I have been vigorously trying to get TASO officials to do a better job of keeping the teams near the sideline during times out - any and all kinds of times out. That means outside the numbers. When I would talk about that, I could sense resistance from some folks, I suppose because they thought the coaches would be annoyed and would scratch them. Also, coaches have been resistant because they think they have a right to be anywhere they want to be during a time out. No. They don’t. Per 9-2-1-b-1, non-players may not be on the field of play AT ANY TIME without permission of the Referee. That means even during times out. We - the game officials - decide where they can be on the field. Some of us do good job of this, but others, not so much. We need to do better.
So, Shaw sends out Bulletin 3 for 2024 today. (Those with memberships in RefQuest+ should have received it today. Those folks can share it with those of you that don’t have the subscription.) Guess what Shaw addresses in this bulletin? He very clearly directs officials to keep teams outside the numbers. Players, coaches, trainers, water providers - everybody. Outside numbers. Doing so helps us get play re-started more efficiently when the time out expires, provides separation between the teams (to avoid interaction), and keeps the coaches away from us.
The UIL does not have an exception to this rule, so we should have already been keeping teams outside the numbers. So, Shaw’s message should only be a point of emphasis. Let’s keep ‘em outside the numbers.
