pre game routine

[dvasques]

I'd like to know from you experienced guys ut there, what is your pregame routine on the field.

Do you talk to coaches and players? Tell them something, ask something?

Reason why I'm asking this is because I went up to one of the team's coaches today before the game, spoke quickly to him and asked about trick plays or anything that he might want to tell us to be aware of. His reply: "we do have trick plays but I won't tell them to you". Then he went up to my Ref complaining that one of the officials had asked him about his trick plays.

At the end of the day, the coach was a paranoid freak with a big persecution complex, but I'd like to know from you how do you work pregame with players and coaches, and if you think I might have been out of line there

[centexsports]

Texas HS - Referee and Umpire meet with coach 1 1/2 hours prior to kickoff for pregame.  One of the topics is unusual or out of the ordinary formations or plays.   This is then covered with the crew before going on the field.   It is not the place for the other crew members to ask the coach about this while on the field.

About 20 years ago I was working with a crew that I had never worked with before.   The whole crew met with the coaches before the game.   For some reason the referee (an older gentleman) asked the coaches right in front of each other if they were going to be running any trick plays.   I can still see the puzzled looks on the coaches faces.   This referee would also wind the clock from 40 yards away while he was trying to get into position after long gains. 

[BoBo]

As a R at both levels I meet the head coach with my umpire ideally before we even get out to the field.
1. General greeting with coach, give him the game card with the crew
2. Ask him about any casts or braces, legally equipped, college have him sign the card.
3. Any formations or plays that may catch the crew off guard, i.e trick plays, formations, covering guys up
4. QBs, Ks, Ps, right handed or left handed, or right or left footed.
5. Get the QBs and Centers first names so we can communicate on the field with them
6. Ask if he has any questions of us.

Once on the field R and U find the QB and C and introduce ourselves real quick, let them know they can call us by our first names as we will with them. Let them know on hurry up to wait for a whistle if one is to be blown. Do some quick preventive stuff before the game with them.

I feel this conversation lets the players know you are there as an official but also an ally to help the game go efficiently.

On occasion you will come across that coach is a little wired before the game. That one you do your thing then walk away and hope for the best.

[Sonofanump]

I work deep sideline.  I’ll introduce myself to each head coach, no more than minute.  For the opposite sideline, I’ll let him know that I’ll communicate best I can any information that he may need.  For my sideline, find out who the sideline control person, let him know I’ll find him for fouls that may need decisions on including free kick out of bounds and where he wants the ball on touchbacks.   

[James]

In Germany we have to check the player eligibility (player pass), so we (R & U) find the coach about 1 hour before the games and ask them (separately) everything on BoBo's list, except for the first names, as well as where and when they want the player's checked.
As U I also ask them if they have any scouting concerns from the other team (trick plays, hot headed players, tendencies they have seen that they will be bugging us about on the sideline anyways - like the right guard always chop-blocks when they run a sweep left or something). This seems to go down well with the coaches, since they know I want to know about concerns they have, and it helps balance the coaches that always say they have no trick plays, then call triple reverse screen pass, or some such play...
It has also helped clear up rule knowledge on occasion. 'But coach the team is allowed to do that because....' Works much better in pregame than on the field when they are upset about something!

[clearwall]

If a coach is going to take that attitude, then he has no right to complain if we make a mistake because he runs something we're not expecting. Case in point, I was working a game where we asked about trick plays and the coach told us he had none. After the first TD of the game, his team lined up in a swinging gate, QB stationed behind the snapper, the entire rest of the line about 5 yards away with two players in the backfield. The snapper side-snapped across the field to one of the backs who was supposed to catch it and run it in for two. However, the ball hit the ground in front of him. I hadnt been paying the best attention(*was trying to set a box man who wouldnt hurry down the field after the 40+ yard play) and I thought the QB had thrown a forward pass. I whistled it incomplete and the try was no good. Coach was unhappy about it, but like I told him at half, when we ask about trick plays, you might want to mention that one.

[buckshot]

If your R hasn't done it, I'd probably be giving him a gentle reminder rather than do it myself when not working R.  I can "kinda" understand the coach reacting negatively to another member of the crew asking that question, even though there should be no reason for him to.

As clearwall says though, if a coach tells me he is not running any trick plays, or refuses to answer the question, he better not get upset if something catches the crew off guard and he gets an IW. 

I have one coach in the league I work who always has some crazy trick play to report before every single game I have worked with his team, I've never seen him actually use one in a game.  The ONE game where he tells me he's not going to run a trick play, he pulls some triple reverse deep bomb play out, lol.

[RMR]

Sorry to mix up subjects on this thread but I don't want to flood the forum with minor questions... Just that there is no supervisor to tell me and the crew how was our work and I have a bad feeling about how we handled this one coach and would like to hear from more experienced guys from around here.

During the whole game, the coach was screaming at the officials... if we called something against his team, he'd yell that it was horsefeathers. If we didn't call something on the other team, he'd do the same. Basicaly, he was working under the assumption that we had been called to that game to screw his team over. But that's fine... he was yelling that it was all bulshit... and he was screaming at one of the officials that was from his home state that he couldn't believe that a felow statemate was doing that to his team and all that. Nothing too extreme, just annoying.

But a couple of times he might have gotten across the line and I think I missed it.
First time, dead ball, running clock, he came to me and asked me to call the Ref so he could talk to him. I told him he'd have to call a timeout for that. He got HACKED, asked for my name, told me he would report me, saying I'd see what would happen to me.
I gave him my name and moved on... but I wonder if I should've called UNS for the threat.

