Punt Return Penalty

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by HLin NC

Could I make a suggestion? For potential local rule variations, why not contact your local supervisor of officials instead of throwing your organization's name out for scrutiny on a national message board. The vast majority of people here probably have no idea what the TCYFL is nor what local variations they use no more than I expect them to know about the WNCYL and its differences.

Better yet, obtain a copy of those local rules and review them at your coaches meeting in pre-season.

Game day is a bad day to be learning something.

There is no 'local supervisor of officials' available to us. Multiple assignors fill these games and I know most. I spoke directly with the league director about rules being misapplied this season and he credited it to official's inexperience and inconsistency between assignors. This was an away game for us and the crew was all non-varsity guys. I suspect that a lack knowledge of appropriate penalty was the culprit. As a staff, we don't argue calls in this league. As a fellow official, I respect that they may make mistakes. I simply sought clarification from the board.

I saw the rule on our house site but as another mentioned, no penalty was mentioned. Further, scrutiny is applicable - it is not a blemish on the league, as I praised the officials here and have prior on this site. I find the vast majority of them to be excellent and for another to insinuate that I blasted them or disparaged the league is wholly inaccurate and a bit thin skinned. For the record, I just became an IHSA football official this year as a way to familiarize myself with NFHS rules. I could not find relevant rules within their books so I asked here. As was evidenced by other posts, the officials likely erred in assessing penalty. Hopefully they will now learn something. I did and appreciate the help from those of you who offered it.