Kick Receive or Defer

[QAfta]

I want to propose a rule change.  How about we just take out Kick out of the options?  Just give the options of Receive the kickoff or Defer your option to the second half.  Stop all the confusion now.

[Magician]

I want to propose a rule change.  How about we just take out Kick out of the options?  Just give the options of Receive the kickoff or Defer your option to the second half.  Stop all the confusion now.

Because there are rare situations where the team does want to kick. It usually involves weather and/or dominating defense. But it probably would make a lot of sense. Most R's I know only give the option of receive or defer even though kick is one of the options.

[centexsports]

The three options are:
1) Determine which team will kick  (we want the ball or we will receive are currently acceptable though not accurate choices)
2) Choice to defend one goal line or the other.
3) Defer choice to the second half.

At almost all games that I officiate, I tell the speaking Captain to never say "KICK".  It will only get you in trouble.  I have also had to tell coaches the same thing.   I one pre-game toss between the coached, the coin toss winner said "We'll kick."  I told him coach, let me give you the choices and then he said, "We want to Defer".   The other coach chirped "He said he wanted to kick!".  But coach, I had not given him his options yet.   

Technically they should have kicked both halves but it was the first game of the season and I thought that was not the way to get it started. 

[Ralph Damren]

Over the years I've the choice to kickoff to begin the half and to kickoff after being scored upon used as often as viewing Haley's Comet (which shows up every 75 years). Once in a playoff game, the leading team chose that in the second half. I asked the captain twice (this was in the era of bringing out the captains) if he was certain, he responded : "AYUH, Sure am." I ran into his coach a few weeks later and inquired why, He responded : "We decided to shove the ball down their faces and make them choke on it ." In a state championship game, with all starters in, the leading team scored to go up by 50+. The trailing coach stated : "They want to score so @#$%^& much, we'll give the ball to 'em and kickoff ." Neither calls seemed to be sportsmanlike and I would be a proponent of removing the kick options, but I can recall that was submitted as a proposal only once and failed to make it out of it's sub-committee.

[QAfta]

I've had it happen once in a varsity game and all it did was cause issues with the coach.  I never let happen in a sub-varsity game.  I keep stressing the word defer until the captain says it.  One time had the other 2 captains say defer not kick you $%#$^.  Almost died laughing.   But lets just remove it.  If you want to kick, just tell your players not to catch the kickoff.  They will give it to the other team.   

[dammitbobby]

Was there a specific reason it was instituted this way (win toss, you get to choose kick/receive, goal to defend, or defer)?  Just curious as to why they choice to defer was ever brought in as an option... I'd think that the benefit of winning the toss meant you got to choose to kick/receive first, or choose a goal (can be a big deal in the panhandle) would be reward enough.

[Ralph Damren]

Was there a specific reason it was instituted this way (win toss, you get to choose kick/receive, goal to defend, or defer)?  Just curious as to why they choice to defer was ever brought in as an option... I'd think that the benefit of winning the toss meant you got to choose to kick/receive first, or choose a goal (can be a big deal in the panhandle) would be reward enough.

I believe the choice to defer was an evolution from the NFL and NCAA. We begin our list of choices with : DO YOU WANT TO D-E-F-E-R ... . In Maine, we bring the head coach out to the coin toss along with his captains to satisfy 1-1-5 and he'll usually be reminding his captains of their options to request. Seems to work.

[VALJ]

I want to propose a rule change.  How about we just take out Kick out of the options?  Just give the options of Receive the kickoff or Defer your option to the second half.  Stop all the confusion now.

"White captain, you have won the toss.  Do you want to receive the ball now, or defer your choice until the second half."

If a professional player wants to go "off the reservation" and select a third choice, not given to him but within the rules, that's on him. 

Under Fed code, that's why our white hats ask the coaches during the pregame meeting what they want, so they can say "your coach said you want to defer."  Not once has Bubba then said "no, we're still going to kick."  I won't let a 17 year old kid screw up the start of a game.  When you're getting multi-millions a year to play, you've also been at this long enough to know you should be saying "defer" instead of "kick".

[JasonTX]

I had a team once choose to kick after winning the toss.  The captain was adamant that he wanted to kick.  I informed him of what consequences of that choice was and he stuck with it.  Immediately after, I ran directly to the coach to inform him that his captain had screwed up and not me, and he told me that was by design.  He wanted to kick both halves because he wanted to "set the tone with his defense". 

[Kalle]

NCAA might do this at some point, considering the rules committee did remove the option for the scored upon team to kick off in the recent years. Not holding my breath, though.

[bama_stripes]

Almost happened in Dallas on Sunday.  The league office stepped in and changed it.

[Etref]

I always asked the winning captain “ do you want your option this half or the second half and then do kick, receive or defend

[AlUpstateNY]

Seems simple, straightforward and likely effective.

[peterparsons]

I take a similar approach to Etref. That, along with ensuring I've asked both coaches what they are going to ask their captain to do if they win the coin toss, tends to avoid most problems.

[refjeff]

In Ohio we are instructed not to ask the coaches what their choice will be. 

When talking to the captains I use as few words as possible. 

"You have won the toss.  Do you choose to defer?"

And then we go from there. 

[bama_stripes]

In Ohio we are instructed not to ask the coaches what their choice will be.

What’s the rationale for that?

[HLinNC]

What’s the rationale for that?

BECAUSE......

[AlUpstateNY]

Well, it might just be, that "rule makers" remember that Interscholastic level football is a building, instructional level which is aimed at teaching important life-lessons, as well as expertise in the game. The reward of being selected "Captain" includes special access to unique responsibilities (that require additional focus and attention) failure of which includes consequences.

Paying necessary attention to required duties, is itself a valuable life-lesson, especially when others (your team) depends on you to make the RIGHT choice. Appropriate preparation REQUIRES the Captain & Coach to make sure they're on the same page about important choices (direction & PENALTIES).

Removing the consequences of failing to accept responsibilities, dilutes the value of the award, and defeats the purpose. Apprpriately supporting the execution of the responsibilities absolutely lessons the risk of unintended consequences and builds confidence.

[scrounge]

In Ohio we are instructed not to ask the coaches what their choice will be. 

Must be a local thing, because we ask them every single time. And everyone I've ever worked with does as well.