Windy weather - call the game?

[ZebraGirl]

Gentlemen, while this forum appears to be currently used by men's lacrosse officials, I'm hoping you can still provide some guidance. I am a womens lacrosse apprentice umpire in the NW.

On Thursday we had weather that would test most mail carriers. Wind, threats of hail, the weatherman predicting thunder. Before the game, my partner and I discussed criteria to call the game off. We decided that sleet, hail, thunder or lightning would cause an immediate cessation of the game (on natural grass).

I was also concerned about wind. It was blowing sideways in gusts. We called the captains and coaches to the center to review our criteria, and I noticed one goal had blown over. The host coach said that was the 3rd time. I was concerned about the host's 15 year old goalie (who weighed about 105 lbs wet) having such heavy equipment blow over her body.

The coaches put a lot of pressure on us to play the game, and the parents offered to place their ice coolers on the back of the goals to prevent them from falling over.

My partner refused, she thought this was too dangerous. Eventually a parent made a trip to the local hardware store and bought 2 sandbags for the goals. By then the wind had subsided and we started the game, and never had an incident with the goals.

The next day I consulted with the state's umpire president, and she was leary of allowing the game with sandbags on the back of the goals.

I checked the women's rules and they are not particular about wind conditions, or sandbags (unless I missed the paragraph that discusses these points). Do you have any suggestions or guidelines to help augment personal judgement for stormy conditions?

Thanks Guys!

[stevesmith]

Random thoughts in no particular order....

It's nice to know there are women here among us.

Given that a trip was made to the hardware store and the game was being played on grass, I think stakes might have been a better idea to hold down the goals. However, I see no problem with sandbags assuming they were heavy enough. Like you, the only danger I could envision would be the goals blowing over on the goalie. As long as you were able to prevent that from happening without causing any other problems to the playing of the game, I'd have let them play at that point.

Cancel the game for sleet??? Must have been a bunch of high school girls playing! When you think of Texas, you think of heat. Last February, we played a tournament championship in 18 degree weather with sleet falling the entire game. As luck would have it, it wasn't even a close game to distract us from the weather.

Don't know about lacrosse and I'm too lazy to go get the book, but ncaa football specifies who has the authority to cancel a game. It even goes so far as to make recommendations during bad weather situations. We have a little better weather here in the south, but our general rule of thumb is that we're playing unless it is lightening.

Southern Redneck Referee Philosophy- If it's below 80 degrees, it's too cold for anything outdoors! Give me football in August where the 105 degree heatwaves are rising from the artificial turf and I'm slowly dripping off my winter gut.

[Snake~eyes]

You as the official have the call here. You have authority to delay or even cancel the game if the conditions warrant it. Personally, I would never have sandbags put down to hold the goal down. In my opinion adding this makes you liable. If its not equipment mentioned in the rulebook then you shouldn't use it.
As for the weather if you felt it was hazardous then call the game, otherwise let them play. I wasn't there but I probaly wouldn't have cancelled the game because of the wind, it would have to be extreme wind, which in this case it doesn't sound like.

[Ballen]

I agree with Snake and Steve. You have authority but lightning is the only weather condition that should hold up a game.

[RILAX]

Since everyone else is getting in I will too:

First, I have never officiated girls lacrosse so I don’t know when girl games get called off. Sleet does seem to be a bit weak but I can see hail.

Second if you can place the sand bags on the goal so that the sand bags don’t extend outside the footprint of the ground pipes I have no major concern about this although it is not ideal. Coolers are not a good idea though and it is good that you did not use them.

Third, don’t concern yourself on how big/small or weak/strong the goalkeeper is. If you think it is dangerous it is period. It seems that you might have needed to convince yourself that it was dangerous by adding that fact. Also don’t worry about if the coaches want to get the game in, it is your job to make sure the game is played without any undo risk to any of the players on the field. It seems though that they wanted time to get a solution to the problem before giving up on the game, which is fine, but don’t let the coaches talk you out of your position if you think the current conditions are too dangerous to play in. If you do call a game short you should let your assigner know and hopefully he or she will back you up if some idiot of a coach or AD calls them up to complain.

[ZebraGirl]

Thanks everyone, Rilax's reply made my laugh, because we think it's hot in the NW when the temp goes above 85'F.

