Argumentative Coach on Substitution

[drinkeii]

I had a situation in a HS boys game, NFHS rules, which I never saw before.

HS JV Boys game. Field markings were ok, but there were no center field markers. I used my partner's gear bag as an estimate, since he placed it at half field before the game.

One player from the white team came up to mid field to sub. Then a player from the blue team came to the same area, approximately one step away from the white player. Both players were well away from their respective benches, and to me, obviously in a position to substitute at the next opportunity.

The ball goes out of bounds off of white, and we have a blue throwin. I whistle, and call the subs on the field. The white player comes on, while the blue player stands there without moving. I called 1-2 more times, at which point, the blue coach says "he's not a sub". I said "He's at the center of the field, he's a sub". I was told "I didn't request a sub. I have to request a sub for him to be one". I have never heard of anything like this. The player refused to come on the field, and was called back to his bench by the coach.

At halftime, the coach asked my partner about it. I don't know exactly what was said. When I asked him about it, he said "if he didn't want to sub the kid, he doesn't have to". I said that he clearly sent him to mid field, and had he not been subbing, the white player would not have been called on since it wasn't their throw. His response was that the player had to report to the official scorekeeper, which in this game, was the officials, and had not, so he didn't have to sub. He also said to me that I was making a big deal out of something I should just let go. (part of my irritation with this stemmed from the fact that this coach was also waving his arms around and stomping around on most of the calls which were made by my partner or myself - clearly dissent, but not quite enough for me to address verbally or with a card at this point - his team was ahead almost the entire game, and won 3-0)

It is my understanding that if you send a player to midfield, they are a sub, and are a player in the game once they have been beckoned on the field. They do not report to an official scorer, since normally, if there is one, they are in a pressbox well out of reach to "report" - reporting would just be going to midfield. There was no question that this player was not within the team area around his bench, and was definitely in the area within a few feet of mid field.

Suggestions on how to handle this?