Second time, forth quarter, his team down by 8, he started screaming at the Ump (the guy from his home state) that this was not the end of it... he would see...
We all heard but didn't call... and today I think we should've

would I be downgraded by you all for not calling those?

Also... crew was trying to decide if his team's QB sneak was for TD or not. I was on his sideline when he rushed into the field calling his players to get off the field because that was a TD and getting his kicking unit it.
I missed it...

thinking back... he SCREWED up my game
darn!

So, he threatened y'all twice and and also entered the playing field in an obvious attempt to influence a decision by your crew and was still there at the end of the game?

[dvasques]

So, he threatened y'all twice and and also entered the playing field in an obvious attempt to influence a decision by your crew and was still there at the end of the game?

Like I said, we missed it and everytime I think about it I feel like we missed it badly... but his team lost, it was the quarter-finals and the head of the league really disliked his attitude so we might not need to deal with him next year.
But if we do, I'll make sure I don't miss this behavior again

[TampaSteve]

Asking if they have "any trick or unusual plays or formations" is part of every pre-game I've witnesses and/or been associated with.
As an aside: Sideline warnings sure go a long way in silencing folks.
Personally for me:
*The guy that screams each and every play get ignored each and every play.
*Guy asking my name: "it's on the crew card that was given to you. but it's TampaSteve"
*'I'll report you' - ignore.
*A guy making allegations of integrity: immediate flag and potentially is gone from the game.
*A guy getting personal: is flagged very swiftly.

[Rulesman]

Probably the best approach I've heard is: (1) answer questions, (2) ignore comments, (3) penalize insanity.

[DallasLJ]

Probably the best approach I've heard is: (1) answer questions, (2) ignore comments, (3) penalize insanity.

  I like that approach.  Sounds right.  Any coach who makes it personal, is insane and eared the flag.

[Cowman52]

Keep it short, sign card, leave him a list of officials names, he has them but doesn't remember where, ask if he has concerns, problems, questions. Don't care to ask  about trick plays, makes him think crew is not ready or capable of handling them if they occur, tell him if something odd happens, let crew get things squared away, and I will come talk to him. If he convinces me I screwed it up, I fix it without costing him a time out.

[dvasques]

Cowman, you're the first one to tell me not to ask about formations and tricky plays. And you got a point there... The way that coach reacted when I asked him about it... and then he went on to tell me that if I knew the rules, then it should be alright because they play by the rules

(of course, then he complained about a false start by his tight end that couldn't be because the QB had not yet yelled "set" to his team, among other stupidities he told us)

[Cowman52]

I've been at this for some time, coaches are an odd lot, guess I would be too if my job was dependent on the actions of 16 to 18 year old kids. We have 1 official who is retired highway patrolman who does a great job of working the sideline as far as coaches are concerned. These guys just know every one is out to screw them and our attitude can go a long way to either helping or hurting.
 I can't do the list that starts with, ball boy's name, what ball, captains, q b right or left handed, who's talking,  these are all things that show you are too lazy to get it yourself.  You tell him on obvious penalty situations, I will handle it, on a crucial situation I'm coming straight to you, the captains come out at coin flip, if the ball ain't flat, we are using it, ball boy is the one with 3 footballs horsing with the cheerleaders.

[chymechowder]

I thought the QB had thrown a forward pass. I whistled it incomplete and the try was no good. Coach was unhappy about it, but like I told him at half, when we ask about trick plays, you might want to mention that one.

You're saying you replayed the try for the IW, right?  And then it was no good.

[110]

I always ask about unusual plays we need to be aware of. That's where we ferret out the details of "can I run this sleeper play", "can I make my guard eligible", and "we have a planned loose lateral play."

Crew needs to know about stuff like that.

[Kalle]

"a planned loose lateral play."

I'm intrigued, what's that? A backward pass that intentionally strikes ground?

[dvasques]

But if you ask this to the coach and he comes back to you with "why do you want to know my trick plays?" what do you say? So we can be alert to them? Why wouldn't we be alert to all plays equaly?

[110]

I'm intrigued, what's that? A backward pass that intentionally strikes ground?

Yep. I've seen a few of those. The idea is that the offence throws a clear and obvious lateral that bounces on the ground. The running back or slot, and all the other offensive players, are supposed to relax, like "hey, man, that's incomplete." The slot picks up the ball, casually, then hurls it downfield to some scampering wideout. Stuff like that. Coaches dream up the whackiest stuff.

[110]

But if you ask this to the coach and he comes back to you with "why do you want to know my trick plays?" what do you say? So we can be alert to them? Why wouldn't we be alert to all plays equaly?

"Well, coach, it provides you a chance to clarify if a non-standard play is legal, for one. Also, we have to adjust our zones of coverage for specific situations, so it helps to know if you're planning any abnormal situations so we can discuss our coverage responsibilities."

[bama_stripes]

Playoff game last night, 5-man crew. Both coaches told us they would on-sides kick all night.  Knowing that in advance allowed us to modify our KO mechanics for optimal coverage.

[28_FB_Official]

My standard question regarding trick plays is -- Coach, do you plan to do anything really unusual out of your offensive formations.  I think it gives the coach an out whether he wants us to know or not.  99.99% of the time, we get the answers we're looking for.