Reasons 587 & 588 not to call youth football....

[HLinNC]

587) Several weeks ago, last game of the 3 game set, visiting coach approaches the umpire and I with his snapper, who is wearing a cast.  To protect said cast, they had securely wrapped it in bubble wrap and electricians tape.  The U was a rookie so he looks at me and I tell them this cast is not properly padded and he can not play with it as such. (They did have the doctors note.)

Coach gets indignant, gives me the old we did it last week speech, etc.  I send the U and the kid over to the other side to see the R/crew chief as he is also a U with the warning he wasn't going to pass it either.  While we are waiting, coach wants to stay in my ear, I tell him nothing changes until it gets properly padded by rule.  He keeps telling me "but I'm just trying to have a conversation with you".  I tell him rather than trying to whine and cry his way out of it, his time would have been better served to get a rule book and read up on what they needed to beforehand.  Eventually they come back with the snapper, who the crew chief had denied as I anticipated.  Eventually somebody went to a store and got the foam and they got him wrapped properly just before half time.  They were up by about 4 TD's at that point.  One assistant kept extolling his sideline with "they're trying to take him away from us".

588) First game yesterday morning, youngest age group- my sideline hands me a ball that a  day old ham sandwich would have had more air in.  I hand it back and ask if they have a pump.  They try to tell me no but I know they have to have one for their helmets.  They fuss to the HC.  I get the "we've never had to pump it up before" routine.  HC gets all up beside me, introduces himself as Mr. X and says "I've been coaching ball for 15 years and I've never had anyone tell me a ball had to have a certain amount of air in it". 

"Well I've been officiating for about 25 (mine is bigger than yours) and now you know that it does".

"25 years huh?  I've never seen you before, (which isn't true-I evaluated a rookie wing early in the season at his place), where'd you call?"  I rattled off my resume' briefly and told him that it would go much faster if he'd just get some more air in his football

[RMR]

You put a flag on his BUTT for the trying to take him away from us comment, right?

[AlUpstateNY]

I'm soprry, but if you're going to work football, at ANY level, you have to learn to be able to deal with emotional (or really stupid) comments without losing YOUR composure or professional demeanor.

[Legacy Zebra]

A flag in that situation is not losing your composure or professional demeanor. It says that you won't tolerate a coach questioning your integrity. You want to tell me I'm terrible and my judgements are wrong, go ahead. But if you insinuate that me or my crew is cheating, you better believe that's going to earn a flag.

[JasonTX]

587 and 588 reasons?  Man, you sure do have a short list of reasons.  Mine is in the 4 digits.

[Txgarza]

Officiated my first TYFA game earlier this year and a "coach" yelled my TD call was a makeup call. Bam 15 yd UNS call. When the "head coach" asked why I flagged them I told him complain about my calls all you want but question my integrity it will cost you a penalty.

[VALJ]

587) Several weeks ago, last game of the 3 game set, visiting coach approaches the umpire and I with his snapper, who is wearing a cast.  To protect said cast, they had securely wrapped it in bubble wrap and electricians tape.  The U was a rookie so he looks at me and I tell them this cast is not properly padded and he can not play with it as such. (They did have the doctors note.)

Coach gets indignant, gives me the old we did it last week speech, etc.  I send the U and the kid over to the other side to see the R/crew chief as he is also a U with the warning he wasn't going to pass it either.  While we are waiting, coach wants to stay in my ear, I tell him nothing changes until it gets properly padded by rule.  He keeps telling me "but I'm just trying to have a conversation with you".  I tell him rather than trying to whine and cry his way out of it, his time would have been better served to get a rule book and read up on what they needed to beforehand.  Eventually they come back with the snapper, who the crew chief had denied as I anticipated.  Eventually somebody went to a store and got the foam and they got him wrapped properly just before half time.  They were up by about 4 TD's at that point.  One assistant kept extolling his sideline with "they're trying to take him away from us".

I had this same situation in a JV game.  I was the B, so I wasn't the one having the conversation with the trainer and head coach.  Trainer couldn't understand why my U wouldn't let the kid play with bubble wrap.

[Rulesman]

Trainer couldn't understand why my U wouldn't let the kid play with bubble wrap.

Wannabe Trainer. That's scary. An ATC wouldn't be asking stupid questions like that.

[AlUpstateNY]

A flag in that situation is not losing your composure or professional demeanor. It says that you won't tolerate a coach questioning your integrity. You want to tell me I'm terrible and my judgements are wrong, go ahead. But if you insinuate that me or my crew is cheating, you better believe that's going to earn a flag.

Absolutely agree questioning an official's integrity merits a flag EVERY time, ALL the time.  Considering the comment suggested, as an afront to anyone's integrity, rather than just a silly, really dopey comment that makes little sense, might be a little bit of a stretch. 

Having a big stick comes with the job description, choosing when to use it is an acquired skill.

[VALJ]

Absolutely agree questioning an official's integrity merits a flag EVERY time, ALL the time. 

