Memories from my last middle school game .......
2 officials.....I was the ref....Smokey was the "all others"....
No kickoffs, the Peanuts just took the ball at their 30; a few plays later they crossed midfield. After the next play, the Peanuts' coach yelled : "TIME, I WANT TO TALK TO WHITEHAT
".
I obliged and went to his sidelines...
Coach : "
THEY CAN'T DO THAT, THEY JUST CHANGED THEIR DEFENSE AND THEY CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL WE ARE WITHIN THEIR 30
"
Me : " I wasn't aware of that rule
, how can just two of us call that
?"
Coach : "THAT'S WHAT WE PAY YOU FOR
!"
Me : "The only way you can handle that is to have a gentleman's agreement with the opposing coach
."
Coach : " WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT WE ARE BOTH GENTLEMEN
!"
When the game finally ended and after we got paid...$10 (probably equating to $18 now with inflation), I realized that I had learned three important things :
(1) BE SURE A NEW RULE CAN BE OFFICIATED.
(2) BE SURE YOU KNOW THE RULES THAT YOU'RE PLAYING BY.
(3) DON'T DO ANYMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL