dpemberton

Something is up with web links. The only video I could see was the 2009 215 finals match. None of the 2010 matches would play. Am I missing something?

GrizzlyBear, The coaches do not have a choice on the mercy rule. However, if both coaches agree, the time for the 3rd and 4th quarters can be reduced on top of the running clock. I've seen one game this year in which we had both a mercy rule running clock and 10 minute quarters for the second half.

Has there been any proposals for a West TN rep??

Penalty question..... Gibson Co. punts the ball. USJ's player that is receiving the punt drops it and picks it up. About the time he picks it up a GC player tries to hit the player and he rips the players helmet off while trying to tackle him, he didn't do this on purpose either. The ref throws a flag and calls it a face mask..... what's people's opinions on that penalty? No, I'm not complaining I'm just curious... What the Umpire saw was the GC players hand grabbing the backside opening of the helment by the neck. A facemask penalty is the grasping of ANY opening of the helment.

BDD, thanks for your comments. The only way officials can get better is to know where they make mistakes. Before you say anything, yes, I was on the field last night. I also know I should NOT be saying anything about this but I was curious as where you thought my zebra crew was deficient. Now, on the pass play in question, we will have to agree to disagree. I was covering that play. What I saw was the receiver stretch out back toward the center of the field. The ball came in low and the receiver got his hands under to ball to keep it from hitting the ground. That is what I saw and what I ruled. It was a bang-bang play and I very well could have got it wrong. My supervisor watching the game told me it was a good call. The camera angle he saw was from the USJ side. That's all I know. Knowing that from the stands, sometimes you see things better than the ones on the field, I will pass your comments on to the rest of my crew. The one thing that we don't want to happen is for a bad call to effect the outcome of the game.

I know from the stands that pass looked incomplete. But please find a game film and watch it. The ball bounced but not off the field, it hit the recievers hands and bounced into his chest when he clamped on it. A supervisor for the officals was at the game. He asked a film crew next to him to replay it to verify. After the game, he confirmed that the call was correct.

12 YO, On what basis are you saying the officating was bad. Milan scored first and dominated the entire game. Yes, USJ is try and make a couple of come backs but the Bulldogs rose to the challenge. What did you see on the field that was affected by the zebras or what could have been done better? Just curious...

Until now, there has been a great misconception on running the clock for a blow-out game. I know that game officials have done this in the past numerous times but there was not a rule that allowed them. The only option for shortening the second half by rule was to ask BOTH coaches to shorten the quarters to either 6 or 8 minutes. Now comes the MERCY Rule, which allows for the running clock. Just about everyone on here thinks that this rule is a travesty. In most games, this was happening but you just didn't know it or realize it. To me, I'm indifferent on this rule. I thought shortening the second half was just as effective but getting both coaches to agree is difficult. However, the first priority for game officials is safety of the players. If it's a blowout, get the players off the field as soon as possible. This won't prevent all injuries but may help some.

ROFLMAO!! Dude, no matter where you are from, THAT'S FUNNY!!!

On the topic of misconceptions, let's open a big'ole can of worms. My question is when is a down ended? By rule, a down is comleted when either forward progress of the runner has been stopped, a forward pass has made contact with the ground, or a loose ball is possesed, etc. But here is the sticking point, the whistle does not end the play. Now, when I played and this is still coached today, you play hard until the whistle blows. At the lunch table, I was argued: NO, the whistle stops the play because coaches teach to go until you hear the whistle. This is wrong!! The whistle indicates that the play is over but doesn't kill the play. If that were the case, A1 could trip and be laying on the ground. Before the whistle blows, B1 runs up, jumps and lands on A1. Since this is before the whistle blows, is this a foul. Absolutly!! It is a dead ball, personal foul on B1. Now before anyone says anything about an invertiant (sp) whistle, that is the only condition where it is not true BUT IWs should not happen.

You know, whether you agree with the rule or not, here is the problem. During our officials meetings, our assigning officers remind us that wristbands as the rule book states must be within three inches of the base of the thumb. Now, if we ignore the rule and let the players play with them on the elbows and a supervisor is at the game, we as officials get in trouble to allowing it to happen. So what I'm saying is that officials are in a no win situtation. I personally don't see anything wrong with it. But as one to uphold the rules, I have to force all players to comply with this rule.

TSSAA website shows Buda at McGavock right now...

I think this horse has been beaten to death. But I think that we all agree that the officals (definetly myself included!!) need to do a better job of enforcing the rules to keep the coaches in the coaches box and players in the players box. That being said, this new rule give the head linesman and linejudges more incentive to maintain the sidelines. Will everyone listen and obey the rules at first? Probably not! This change will take time to be effective. So, let's let time tell how good this rule is.

Its not a shot at you because I have heard other people say the same thing. However, no matter how small an injury is (bump or bruise) a coach will be come livid if his player is injured do to the chain gang not paying attention. I think that everyone is missing the point of the six feet. As you move further away from the sideline, the margin of safety increases. But that does not mean that risk has been totally eliminated. Six feet is the same distance that the players area has been defined. So it seems reasonable that to increase safety thru moving the chains back, the logical area is to the same position as the players. (you think that the chains could be used to keep the players back?) It should, but I doubt it. But as I stated eariler, if everyone adhears to the rules, this new rule will only affect four or five people. The problem is that no wants to follow the rules.

VG, I agree that the three coaches in the box is a seldom enforced rule. As long as the chain gain could move up and down the sideline, this was not an issue. This year is different with the introduction of this new rule. Head Linesmen will have to enforce this. Whether you like this or not, the National Federation has made this change. Will there be officals who don't do this? Of course, but that still does not void the rule. The HL will have to bone up and enforce the coach box area through sideline warnings and penalties if necessary. Before you question ones experience you need to understand where they are coming from. Last Friday night, I had a difficult time keeping the coaches box clear and trying to back the chain gang off the field. I expected this and will expect this resistance for the rest of the year. However, NCAA has been doing this for several years. I have been on the chain gang at college games in which we backed up after setting the clip. Coaches and players didn't like it but they knew that was the rule. However, when the play came to our side, I apprciated the extra time to get the metal pole down on the ground. Stating that if the chain gang is not paying attention, one good hit will correct this is TOTALLY wrong. One good hit of a players leg wrapped around the pole is too late for someone to learn to get them down!