules and gives him 3 strikes instead of the 2 intended in the rules. If his conduct deserves a flag, it deserves a penalty.

Now do I think less of officials who use a SLW as a USC warning? not really, it works for them. I just don't like it myself. And I have been known from time to time, when an coach has a legitimate beef and he is on the field tip-toeing over the USC line I might give him the SLW for being on the field, but "I didn't hear" the USC. But as other guys have said, He knows I heard it.

Edited to add: Oh yeah, we always use the flag for an SLW. After all the action which led to the SLW was a foul which is what we use flags to mark. In this case the penalty for that foul is 0 yardage at the succeeding spot.

It's about consistency. Unfortunately we, as officials, aren't very consistent at the lower levels. Many state associations strive for more consistent philosophy and application but unfortunately many guys take liberties with how strict they enforce certain rules (sidelines and uniforms are perfect examples).

I'm a huge fan of SLW for a couple of reasons. First, it's just a warning and carries no penalty. If you have a coach that is a step or two out on the field during a live ball (and doesn't hit me or impact the play), I talk to him, the HC, or the GBC and remind him that he needs to be off the field of play during the LB. If he is out there again, SLW. Second, it sets a tone early on in the game that you are consistent and will enforce and adhere to the rules. Coaches are smart. They want to see how much they can get away with and sidelines are no different. Third, it is a safety factor for you, the coaches, and the players. Case in point, the lawsuit involving the official in Texas that ran into a coach. Unfortunately this is a worst case scenario but this one case is enough for me to strictly enforce the sideline rules.

Couple of things about dealing with sidelines and this is something I work on improving on each and every year. You need to be cooperative, not confrontational, but still direct and to the point. I always try to seek out the GBC and HC before the game, introduce myself, briefly go over my sideline expectations, and always tell them that I appreciate their help and if I ever have anything that needs addressing, I will seek them out first. Not sure if it's 100% effective, but that's what I do.

As for throwing a SLW on a screaming coach, I've done that three times. Two of those times, the coach was out on the field close to if not past the numbers, and I tried to be a nice guy and save him the 15 yards. In hindsight, I probably should have gone the 15 yard route, but I don't think there is any harm in using a SLW the first time this happens. Don't pass on it, something should be done the first time. The other time I used a SLW was when I had an assistant coach that was up behind mind yelling at me about something, trying to show me up/intimidate me. I used a SLW on that one to remind him of the coaching box and to show that that type of behavior was unnecessary. Is that the correct usage of a SLW? Probably not but he got the message.

As another poster said, the rules have changed for this year and I personally think the changes are excellent. No more having to worry about how many coaches are in the box, am I going to run into them, so on and so forth. And correct me if I am wrong, didn't they remove throwing the flag from the NFHS mechanics for the warning last year? Or did they add throwing the flag for the warning? That might be it. I personally am in favor of throwing the flag as it sends a direct message to the sideline that a warning has been issued.

Sideline interaction maybe the most challenging aspect of officiating. You are never going to make everyone happy although there are certain behaviors that will most certainly alienate almost every coach.

Sometimes, I think "Consistency" is the most misunderstood, misapplied word in our language, at least the football part of language. The reality is "we" only control consistency over the way "we" behave. That's not to say we don't strive to follow uniform mechanics and a standard set of rules, but every game is unique from whistle to whistle.

Personally, I agree that the objective of trying to manage a game, with all it's little personality quirks, with as little interference as possible is what we are there for. Using a SLW as a prelude to, or replacement for, what might otherwise be an USC foul even though it may not have been specifically intended for that purpose, may well be a smart approach to handling a correctable situation with the least amount of punishment.

Whatever circumstances you may be dealing with are absolutely unique. For any number of reasons there are so many variables in every confrontational situation, each one has to be handled individually. What may have happened in similar situations before, may well guide you, but it shouldn't restrict your flexibility of adjusting to suit the circumstances.

Consistency is important in that you treat both teams, players and coaches alike. That you apply judgments with the same sense of compliance, with the written rules, to both team equally. It also requires that you give each team, all players and coaches the same "benefit of the doubt"as much as possible.

We all know no two circumstances, even within a single game, are exactly alike, why should we or some coach expect something that happened last week, with different people, govern this week's reaction to different circumstances. Application of the rules should be consistent but the judgments governing the applications should be dependent on the specific circumstances of a particular situation, which are ALWAYS different.

Grant,
They added throwing a flag for a sideline warning last year.

Thanks, I thought that was it but couldn't remember.

I agree with Grant
 

Grant-
Great post.
-Kevin

I love the new rule that moves the coaches back 2 yds during a live ball. I had a feeling that could be coming when they moved the chains back a couple years ago. Safety is a larger issue now with lawsuits being filed. A few years ago a chain guy in SD was killed on a sideline play.

Another side effect might be less hassle from coaches because they are farther from the play and can't see it as well. OOPS! Silly ME! :rolleyes: