My sixteenth season as a PIAA, high school football referee began last night. Most people never imagine the liability issues that exists involving officials--from dealing with weather but in particular involving player injuries. This season officials can send a player off the field who we think needs attention--that's the standard, our general observation as those who are not offering a medical opinion. Thankfully this is a pretty low standard and its signs are rather easily recognized. Now, if that same player re-enters the game, he does so by a doctor's and/or coach's decision that puts the liability directly on them if some further injury occurs. I'm grateful the Nation Federation made this change.
A new rule this season requires coaches to stay out of the 2 yard box area just on the sidelines. This means coaches are required--during a live ball play--to stay even further off the field than in the past. Good luck with administering this one! But the penalty is severe if an official runs into a coach in the box during a live ball play--15 yards from the succeeding spot for the first offense and 15 yards plus the ejection of head coach on a second offense. Ouch! I think I'll be very careful and be particularly pro-active as a wing official this season with coaches.
A new rule this season requires coaches to stay out of the 2 yard box area just on the sidelines. This means coaches are required--during a live ball play--to stay even further off the field than in the past. Good luck with administering this one! But the penalty is severe if an official runs into a coach in the box during a live ball play--15 yards from the succeeding spot for the first offense and 15 yards plus the ejection of head coach on a second offense. Ouch! I think I'll be very careful and be particularly pro-active as a wing official this season with coaches.
We spent a lot to time on these and other issues of concern last night at our officials meeting.
Well, given all the ramifications and rules, I must say I still really enjoy officiating football. It's a great game. There's a lot involved that makes it a great learning tool for life--more than wins and losses. (That is why we play games, right? Football is an extra-curricular activity that is ideally an additional learning tool, right? It'd be nice if players, coaches and fans still saw the game that way.) Anyway, there's a great satisfaction in keeping a game moving, the players hustling, the coaches coaching, making sure the game is played fairly so that, in the end--as an official--no one seemed to know you were there. Now that's the sign of an officiating job well done.
Well, given all the ramifications and rules, I must say I still really enjoy officiating football. It's a great game. There's a lot involved that makes it a great learning tool for life--more than wins and losses. (That is why we play games, right? Football is an extra-curricular activity that is ideally an additional learning tool, right? It'd be nice if players, coaches and fans still saw the game that way.) Anyway, there's a great satisfaction in keeping a game moving, the players hustling, the coaches coaching, making sure the game is played fairly so that, in the end--as an official--no one seemed to know you were there. Now that's the sign of an officiating job well done.
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