How would you handle...?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

There is a reason he and you are working Sub Varsity games.

Really?

Our football season is nine weeks long plus the postseason here. I work at least one varsity game every week, but quite frankly this isn't enough snaps for anyone to be a decent official, IMO. I had to laugh when I heard a Big Ten official speak last week and he said he still works freshman games on Thursday evenings.

I work any school game I can get my hands on -- I work JV on Monday, middle school on Tuesday, freshmen on Thursday, varsity on Friday, and most often a varsity reserve game (played by the bigger schools) on Saturday morning.

We take most of these games as a crew so we can work people at different positions and when we can't all work, I bring people in who are new and can use the chance to work.

I know this has nothing to do with the OP, but this isn't basketball (where many people, including myself, work nothing below the varsity level) or baseball (same thing).

As far as the OP goes, sometimes there's nothing you can do but GIGDGO (as mentioned earlier). The coaches see what's going on. The assignor probably already knows.

It aggravates me when I hear of a white hat abusing his position on the field. One thing a good referee needs to learn and understand is that during the play he's just one of the crew and has specific responsibilities. Listen, I know I'm in charge of the crew and so does everyone else -- it's why I have to wear the white hat -- but I don't have to demonstrate that. As I've told my crew members many times -- I have the easiest position on the field to work. Until a flag is on the ground, my job is considerably easier than either wing's job or the umpire's. To remind me of this, I work wing and umpire in lower level games every week (when I have someone able and willing to put on a white hat, that is).

Trying to step on a crew member is just a terrible thing because it tells everyone that (1) the R thinks his partners are incompetent and (2) he feels he knows better. So this leaves everyone watching (including the teams and coaches) feeling that the officials don't know what they're doing AND that the R is an overbearing jerk. Great combination. What's worse is when he pulls this crap, he's probably wrong (he isn't really watching for DPI downfield) or he's taking his eye off his responsibility (how did the QB end up on the ground?) or BOTH. I'm willing to say here that experience doesn't translate to good officiating. Some people have one year of experience many times over.