Rules Lesson

[IzzyFlexion]

When I first started officiating football the first thing I learned was how little I knew the rules. When I watched games I realized why I didn't know the rules. Most of my knowledge came from announcers. Who knew they didn't know the rules. It also helped me realize I don't know basketball or baseball rules. I'll see calls that I think are wrong, but realize even a bad basketball official knows the rules better than me.

This is a good blog that points out some of those misunderstandings in basketball. I never knew there wasn't a foul for "over-the-back". Thanks again announcers.

http://www.bordaslaw.com/blog/2014/0...re-wrong.shtml

told ya Hando....................................dick!

[IzzyFlexion]

One thing I forgot to add. I really appreciate it when a ref/umpire comes up to me and says...sorry coach I missed that one. That happened yesterday. It completely diffuses the situation and I can let it go. I really respect an official that can do that.

You clearly misinterpreted.
He was simply responding to your pre-game question......"Hey ref. Can I borrow your Championship edition of Bison Illustrated?"

[IndyBison]

One thing I forgot to add. I really appreciate it when a ref/umpire comes up to me and says...sorry coach I missed that one. That happened yesterday. It completely diffuses the situation and I can let it go. I really respect an official that can do that.

That's a great tool the official can use because there is nothing the coach can do at that point. A similar one is "if it happened the way you said then you are correct and I was wrong. That's not the way I saw it however." It helps to diffuse the situation, tells the coach you are listening to him, and allows everyone to move on.

[Gully]

That's a great tool the official can use because there is nothing the coach can do at that point. A similar one is "if it happened the way you said then you are correct and I was wrong. That's not the way I saw it however." It helps to diffuse the situation, tells the coach you are listening to him, and allows everyone to move on.

Can weathermen use this one? You know I love you Indy and I love mixing FB and Bisonville conversations!

[BisonTeacher]

That's a great tool the official can use because there is nothing the coach can do at that point. A similar one is "if it happened the way you said then you are correct and I was wrong. That's not the way I saw it however." It helps to diffuse the situation, tells the coach you are listening to him, and allows everyone to move on.

In yesterdays situation...the opposing player had dribbled over and back...the ref didnt see it becuase he was talking to someone on the sideline...ie not watching the game. He came over and apologized and said he totally missed it because he was talking. most refs wont admit when they are wrong. Those that do get my respect.

[IndyBison]

Can weathermen use this one? You know I love you Indy and I love mixing FB and Bisonville conversations!

She can

[missingnumber7]

This would be good for a beginner class. I would agree that some fans have a misinturpretation of the rules. However, I highly doubt coaches above the junior high level don't know the rules. Officiating is judgemental calls.
Did the offensive player gain an advantage by moving into the defensive player or did the defensive player gain an advantage by moving into the offensive player?
Yes the defender is allowed to move, but the player can not move into the defender (slide under as offensive player is in the air) or "ride" the offensive player.
What do you consider possession of the basketball in regards to traveling? At least one hand on the ball at a rest? How about a player "bobbling" the ball but yet controling where it goes? How long does the ball have to rest on a hand or finger for it to be possessed?

HS coaches are horrible with rules. They have a select few down, usually those that are the point of emphasis for the year. But I have had 2 complain that a travel I called wasn't a travel, but was a Euro Step. Go google Euro Step and particularly see the Wikipedia definition.

As for the comment earlier that rules meetings are just social gatherings. I don't disagree, although ND has gone away from rules meetings to online clinics. But it is up to the individual official as to how much they dig into the rules book. The more you do the better official you have the pontential to be. I myself use my wednesday nights to review rules that I have had issues with the previous week and then to read through the case book.

[IndyBison]

The philosophy is a big part of why officials get a bad rap as it may lead to a foul being called on one team but not the other. I agree with the advantage/disadvantage philosophy, but it will always be the part that is most criticized.

Thanks for posting this! I would love to see one from the other major sports as well (maybe I'll do some searching). The traveling part was very interesting and that is the first time I've seen the diving for the ball clearly explained.

I was on the board of a local youth baseball game and I was "on duty" one night. There was a travel team game taking place that night as well and I was asked to help settle a dispute. I had no jurisdiction over the game but I was curious. The issue was a batted ball had hit the runner between 2nd and 3rd. The umpire originally ruled the runner out as everyone expected. Based on what I knew it sounded right. This would have ended the game for the "home" team. The umpire then changed his call and the coaches and parents went nuts (I think it was 11-year old kids). There were parents and fans yelling at me to do something but from what I had heard the umpire was right and I had no jurisdiction anyway.

I talked to several umpires that night and the following days and asked them about it and the first question every one of them asked me was "where were the infielders when the ball hit him?" I never knew that mattered. In this case the 3rd baseman was playing in and the ball had gone by him before hitting the runner. In that case, the runner is not automatically out if the ball hits him. There is still some judgement based on what the shortstop could do, but the purpose of this is to show we don't know the rules. There were two older siblings there who vehemently said they played baseball and softball at the college level and they knew the rules. I knew very likely they didn't. One of them said their dad was a high school coach and they called him and he said that wasn't a rule. There was a potential judgement issue by the umpire, but he had to call what he did based on what he saw. None of these players, coaches, or fans knew anything about this rule.

BTW...the visiting team ended up scoring to send the game into extra innings where they won. The home team was so hung up on this play they forgot to keep competing. Hopefully they learned a lesson.

[IndyBison]

HS coaches are horrible with rules. They have a select few down, usually those that are the point of emphasis for the year. But I have had 2 complain that a travel I called wasn't a travel, but was a Euro Step. Go google Euro Step and particularly see the Wikipedia definition.

As for the comment earlier that rules meetings are just social gatherings. I don't disagree, although ND has gone away from rules meetings to online clinics. But it is up to the individual official as to how much they dig into the rules book. The more you do the better official you have the pontential to be. I myself use my wednesday nights to review rules that I have had issues with the previous week and then to read through the case book.

Early in my career I worked a game at an inner city school. These coaches and kids have challenges most of us will never understand. The home team coach was riding me the entire game about little things. He wanted every little flinch by the other team to be a false start and every play had an obvious hold we were missing. I was new enough I wasn't very good at managing coaches. My referee knew I was having a tough time with this coach.

Late in the 3rd quarter his team was getting kicked. He complained to me one of their players had a mouth piece that wasn't attached to his face mask and that was a foul. There are a lot of silly uniform/equipment rules and they weren't something I focused on. I didn't think that was a rule but I wasn't 100% certain. At the next time out I asked my referee about it. He knew where it came from, looked at me, shook his head and walked away. I still don't know if the coach actually thought it was a foul or if he was just trying to work me. I met him again several years later and asked him about it. He didn't remember it but thought it sounded like something he would do.

[DORMIE]

The sport where announcers could use some work is golf. If they would just read the definitions they would learn a lot. It's not his playing partner, it's his fellow competitor. Partner would be in a 4 ball or 4 some. Flagstick, not the pin. When a ball goes over the green is is through the green, but technically it is over the green. The definition of through the green is the whole area of the course, except the teeing ground and the green of the hole being played and all hazards on the course.