Regarding the wind, and sleet, the reason this comes into our decision making process is because the womens lacrosse game is considered to be non-collision. No pushing, no strong arming, no vicious cross checks, etc.

There are specific rules and fouls that can be called if a an offensive player shoots on goal, with a defensive player in the way guarding her (a major foul, called a dangerous shot, and a yellow card is issued).

Secondly, the women wear very little protective gear (only mouth guards) but play with the same small rubber ball that the men use, and improved crosse equipment technology that allows women to shoot and pass at greater speeds. Without padding, helmets or eye protection, getting hit with a ball has greater consequences for women.

Not really a surprise that USLacrosse is adding protective eyewear starting in 2005....

If there is significant wind, then the chances of a ball going in an unexpected direction increase. Unsafe shots on goal, or even an errant pass to a fellow player can cause more problems. It's difficult for the umpires to determine if the shot was intentionally on the defensive player, or the wind changed the ball's angle.

I agree that the size of the goalie should not affect my decision. If the goal is blowing over, it's blowing over and the game cannot be played properly.

I'm still not sure about the sandbags, I wish we had a more definitive interpretation at the national level. I'll have to research how to contact the Womens Division National Council for more guidance.

I think stakes might be safer, because if the players run into the goal circle, they are less likely to trip over them, than sandbags. But stakes still might have some liability issues...

[RILAX]

Did you mean SteveSmith's post made you laugh?

Also didn't NFHS make it so that eye protection is mandatory this year in girls lacrosse?

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by RILAX
Also didn't NFHS make it so that eye protection is mandatory this year in girls lacrosse?

I was thinking the same thing.

Anyways sandbags are not a good idea, I know I already said that but stakes are not a good idea either, goals that are made to fit into the ground can be used but we should not add anything to the goal. THat's how I feel.

[ZebraGirl]

oops, yes, I meant SteveSmith's post.

The NFHS required eyewear for 2004, but there are no high school girls teams affiliated with the NFHS in our state, so they are not wearing them until the USL blanket requirement goes into effect in 2005 (and much grumbling about the eyewear requirement).

[Ballen]

Originally posted by ZebraGirl
oops, yes, I meant SteveSmith's post.

The NFHS required eyewear for 2004, but there are no high school girls teams affiliated with the NFHS in our state, so they are not wearing them until the USL blanket requirement goes into effect in 2005 (and much grumbling about the eyewear requirement).

The Girls in KY are wearing them this year.

[RILAX]

Originally posted by ZebraGirl
(and much grumbling about the eyewear requirement).

Why is this, do the people raising the objections fell that their will be an increased on no-calls or something like it?

[stevesmith]

Now it's eyewear, next it will be padding. Why not go ahead and cover them from head to toe and play the boys rules? Then we could even have coed teams. Heck, we got us some girls down south that could really benefit from full contact lacrosse....used to be offensive linemen on the junior high football teams! Bubba-ette.

[ZebraGirl]

Originally posted by RILAX
Why is this, do the people raising the objections fell that their will be an increased on no-calls or something like it? [/B]

The general feeling locally is that adding more protective clothing will actually encourage more dangerous play. There will be a false sense of security, players will make more dangerous checks, closer to the head, shoot directly on other players, etc.

I only know of one middle school team so far that has ordered protective eyewear to try out this season.

At first, I wasn't in favor of more protective gear, for the reasons stated above. But witnessing several concussions and broken noses this past year, I now think protective eyewear is warrented. The shots and passes are getting faster, due to improvements in crosse technology, and the players improved upper body strength.

IMHO, the womens game will stay safe, without helmets and padding, if:

1. Officials consistantly call dangerous play (regardless of protective gear worn by players).

2. Coaches teach their players to play the non-collision version of the sport.

Locally, some womens game refs are concerned about the men's coaches who are crossing over to coach womens lax, encouraging physical contact, and some dangerous checks. Personally, the only problems I've had with male coaches are their verbal outbursts on the sideline (a huge breach of etiquette in womens lacrosse, causing a green/yellow card and turning the ball over to the other team).

I like watching the men's version of the game, but my jaw drops when I hear some of the guys rip into the officials about their calls.