The "Good Ole Boy network" needs to stop. Stop allowing coaches to dictate who will and who will not officiate their game. In Florida we had three Associations around us plus a forth trying to start. We were constantly asked to take teams to the south and north because of schools dictating who would officiate. We finally geared up enough qualified officials to take the three south and two north schools.
First game north, We have a TD by the visitor, on the try the kick is blocked with a second player hitting the holder and kicker, flag. Home Coach goes ballistic on my sideline, I kept him at bay until the White Hat arrived, the man refused to listen to the rule and the reason for the flag. Kept poking the white hat in the chest until I stepped in and calmed him down. The game ended in a 87-7 drubbing of the visitor. No reason to carry on. We are in the locker room when the doors burst open and the Head Coach comes in screaming about our call WHY? He rants then leaves yelling that we will be black listed, never officiate there again yadayadayada ..... Monday night, Booking Commissioner tells us about the phone call from the coach, coach threatened him on the phone too. I said there's one way to handle this, pull the schedule out and let's take a look, white hat starts laughing .... "There it is, four weeks from now, Home game, get the White hat for that game ....He arrived we explain the situation "We want to give you a better game and we want that game!" Then told the Commissioner ....call FHSAA and let them know what happened. FHSAA agrees with our decision and doesn't bother to tell us about their next move.
Game night arrives, there we are .... I am on the sideline going through my routine Head Coach says "Why are you guys here? I black listed you!" "Coach, we've been assigned this game, we'll officiate and you coach that's the best way for this to go smoothly" Home wins by 15. Coach comes over and shakes my hand. "I got a visit from the FHSAA Representative, we watched the film together, he explained that the call was a great call and that the crew had demonstrated a lot of restraint in not ejecting the Head Coach during the tirade. He also explained that Association had informed them about the locker room incident and the threats against the Booking Commissioner. Then the Rep said something I never expected. He said that the crew had requested a change in the schedule and that no fines or penalties be issued against the coach for his antics. The crew asked that another display of professionalism of the highest order be allowed in another home game in defiance of their own Association rules regarding home games with a school. Guys, once again you worked an excellent game. I apologize for my actions and will be sending a letter asking for your acceptance of my apology to the entire Association, a copy will be sent to the state as well." We allow a crew to see a school twice in a season, one home and one away no closer than three weeks apart. The schedule is selected using a lottery system and an entire night is used to select the games.
I don't care if Professional Football Rules are used. There is a decorum on the field. Coaches discipline and control their players, officials provide for the safety of all participants in accordance to the rule book. That means bringing an out of control coach to his knees if necessary. In 20 years I have ejected one youth coach. Never a high school, NCAA Modified or Semi Pro Coach. My sideline knows when I walk on the field who is in charge and as stated to my daughter early in life .... this is a dictatorship and you will have rights when I give you rights. TASO needs to clean up their act, Associations need to clean up their act and coaches need to clean their act up as well. Otherwise the next one will be the killing of an Official not a blindside block and spear and not a push. This is the last version of discipline existing and that's on an athletic field. It's time for all parties involved to step it up and quit finger pointing.
