Do you ever ask questions at the coin toss?

[NorCalMike]

Sometimes when I am the WH, I will ask the kids a question at the coin toss. For example today, used an Australian coin that has is not smooth but has twelve flat edges. So I asked the captains, Do you know what a twelve sided polygon is called? One kid came close telling me it was a decagon. The correct answer is dodecagon.

Sometimes I flip with an old Susan B Anthony dollar and I asked if any one knew what she was famous for? One of the Captains got that one right.

One of the other WH I worked used to use a half dollar to flip with. He always asked the captains, Whose on the Kennedy half dollar? Most the time he got blank stares.

Any one else do this? Do you think its Okay to do this or do you think we should keep it strictly business?

[mbyron]

IMO, if the question feels educational, then it can have a place on a school field. If the point is or might seem to be to humiliate players, then I'd say save it for your partners.

Like humor on the field, some folks can pull it off, and others just sound sarcastic, petty, and snide.

[justbill]

I don't ask questions but do something else.  I use a different dollar coin each time with a different President's face on it and drop a little known fact about that President before showing tails side (Statue of Liberty).  For example, James Garfield is the only person who was in the House of Representatives, a Senator and President all at the same time.  Things like that.

[WVABJ1807]

There are more important things going on on a Friday night than to ask these types of questions on a football field.  In a JV game maybe, but no way my crew would ever do anything like this.

[clearwall]

I was L for a MS game one time and asked the K how many players he had on the field. He didnt know, so I asked how many he was SUPPOSED to have. He just gave me a blank stare....

Maybe shouldn't tempt the history test.

[TexDoc]

For varsity games, I like the toss to be short and sweet.  I get right to it and get it over with as quickly as possible.

I think for lower level games doing what some of you have suggested is fine.

[stevegarbs]

I only do this for youth games- since I use an Eisenhower silver dollar, I would tell the visiting captain, "If you can tell me which president is on this coin you win the toss."  They never got it right, and now with so many dollar coins out there I don't bother asking.

I worked with a guy who did crack me up when he asked the captain who won the toss, "You have two choices- you can wash my car or cut my grass." 

As others said, I reserve these jokes for the kids games, and only when they are accompanied by their coaches.

[Welpe]

Sometimes I flip with an old Susan B Anthony dollar and I asked if any one knew what she was famous for? One of the Captains got that one right.

I know! She fought to end women's suffrage, right? Or maybe it was suffering?  Or maybe it was to fight FOR women's suffering?  Yeah, that's it. 

[TexDoc]

First for me in 24 years.  I always show the coin, tell them the heads and the tells and show them.  Then I tell the visiting speaker that I will flip the coin and let it hit the ground but I want to know before I toss it if he wants heads for tails.  Friday night the captain choses, then I flip the coin and in this high thick grass, the coin lands perfectly vertical.  Picked up and said one more time and let the visiting captain have an option to change his selection before I tossed it again.  Then we proceeded to have a 62 to 21 BUTT whipping.  The coin toss was indicative of the kind of night we were about to have.

[JasonTX]

First for me in 24 years.  I always show the coin, tell them the heads and the tells and show them.  Then I tell the visiting speaker that I will flip the coin and let it hit the ground but I want to know before I toss it if he wants heads for tails.  Friday night the captain choses, then I flip the coin and in this high thick grass, the coin lands perfectly vertical.  Picked up and said one more time and let the visiting captain have an option to change his selection before I tossed it again.  Then we proceeded to have a 62 to 21 BUTT whipping.  The coin toss was indicative of the kind of night we were about to have.

I've seen some of those straight up coins.  I also seen the coin roll away.  Referee had to back pedal 5 yards to get out of the way.  This is why I just catch it.

[Roscoe]

The coin toss to me is such a mystery. As a wing / deep wing official, I 've never been apart of one. I don't even know what they say other than call it in the air.

[NorCalMike]

I probably should be more professional maybe but I have always been a smart BUTT. One of my weakness.

I do like asking about washing the car or mowing the lawn. Two things that always need doing at my house.

[Jackhammer]

"gentlemen, here's the Eisenhower coin.  He's the only US president that's done the same thing you're going to do tonight....play Kansas high school football."

[Grant - AR]

In the pregame meeting with the coaches, I used to ask them what their option would be if they won the toss.  On the occasions where one said defer and the other said receive, there was no reason to have the coin toss.  In a couple of junior high games, I never actually tossed the coin.  I would just tell the captains that the coaches had already made the decision.  They both got what they wanted.

[HLinNC]

While its fine to be cordial and lessen the tension, the kids are getting ready to go to "work" for something they've trained for all the preceding week.  The coin toss isn't supposed to be your audition for amateur night at the Comedy Shack.  Get it done and get it over with.

