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TASO Off-Season Webinar

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ElvisLives:
For all TASO officials, an offseason webinar, focused on action from the 2023 UIL State Championship games, will be conducted Wednesday, March 28, 7:00 pm CST. All TASO registered officials should have received an e-mail from TASO with the log-in link to register. If you didn’t, here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IgM4_nlVSvy9LJcrPke3ew
(Cut and pasted - no promises it will work.) Contact TASO if you have a problem registering.
 This is when the 2024 season gets started!

See y’all there.

ElvisLives:
During the TASO webinar last night, while discussing the issue of keeping team personnel out of the Restricted Area ("out of the white") during play, and limiting their incursion onto the playing field between downs, a member commented that, in some cases, when they request that coaches comply with the rule requirement to confine themselves to the Restricted Area (as defined by rule) during play, the coaches threaten to "take it to the U.I.L." if they persist in requesting compliance.
That is an empty, idle threat.

The U.I.L. does not have an exception to NCAA rule 1-2-1, which establishes the field and its markings, as shown in the diagram at Appendix D. Yes, the U.I.L. does have an exception to 1-2-1-c, but only to the effect the Restricted Area is only 'recommended' to be marked in solid white. It doesn't have to be marked in any special way, but it still exists! Thankfully, most - but not all - artificial field surface vendors will provide the solid white fill in the Restricted Area. Schools with natural grass fields don't, typically, fill the Restricted Area with a solid white marking (although a minority of schools do). But, like I already said, with, or without, the solid white fill, the Restricted Area exists at ALL fields, regardless of how much (or little) room may exist between the team area and the grandstands.

The U.I.L. does not have an exception to NCAA rule 1-2-4-a, which establishes the Coaching Box, and requires the Coaching Box to be marked with diagonal lines (or be marked 'distinctly' for the use of coaches). Again, artificial fields will usually have the diagonal markings, but some don't. We don't care. With, or without, identifying markings, the Coaching Box still exists. Coaches 'should' keep players out of that area, and make that area for their exclusive use. But, we don't get involved in monitoring that. The only things we care about are keeping coaches out of the Restricted Area during play, and keeping them near the sideline between downs.

The U.I.L. does not have an exception to NCAA rule 9-2-5, which requires all team personnel (others than players, as defined) to be in the Team Area and behind the Coaching Line while the ball is in play. Neither do they have an exception to 9-2-1-b-1, which allows team personnel (other than players) to be on the field WITH PERMISSION FROM THE REFEREE (any time the ball is dead, which includes team time outs).   As the referee, you have full authority to require that they remain outside the field boundary lines AT ALL TIMES. Typically, however, between downs, we allow coaches to step on the field one or two steps to briefly give instructions to their players, and then return to the Coaching Box ("off the white"). We must not allow them to wander out 3, 4, 5 steps, or more. I see coaches routinely allowed to roam out beyond the top of the numbers. DON'T LET THEM DO THAT! Make them stay near the sideline, and then hustle back to the coaching box after giving signals.

Similalrly, during team time outs (or media time outs, in televised games), the referee will, typically, ALLOW team personnel to be on the field of play, i.e., trainers, water providers, and coaches. Again, we should strive to keep them as near the sidelines as practical. As in the NCAA, we must work to keep all team personnel OUTSIDE THE NUMBERS ("outside the numbers" means completely outside the numbers, i.e., outside the BOTTOMS of the numbers). Do NOT allow coaches to move out to their teams on the field; make the teams move over the areas outside the numbers. By doing so, you reduce opportunities for interaction between teams, and opportunities for coaches to attempt to abuse officials.

Referees: YOU HAVE THE RULE AUTHORITY. Sideline officials: THIS IS YOUR JOB TO ENFORCE.

So, if you request compliance by a coach to vacate the Restricted Area, and he threatens you with, "I'm gonna take this to the U.I.L.!", just ignore it, and have the courage to do the right thing. You will be doing nothing more than what is required by U.I.L. rule.

Now. Can that coach/team refuse to accept you as an official in their future games? Sadly, the U.I.L. 1204 allows them to do just that. Are there less-than-scrupulous people out there that will allow coaches to do whatever they want, to assure themselves that they will continue to be 'acceptable' by that team/coach? Sadly, yes. You have to decide for yourself what kind of person you want to be. Hopefully, each of you will decide that you want to do the right thing, and can go to sleep at night knowing you DID the right thing. Perhaps someday (sooner than later), the U.I.L. assignment policy in the 1204 will be eliminated, and officials will be free to officiate the game properly, at all times.
 

Etref:
Well said!

Etref:
I always felt that even if “that” coach didn’t want me, I would have a game somewhere on Friday night.

Legacy Zebra:
Honestly, that’s not much of a threat. In fact, I hope a coach does “take it to the UIL”. I mean, they don’t exactly have any ground to stand on.

Coach: He told me I couldn’t stand there.

UIL: Where was he standing?

Official: In the restricted area.

UIL: Case dismissed.

A coach trying to take this complaint to the UIL would honestly be the best thing that could happen as far as helping us police sidelines because it would force UIL to stand behind the rule. Their only other option would be to publicly state that they care more about a coach’s preference than they do about the safety of officials.

The

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