Had a player a couple of years back tell his teammates "we do what we do, and the officials are gonna cheat us like they always do."   

[RMR]

I'm soprry, but if you're going to work football, at ANY level, you have to learn to be able to deal with emotional (or really stupid) comments without losing YOUR composure or professional demeanor.

Flagging a coach for questioning your integrity is losing your composure or professional demeanor?  Really?

[ALStripes17]

Have definitely had some winners in youth football.  Threw 2 flags on a coach (7-8 year olds) for what he believed was a missed 'runner OOB' call.

Coach: That's F!@#$&*  bulls!&$

Me:

Coach: Youve gotta be f!@#$&* kidding me!!!

Me: 2nd (only time I have ever had to grab that back pocket square)

Coach: I can't believe this s $!#

White hat: (with slight chuckle since we were standing next to each other at this point)

This was all just after the try so the  parents of that coach's team were really irate when we started their next drive (no kickoffs, start at 35) on the 5 and their coach had to be removed from the premises.

Absolutely amazing how some people act.

[Txgarza]

No half the distance for the second foul?  Start at the 7 1/2.

[Ralph Damren]

No half the distance for the second foul?  Start at the 7 1/2.

Mainer math = 35 - 15 = 20 -10 = 10 - 5 = 5.

[ALStripes17]

I know I'm from AL but I like to think my math degree is worth something! Haha

[Bwest]

Recently worked 6 and 7 year old games. Coach of one team was apparently ticked off about something, and started having his players run gadget plays with a minute left up several touchdowns (a reverse and then a halfback pass).

The other team's coach took a swing at him in the handshake line. The sheriff indicated that this was not unusual behavior.

[Rulesman]

Coach of one team was apparently ticked off about something, and started having his players run gadget plays with a minute left up several touchdowns (a reverse and then a halfback pass).

The other team's coach took a swing at him in the handshake line. The sheriff indicated that this was not unusual behavior.

Reason #589

[VALJ]

Reason #4589

Fixed it for you. 

[NorCalMike]

These stories are why I never officiated youth. I coached youth two different times and saw numerous events like this. Almost every story I hear in our area about officials being threatened, coaches fighting, or parents being problems are related to youth.

I was lucky when I started officiating that the association was short of people and I was doing varsity prior to the end of my first season. Of course, a lot of our guys do youth because the money is pretty good in this area. I don't find the money worth the aggravation.

[VALJ]

Of course, a lot of our guys do youth because the money is pretty good in this area. I don't find the money worth the aggravation.

Amen, brother!  Between the parents, the mini John Grudens on the sideline who didn't know basic rules like 7 men on the line, and the two injuries in my second (and last) week of working youth, I didn't think that the money was worth it, either.  On one of those two, I could hear a 10-year old kid's leg break as he got tackled on the sideline.  Even worse was 9 year old kid who left the field in the ambulance wearing a cervical collar and strapped to a backboard.

[HLinNC]

I don't find the money worth the aggravation.

I had reached that point quite a while back.  When I last called youth, I was interested in making it to R and knew I needed to take my lumps again so I started working some Saturdays.  I had to work a limited schedule and take 5 pm starts as my son was playing youth soccer on and I was on the local board so we were expected to spend all day Saturday at the soccer park.  Back then the fee was $135 for a 3 game set, I think.

My son switched to football two years ago in the 8th grade ( ) and was JV last year.  My RSO started giving me middle school R assignments on his game days so I could still work and then go to his game afterwards. 

I gave him a list of limited Saturdays I was able to work youth this season as I realize we have a lot of new officials and are also short officials.  The fee has risen to $150.
The inane, the ignorant, the insufferable are still there.

My son will be varsity the next two seasons hence so I know I'm pretty much done on Friday nights, save their one open date each year.  That will leave me only working Thursdays  (JV &/or MS) and the odd Wednesday.  I don't know if want to put up with it on Saturdays or not. 

[yarnnelg]

Use the games for teaching moments .....

Youth game, third quarter, problem coach, 35 yard line going in. Wide receiver comes out, off the line, over my shoulder coach says to receiver " #81", I look as the receiver looks. Defensive end on my side. Receiver goes in motion, snap, tackle fires out turns defensive end, slides off and takes out the linebacker, my receiver? Three steps and plants a block in the back of 81. Flag ! Back runs to my side, gets tackled and injured. We are dealing with the injury .... Coach asks "Ray? Why is that a penalty?" " Just a second coach" we get the gain marked and away from the injured player. "Ready coach?" "Yeah, I want to know" "real simple, poor coaching" "What?"

All week you drilled that block in the receiver's head, threatened him with the death of his family if he missed the block, he did what you told him, made the block. Watch the film, tackle turned the defensive end, your receiver blocked in the back from three steps out. Do you know what a pick is? Explain it to me ....you can use a pick in football too. You stop short and shield, a pick. Like I said, poor coaching.

Yup youth football, good place to teach