We've got one guy, who I've fortunately only worked with a couple of times, who thinks the coin toss for MS games is the Bobo the Clown Cartoon Club.  Its humiliating to stand there while he goes through his corny act.  His varsity career is behind him now, not surprisingly.

[QAfta]

On non-varsity nights, after they captains introduce themselves, I will ask one of them who's that and point to one of the other teams captains.  Usually, get "I don't know".  One time even got a "I don't care"  , made that team re-introduce themselves.  He got it right after that.

[GAHSUMPIRE]

No offense, but the kids are not there for a history lesson or team trivia. flip the coin and get on with the game which is why everyone is there in the first place.

[GAHSUMPIRE]

One other thing- why would this type of schtick be ok in sub-varsity but not on varsity? You may be earning less for the game, but it is just as important to the participants of that game as it is to those on Friday nights.

We are there to manage a football game- who is on each side of the coin, and what they did to deserve being there is immaterial, other than which side is heads and which side is tails.

It is odd that there would be those who would complain that players can't remember what their coach wants them to choose but at the same time distract them from this choice by bringing up useless and irrelevant information when they are trying to concentrate on it.

Again, flip the coin and move on.

[TexDoc]

One other thing- why would this type of schtick be ok in sub-varsity but not on varsity? You may be earing less for the game, but it is just as important to the participants of that game as it is to those on Friday nights.

We are there to manage a football game- who is on each side of the coin, and what they did to deserve being there is immaterial, other than which side is heads and which side is tails.

It is odd that there would be those who would complain that players can't remember what their coach wants them to choose but at the same time distract them from this choice by bringing up useless and irrelevant infomration when they are trying to concentrate on it.

Again, flip the coin and move on.

Point taken.  Not sure if you're in Texas or not, but jobs and careers depend on varsity games.  I've never heard of anyone being fired for losing a junior high game.  Yes, by virtue of their importance, and human nature, varsity games are taken more seriously.  That's just the way it is.

[GAHSUMPIRE]

Point taken.  Not sure if you're in Texas or not, but jobs and careers depend on varsity games.  I've never heard of anyone being fired for losing a junior high game.  Yes, by virtue of their importance, and human nature, varsity games are taken more seriously.  That's just the way it is.

No I'm not in Texas. I am in Georgia. Whether or not jobs are on the line to me, is immaterial. I understand your point, but my opinion remains that it is not appropriate- regardless of the level of the game.  Do you think the sub-varsity PLAYERS- who are the ones listening to the referee's lecture care less about their game than the game on Friday? I don't. What is gained by doing so, other than making the referee feel that he could win on "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" In most cases the captains are barely listening to what you say anyway, why prolong the agony? They want to get on with the game- get on with it.

[TexDoc]

No I'm not in Texas. I am in Georgia. Whether or not jobs are on the line to me, is immaterial. I understand your point, but my opinion remains that it is not appropriate- regardless of the level of the game.  Do you think the sub-varsity PLAYERS- who are the ones listening to the referee's lecture care less about their game than the game on Friday? I don't. What is gained by doing so, other than making the referee feel that he could win on "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" In most cases the captains are barely listening to what you say anyway, why prolong the agony? They want to get on with the game- get on with it.

I understand your point.  Don't lose sight of the fact that football at the high school level is an extension of the classroom.  Being such, what's wrong with showing a coin to the captains and asking them if they know who the person is on the coin, or some other quick bit of "education?"  At the varsity level, I suggest you move along quickly.  Below varsity, sure, why not.  Just don't prolong it and don't be a comedian.  You might actually teach something to a young man he will remember in years to come.

[NorCalMike]

"gentlemen, here's the Eisenhower coin.  He's the only US president that's done the same thing you're going to do tonight....play Kansas high school football."

I like that one. If they ever put Gerald Ford on a coin  then you could do that in Michigan.

[NorCalMike]

I am actually a little surprised at the strong feelings this topic generated. I understand both sides. I will have to rethink this.

Anyway since I only do WH in SV games, I always ask the coach what he wants if his team wins the toss and try to assist the captain in making the proper selection. I would not do this at the varsity level though.

[bama_stripes]

Anyway since I only do WH in SV games, I always ask the coach what he wants if his team wins the toss and try to assist the captain in making the proper selection. I would not do this at the varsity level though.

We do.  Every game.  Pee-wee through varsity.  Plus, we make sure the captains know what the coach wants them to do before we go out for the toss.  There's no way I'm making a team kick off twice, unless that's what their coach wants.

[TxSkyBolt]

I'm afraid Doc will never win that contest