Looking for some reflective thoughts

[SCHSref]

If you were able to institute new policies in your state association, what topics would those policies cover, what would the policy be, and what is the rationale behind the policies?

[Ralph Damren]

In Maine we follow the Official's Manual to the letter. Partly because I'm on the Manual Committee and partly because I'm too lazy to think up changes  . Two additions to the manual that we apply are : (1) We enforce 1-1-5 by bringing the head coaches out  to the coin  toss. A handshake by the coaches ,in front of all, seems to help. (2) Use the Ohio Gold Method method when a team is in "Victory Formation" . Has defused that situation completely.

[AlUpstateNY]

Sometimes, what seems necessary, and effective, in dealing with ADULTS simply doesn't convert as well with developing teenagers (and below) who might benefit more from a little extra flexibility determined, and allowed, by the judgment of their "playground" supervisors reacting to specific circumstances than prescribed absolute and universal rules.

[HLinNC]

I would return our playoffs to a neutral crew system.   20 years ago we were but when the economy tanked 10-11 years ago the state implemented a regional pod system for schools and the home team association crews the first two rounds.  Coaches hated the pod system so the state went back to regional seeding 1-16 but left us still working our local teams in Rounds 1&2.

[TampaSteve]

I would return our playoffs to a neutral crew system.   20 years ago we were but when the economy tanked 10-11 years ago the state implemented a regional pod system for schools and the home team association crews the first two rounds.  Coaches hated the pod system so the state went back to regional seeding 1-16 but left us still working our local teams in Rounds 1&2.

It's similar in FL - always has been to my knowledge.
Say County A, B & C are all neighboring Counties.
Generally, all teams in county A use the same Assn; and so on for Counties B & C.
Rounds 1 & 2 are generally county A v B - and the neutral county C officials work the games.

In general, the same can be said for the next 2 rounds to the extent that the officials are from the same Region. 
i.e. an Orlando team is playing a team from Daytona and the game is in Orlando. The officials would be from the Tampa area.  Central FL teams with Central FL officials
Thus in rounds 3-4 you wouldn't see a crew from Tampa in Miami or Jacksonville

 

[d0d0joe]

It's similar in FL - always has been to my knowledge.
Say County A, B & C are all neighboring Counties.
Generally, all teams in county A use the same Assn; and so on for Counties B & C.
Rounds 1 & 2 are generally county A v B - and the neutral county C officials work the games.

In general, the same can be said for the next 2 rounds to the extent that the officials are from the same Region. 
i.e. an Orlando team is playing a team from Daytona and the game is in Orlando. The officials would be from the Tampa area.  Central FL teams with Central FL officials
Thus in rounds 3-4 you wouldn't see a crew from Tampa in Miami or Jacksonville

I know the state tries to keep the neutral officials relatively close. Central Florida ends up with a lot of the Tampa area playoff games but can end up getting a crew assigned for a couple hour drive each way. We had crews going as far away as Jacksonville, Vero Beach and Bradenton this playoff season.

From experience we rarely get anything from Fort Lauderdale or South, nor do we get anything past Gainesville.

For anyone who knows I4, you know that getting out of the attractions area and into the Tampa area on a Friday can be a challenge, so we always leave as early as possible.

[Ralph Damren]

Our "Rule 11" might be a good one to share.

Where many of us are football junkies and often attend games as a fan, it's important to remember that the game officials on the field are our "brothers" and treat them as such. You may be noticed as an official and asked : "WHAT KIND OF A CALL WAS THAT  !"

YOUR ANSWER SHOULD BE ;

[/"I THINK IT WAS A GREAT CALL..HE HAD GREAT POSITION AND CALLED WHAT HE SAW  "
    IF YOU THINK IT WAS 

"COULDN'T REALLY TELL FROM HERE, HE WAS IN MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN US TO SEE IT ,THOUGH  "
    if YOU THINK IT WASN'T  color]

[Magician]

Our "Rule 11" might be a good one to share.

Where many of us are football junkies and often attend games as a fan, it's important to remember that the game officials on the field are our "brothers" and treat them as such. You may be noticed as an official and asked : "WHAT KIND OF A CALL WAS THAT  !"

YOUR ANSWER SHOULD BE ;

[/"I THINK IT WAS A GREAT CALL..HE HAD GREAT POSITION AND CALLED WHAT HE SAW  "
    IF YOU THINK IT WAS 

"COULDN'T REALLY TELL FROM HERE, HE WAS IN MUCH BETTER POSITION THAN US TO SEE IT ,THOUGH  "
    if YOU THINK IT WASN'T  color]

I get that at basketball or baseball games as I know those rules as well. That was one thing becoming a football official taught me. I do not know the rules of my favorite sports as well as I thought I did. I'll ask rules questions of my baseball and basketball friends and confirm I don't know them. If I see a call I question I just assume they got it right.

I was at a HS basketball game once and a player tried to feed the ball inside with a bounce pass around the guy defending him. From my spot in the stands I could clearly see the ball when off the leg of the defender, but the official ruled the other way. I know enough that from his angle he couldn't have possibly seen the ball hit the defender's leg and there wasn't anyone in position to help. I knew he was wrong, but I also knew why he didn't see what I did. Watching sports is so much less stressful when you don't have to let those things bother you!