FCS Championship Game

[El Macman]

Attended the FCS Championship game. Don't know the crew, don't know where they are from, but they did an outstanding job. Might have been a snafu on the coin toss (SHSU coach didn't seem to like the outcome). An easy game to officiate, but a great job, nonetheless.
Congratulations.

[texref]

I was told they are from the Colonial Athletic Association (East Coast).

[TexLJ]

I was there as well and I agree that the crew looked sharp. I couldn't figure out why the SHSU coach was upset after the coin toss, either.  He needed to spend a lot more energy worrying about the NDSU defense.

Congratulations to the crew for being selected for the game and for doing an outstanding job.

[El Macman]

I couldn't figure out why the SHSU coach was upset after the coin toss, either. 

I think, perhaps, he expected to defer if they won the toss. They won the toss, but ended up receiving. Not a bad outcome, but maybe not what he wanted.

[Wingman]

They are in the CIP. The referee is from Mass. Worked with him many times when he was a full time member of the WNE chapter (ECAC) .. Very knowlegable official.

[Atlanta Blue]

They are in the CIP. The referee is from Mass. Worked with him many times when he was a full time member of the WNE chapter (ECAC) .. Very knowlegable official.

There were announced as being from the CAA.

[RedTD]

CIP stands for Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy League, Patriot League. Those are the conferences the officials work during the year. The group that works for Jim Maconaghy (Supervisor/coordinator for those three leagues/conferences) is referered to as the CIP. The NCAA selects a supervisor of a particular conference to provide crews for tournament play. This crew was was designated as a CAA

[texref]

CIP stands for Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy League, Patriot League. Those are the conferences the officials work during the year. The group that works for Jim Maconaghy (Supervisor/coordinator for those three leagues/conferences) is referered to as the CIP. The NCAA selects a supervisor of a particular conference to provide crews for tournament play. This crew was was designated as a CAA

Red,

 I used to work for Jim years ago. Any chance you know the names of the guys who worked the game (particularly any from the Philly area)?

Thanks

[Curious]

I think, perhaps, he expected to defer if they won the toss. They won the toss, but ended up receiving. Not a bad outcome, but maybe not what he wanted.

Question for NCAA officials: May and/or does the R ask the head coach for his choice on the coin flip (if he wins or if not)?  Would eliminate this problem.

It is our crew's practice (High School) to do this; and it has avoided some unnecessary frustration/controversy before the game even begins. 

[ABoselli]

Red,

 I used to work for Jim years ago. Any chance you know the names of the guys who worked the game (particularly any from the Philly area)?

Thanks

Tony Marcella, Referee
John Shigo, Umpire
Lyndell Shelton, Linesman
Jeff Cooney, Line Judge
Vince Boccanfuso, Field Judge
Chris Smith, Side Judge
George O'Brien, Back Judge

[El Macman]

Question for NCAA officials: May and/or does the R ask the head coach for his choice on the coin flip (if he wins or if not)?  Would eliminate this problem.

It is our crew's practice (High School) to do this; and it has avoided some unnecessary frustration/controversy before the game even begins.

Don't know how many others, but at least one FBS conference made that as policy for 2011.

[Curious]

Don't know how many others, but at least one FBS conference made that as policy for 2011.

Sure seems to make sense at any level - especially HS.  Captains may be leaders/best players; but are not necessarily the "sharpest knives in the drawer".  I've had them "forget" withing one minute of talking to their coach and coming out for the toss...

Maybe the whole coin toss thing should be rethought.  Why not just get the coaches together before the game, do the toss with them; then reenact it with the captains for the fans before the game.... 

[Atlanta Blue]

Maybe the whole coin toss thing should be rethought.  Why not just get the coaches together before the game, do the toss with them; then reenact it with the captains for the fans before the game.... 

That is an option here, although few do it.  It was done for all of our state championship games, as they are played back to back on the same field, so it speeds things along.  The toss isn't even reenacted, the captains simply come out, get their sportsmanship speech, and the toss results are announced.

[110]

FYI - East coast Canadian university games, the toss is done a half-hour before kickoff.

[jimcore]

The team is in the national championship game, they are the captains who have been doing this for 14 games, and it is the officials fault?  Fire the coach for being incompetant and not coaching his kids well enough.  Can't believe you guys would think we as officials need to make this part of the job easier for the coaches.

[TxSkyBolt]

The team is in the national championship game, they are the captains who have been doing this for 14 games, and it is the officials fault?  Fire the coach for being incompetant and not coaching his kids well enough.  Can't believe you guys would think we as officials need to make this part of the job easier for the coaches.

