UNS on coaches -- where is your "line"?

[Ref13]

Our supervisor here in NC has set a no tolerance policy, if a coach is ON the field arguing a call, he gets 15, no questions asked. 

[BRef]

I like your supervisor. 

We are our own worst enemy's, if all of you who worry about having a short fuse or just ignoring the coach would throw the dang flag we could clean up this crap in 3 or 4 games.  But we don't and if we get an official or crew who does the right thing they are the bad guys.  The guys who do the right thing take all the crap, how 'bout we all step up and do the right thing and fix this?

[AlUpstateNY]

Until you can identify who it is.  The head coach is NOT responsible for the actions of his assistants except in the few cases I mentioned above.

Addressing a somewhat different, but closely related issue, Case Book 9.8.3 Situation A advises, ...."Since the head coach is responsible for the team box, all fouls are charged to the head coach".  To the extent in this situation, "The second penalty for a 15 yard USC foul results in the disqualification of the head coach."(even though he may not have been personally at fault for EITHER violation.)

[Rulesman]

...in reality, if there are 10 successive USC fouls, the head coach is going to find who it is.  I know mine would, on the first one!

In reality, if there are 10 successive USC fouls there is no one to blame but the crew for not having already invoked Rule 9-10-2 and/or 9-10-5 and head to the house. That is all.

[Atlanta Blue]

Addressing a somewhat different, but closely related issue, Case Book 9.8.3 Situation A advises, ...."Since the head coach is responsible for the team box, all fouls are charged to the head coach".  To the extent in this situation, "The second penalty for a 15 yard USC foul results in the disqualification of the head coach."(even though he may not have been personally at fault for EITHER violation.)

That case pertains to restricted area infractions, which I have already said apply to the head coach.  It can't be extrapolated to other issues.  The rules clearly state which issues are assigned to the head coach.  Any others are not.

[ncwingman]

In reality, if there are 10 successive USC fouls there is no one to blame but the crew for not having already invoked Rule 9-10-2 and/or 9-10-5 and head to the house. That is all.

If it was 1st/G @ the 1 when the *ahem* fun *ahem* started, there would only be 5 half the distance fouls (if I'm doing the math right)... and it would end up 1st/G @ the OTHER 1.

I'd want to enforce that just to see it play out before declaring a travesty.

[BrendanP]

You want to yell at me and tell me how that was a horrible call, fair enough. Comes with the job. But as soon as you start getting personal (and that has happened), start calling me names, or drop the f-bomb, you're getting a flag. I'll explain a call, but if you're like the one coach who told me to shove my flag, or the one player who used a slur that refers to one's sexual orientation, have fun sitting in the locker room.

I remember seeing a poster the NCAA put out for display at football stadiums that has a picture of an official and the crowd and it's captioned, "I'm pretty sure none of you know my mother." I've been a player, I've been a coach, and now I've been an official. I get it, emotions run high, and for 22 guys on the field and several others on the sideline, this is the most important thing in their world, and I respect that. The line is drawn between disagreeing with a call and interfering with my duties, being unprofessional, and just a bad role model for the young men on the sideline.

[JasonTX]

Being a poor example to the players will get my attention quick.  I've flagged one coach in 15 years but several others I should have.  I've learned to give them "the look" and they usually back down.  But the longer I do this the thinner my skin has gotten and at this time I agree with the other poster that if we just crack down it would improve quick.  Coaches are paid to coach their players and not to tell me what I missed.  Stick to teaching your players the lessons of life.  Adversity is a part of life.  Teach the kids to overcome it.  Overcome and adapt.  Not complain.

[NorCalMike]

I have a double standard as it relates to coaches. I will take a pretty good amount of crap for a head coach especially if he does not get personal. If he uses profanity against me or a crew member he is getting a flag (i.e. the MFing back judge keeps missing PI)  . If he is just venting I will let him vent for a little bit. If he starts repeating himself I will say If he doesn't raise is voice I am much more likely to listien to his concerns but if he wants to raise his voice he will hear this: "Alright coach, I have heard what you have to say. Let's get on with the game." Then I walk away.

The other standard pertains to assistant coaches who are on a much shorter leash. If an asst. coach starts in on my he will get one warning. I will say "Coach that is enough. I don't want to hear any more from you." I then tell the head coach that I don't want to hear from the asst anymore. I tell the head coach if there is a problem I will speak to him about it and not the asst. The head coach will normally take care of the head coach from me.

One other think I do is I will take the coach away from the sideline and bring him to about the 9 yard marks and stand side by side with him facing the center of the feild. I really don't want the people on his sidelines hearing what I say. I also want the flank from that sideline standing with me so that there is a witness to what I say. I had one coach accuse me of using racial slur. Since my line judge was right there, I had someone who could tell the assignor that I said no such thing.

[Mad Mike]

Is it just me, or is it seeming more commonplace for people to resort to the race card to defend their poor behavior on and off the field? No matter what you say somebody seems to insert racial slurs into the discussion. 

[SCHSref]

Anytime that the claim is made that my parents were never married, I have to 

Usually the chirping isn't all that bad, but as others have said, I  when it gets personal or I walk away and they start shouting at me from across the field.

I was once told to keep my flag in my pocket, even though I had EVERY reason to throw it minus profanity, because the white hat had the Varsity teams the next night and didn't want any problems.

[AlUpstateNY]

That case pertains to restricted area infractions, which I have already said apply to the head coach.  It can't be extrapolated to other issues.  The rules clearly state which issues are assigned to the head coach.  Any others are not.

C'mon, "."Since the head coach is responsible for the team box", is merely acknowledging the obvious and applies to a common sense application of reality.  The appropriate, and very likely UNIVERSAL approach to dealing with a problem of unidentifiable, prohibitive, negative comments coming from the Team area would be to identify the matter, to, and and ask for corrective assistance, from, the Head Coach.

Failure, or inability or lack of attention, to eliminate the problem would (and should) cause consequences to the Head Coach, who is ultimately responsible for the conduct of HIS sideline.  However, most IF NOT ALL, head coaches READILY accept this responsibility and are prone to take immediate action to eliminate such negative behavior. 

It's hard to imagine a head coach ignoring, or tolerating, such behavior which casts a totally unacceptable shadow upon HIS sideline and HIS School.

[bigjohn]

You flag one of the assistants and point at him and say coach one more word out of you and You get #2 and bye bye, He will tell you who said it and he will make damn sure you don't hear it again!

[Rulesman]

You flag one of the assistants and point at him and say coach one more word out of you and You get #2 and bye bye...

So when he utters "word" are you going to chunk him? If you're the type that likes to threaten, you won't last long in this business.

[ncwingman]

I was once told to keep my flag in my pocket, even though I had EVERY reason to throw it minus profanity, because the white hat had the Varsity teams the next night and didn't want any problems.

Once nice thing about assignments around here is that we don't get JV and Varsity of the same teams on back to back nights. If you have a chippy night, by the team you see those coaches again, cooler heads generally prevailed (and/or they're HACKED off at some other poor soul in the meantime and forgot about you).