Sidelines

[Rich]

It's amazing how all the varsity coaches have adjusted to the restricted zone and give a nice clear path without a whole lot of effort.

But when we work on Thursdays (FR/JV level) the coaches act like they are entitled to come onto the field between plays and as long as they're out of bounds, there's no problem. Clearly, many officials in my area let the sidelines go if it's not a varsity game. We don't -- we have the same expectation as we do on Friday night.

So, last night -- visiting team is all over the place. Linesman is working with the coach, trying to get everyone back, trying to be proactive. He's not shy about tossing in a sideline warning, but he does try (especially with freshman coaches and players, who tend to have less experience) to work with them first and remind them at least once before escalating.

On a punt return, I see a flag on the sideline, so I head in his direction -- he tells me he ran into someone on the sideline when he drifted downfield on the punt. Fine, 15 yards for sideline interference. THAT will clean things up (at least that's what I thought).

The head coach really starts giving it to the linesman and he tells the linesman that we can't penalize 15 because "we never gave them a warning." Sorry, different rule. He tells the linesman he wants to talk to me and the linesman told him, "you can, but it's going to cost you your last timeout, because that's the rule." He wanted the conference. Sigh.

So with my magical white hat, I go over to the sideline and the coach tells me the same thing -- nobody calls that, it's gotta be a warning, and then my favorite -- why isn't he looking where he's going? I stop him at this point and tell him the restricted area is just that -- NOBODY can be in there during live ball periods. Period. He then pulls out, "varsity crews wouldn't" and I stopped him again and I said, "you know, we had no problems on your sideline last season when we worked your varsity game, so I don't know why we're having such problems here today."

They spent the rest of the game complaining and whining and the visiting parents that were lined up around the field were screaming and hollering at every opportunity, thinking that we were giving them the old homer job (and not noticing, I guess, that we called back 2 home TDs -- one on an illegible downfield and one on a hold and I also called an IBB at the 6 yard line on a kickoff return gone bad where the home team broke free and took it about 70 yards).

Of course, the visiting coach's rules knowledge was put on display. After the ineligible downfield on the TD (which was a 3rd down play), the home team ended up punting after an incomplete pass. On the punt, the visiting coach was screaming that there were ineligibles downfield on the punt. The linesman told me that he couldn't even face the bench for a play or two after that, he was laughing so hard.

So, any sideline issues in your games? Like I said, the varsity coaches and teams have been great. They have really respected the restricted area and that we will not let the coaches on the field between plays at all. Same in your areas?