I think you're making a big leap from folks offering techniques to make the game start smoothly and assigning blame to the officials.  Nobody (except you) mentioned this was the fault of the officials.

Best regards,

Brad

[El Macman]

Maybe the whole coin toss thing should be rethought.  Why not just get the coaches together before the game, do the toss with them; then reenact it with the captains for the fans before the game.... 

My opinion means nothing, but I am strongly opposed to taking the game away from the players. Remember, there was a time when only a player could request a time out. They took that away. Now the coin toss is at risk.

However, there are two sides to all stories. Football rules were first started in the 19th Century by players, and the players were in college, and they were there, first and foremost, for education (long before athletic scholarships). In those days, college students were motivated by education, and were probably greater in basic intelligence than average. So, being able to handle a coin toss was well within their capability, with little or no coaching. What do we have today? Many, if not most, college football players are there with one goal in mind - to get to the NFL. Education is not their highest priority. The NCAA has rules in place to require some minimal level of academic performance by prospective and actual student-athletes, but they hardly guarantee that a 19 or 20 year kid will have the academic background to handle decision making - even those as simple as with a coin toss. So, it isn't surprising that 'captains' make mistakes, and that coaches may want to absorb, by rule, the coin-toss decision making.
But I hope it doesn't happen. The game would be much better served to have coaches teach their players what happens in a coin toss, and to give them the training they need to handle it.
Just me.

[Arbitrator]

My opinion means nothing, but I am strongly opposed to taking the game away from the players. Remember, there was a time when only a player could request a time out. They took that away. Now the coin toss is at risk.

However, there are two sides to all stories. Football rules were first started in the 19th Century by players, and the players were in college, and they were there, first and foremost, for education (long before athletic scholarships). In those days, college students were motivated by education, and were probably greater in basic intelligence than average. So, being able to handle a coin toss was well within their capability, with little or no coaching. What do we have today? Many, if not most, college football players are there with one goal in mind - to get to the NFL. Education is not their highest priority. The NCAA has rules in place to require some minimal level of academic performance by prospective and actual student-athletes, but they hardly guarantee that a 19 or 20 year kid will have the academic background to handle decision making - even those as simple as with a coin toss. So, it isn't surprising that 'captains' make mistakes, and that coaches may want to absorb, by rule, the coin-toss decision making.
But I hope it doesn't happen. The game would be much better served to have coaches teach their players what happens in a coin toss, and to give them the training they need to handle it.
Just me.

 

How true! And if you really want an eye-opener in how the NCAA rules have evolved over the years, I saw in the 1923 NCAA Football Rule Book that at that time, it wasn't even permissable for a coach to even address an official in any shape, form, or fashion. They could stay on the team bench only in a coaching and/or advisory capacity. But with the advent of the game, they apparently were given more and more power. Why back in the "good ole days," compensationwise, they received virtually nothing for their services as what tasks they performed on Saturday afternoons was often a part of the pay that they already received as being existing classroom teachers and instructors on campus. And with the beginning of the NFL, then it truly had the college kids all starting to compete for what few professional openings there were and at somewhat meager salaries. When the big money, "cash-cow" TV contracts came into play with both the professional as well as the collegiate games, it changed everything. I'm afraid that what lies ahead of us inasfar as the future of the game is concerned will not bode well for the vast majority of the players, but rather for the coaches and administrators. It is sadly and fastly becoming their game and their game only!   

[Curious]

How true! And if you really want an eye-opener in how the NCAA rules have evolved over the years, I saw in the 1923 NCAA Football Rule Book that at that time, it wasn't even permissable for a coach to even address an official in any shape, form, or fashion. They could stay on the team bench only in a coaching and/or advisory capacity.....  I'm afraid that what lies ahead of us inasfar as the future of the game is concerned will not bode well for the vast majority of the players, but rather for the coaches and administrators. It is sadly and fastly becoming their game and their game only!   

I'm afraid (for officials and fans) that we're already there

[Magician]

As an NDSU grad I was very happy with the outcome of the game.  As an official I was very pleased with the crew.  There wasn't much crazy to call and all replays were confirmed.  I was in the stands and I haven't seen much of the broadcast yet.  I noticed the confusion at the coin toss and assumed it was about their choice. 

I also want to see a false start penalty called against NDSU because I have been told by some the only movement was two guys in motion and nobody was simulating the snap. I believe the flag came out before the ball was snapped so I assume someone else jumped.