ajcsportstalk

By Howard

September 20, 2006 06:30 AM | Link to this

Football officiating at all levels has declined…check out the way Oklahoma lost its game to Oregon last week. And why do you think instant replay and “coach’s challenges” have been instituted at the professional and collegiate levels? One of the biggest problems is a large majority of referees are not physically capable of keeping up with the current skill levels of high school, collegiate, and professional athletes. In today’s gridiron world, if you are an official on the field and you drop your guard just for a minute…blink too much…or not be aware of exactly where you are on the field of play…and voila! Someone has blown by you or a play has developed and already gone, and suddenly you are confronted by angry coaches, players, and ultimately the fans as to why that referee blew that call. And have you ever read over the referees’ rule books for high school?? It’s complicated as hell…almost like memorizing a lawbook in law school. God knows how more advanced the collegiate and professional ones are… As for me…I wouldn’t be a football referee for all the tea in China!

By Tracy

September 20, 2006 09:35 AM | Link to this

The pay is much, much too low for the level of commitment and expenses to officiate at the high school level. Now, there are games six days a week at the height of the season, counting non-varsity that associations must cover and there is absolutely no way. There must be a complete overhaul with a reality check.

By Brian

September 20, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this

I do not feel that the officiating of high school football games has declined. In fact, I feel that it has improved. I am a football official and can bear witness to the fact that the knowledge, understanding and application of the rules have increased among officials. Most officials spend countless hours reading and studying the rules and mechanics. More hours are spent discussing the same in meetings or phone conversations.

As with any advocation, humans are not perfect. Unfortunately, some mistakes are made on the playing field. It is very true that officials take a lot of verbal abuse from coaches and fans. More times than not, the abuse would not occur if the coaches and fans new the rules. Most varsity coaches are informed about the rules, but that is not true at the junior varsity, middle school and definitely the youth (recreation) level. Varsity and junior varsity coaches are required to attend a rules clinic every year; however, their interest level appears to coincide with the mandatory attendance requirement. Most middle school coaches understand the basic rules but they are not always clear with some detailed rules. Recreation coaches, well that would be another discussion for another day. Too many recreation coaches think that they know the rules because they watch NCAA and NFL football. This is where most of the verbal abuse happens toward officials. I have several children playing football this year; two of which are playing recreation football. Before the season began, I had offered to conduct a rules session (for no fee) with the coaches in order to explain and reinforce some rules. The county did not accept my offer.

You may ask, “Why talk about recreation or middle school football when the question is about high school football?”. That’s very easy. The quality of officiating high school varsity games begins at the lower levels. Through repetition and experiencing the normal and “not so normal” plays and penalties, the official can only reinforce his/her confidence and decision making.

Another area where there is a need for increased education about high school football rules is with sports writers. Over the years I have read inaccurate articles written by sports writers who think they know the rules but clearly do not. Most recently, Darryl Maxie (AJC) and Craig Peters (Athens Banner Herald) wrote articles about a call made in a Clarke Central game this year. It involved a penalty on the offense during the last timed down of the game. Both articles stated that the officials should have known that a game cannot end on a defensive penalty. Both were completely incorrect. A period cannot end on an accepted penalty by either team; other than a non-player foul, unsportsmanlike or a penalty that carries a loss of down provision. Those articles provided the feeding frenzy to the general public. Unfortunately, neither writer wrote a follow-up article that corrected their initial article. So the public perception toward high school officiating; based on irresponsible journalism, may not favorable. However, as I stated earlieer, the quality of officiating high school football games has increased in recent years.

By Bob Fullerton

September 20, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this

It has gotten worse. Coach Chadwick is one, if not the very best, high school coach in Georgia.

By Old Dead Bear Bryant

September 20, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this

If ya dadblam team is good enough ya don’t nevah have ta come down ta anythang the refuhrees do. Back in mah day a Alerbammer… I had the very best non-negro playuhs… cause we paid mowah than anybody else… but we ALWAYS had summuh that there money left ovah ta pay them pesky refuhrees.

By Former High School Coach

September 20, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this

This is such a tough issue to discuss, because there ARE some great referees in Georgia high school athletics, particularly football.

I have noticed, however, a precipitous drop in the caliber of the average high school official.

Brian brings up a good point about fans’ ignorance about the rules and their eagerness to blame refs for their teams’ troubles, but what I find most discouraging is the recent trend of refs interjecting themselves into the game. An oft-cited quote is, “A good referee is never noticed,” and I firmly believe that. A good referee controls the game, calls the obvious, enforces the rules, and doesn’t have rabbit ears. I have seen an overload of young referees simply blowing calls on Friday nights: biting on play fakes and whistling the play dead, failing to notice a tipped ball and calling pass interference, and spotting the ball roughly 2 yards beyond the player’s forward progress… just inexcusable errors.

I was not at the Marist-Tucker game, but if the conduct was as it has been reported, then Coach Chadwick was guilty of much less than the average coach on a given Friday night… there was no cursing, no threats, and no attempt at intimidation (something I see and hear about all too frequently).

Too many young refs have not learned to keep their cool, establish a rapport with the coaches, listen to their concerns, and simply officiate the game. They, instead, get drunk on the power of the whistle and want to make that “crucial call” and get it right, but their eagerness many times causes them to interject themselves unnecessarily.

By Judy

September 20, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this

Officiating has been declining for years. Also, the officials are way too sensitive about any criticism. Both referees and umpires in baseball want to be a bigger part of the game than they are. Most of them go out of their way to create a controversy! They think that the fans come to see them!

By Paula

September 20, 2006 11:31 AM | Link to this

If Coach Chadwick is such a good coach, why doesn’t he have better sportsmanship when it comes to losing a game. What does this teach his players when he goes around slapping a ref because he doesn’t like the outcome.

By BUM

September 20, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this

Put your money where your whining mouth is.

If the GAME is that IMPORTANT (and the officiating the THAT important), then pay referees what they are worth. No one wants a low paying no thanks job. Higher pay will attract better officials. Competition for higher pay will encourage better job performance.

You get what you pay for. GHSA pays rock bottom. And they get rock bottom.

In the meantime, the coaches need to GROW UP and start acting like ADULTS.

Throwing a temper tantrum like a spoiled child is an embarassment to the coaching profession in general and to Marist in particular.

By HS Official

September 20, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

Mr. Fullerton,

I understand your feeling about officiating. I do not agree with it, but I understand it. I also understand your feelings about Mr. Chadwick. I have no opinion on that.

But to use your feelings about Mr. Chadwick as evidence to support your feelings about the level of officiating doesn’t make sense.

Mr. Chadwick may very well be an exceptional coach. The officials very well may have made an error. I did not call -or see- the game.

Neither of those are at issue as to why Mr. Chadwick got suspended. He was suspended because of his actions after the game in contacting an official.

I am sorry that you have such a low opinion of the state of high school officiating Mr. Fullerton. Why not do something to try to improve it? Join an association of your choice and get out on the field. I’m sure we could all learn something from your experience and knowledge.

Officials devote a great deal of time, not only to actually calling a game, but also in preparation and training. Most associations meet at least weekly, starting at the end of July to study the rules, and rule changes for each new season.

Several hours each week are also devoted to self study and preparation. Clinics are attended, and scrimmages worked to prepare for the regular season.

During the season, the meetings continue, add to that a schedule of sub-Varsity games during the week, as well as continued rules study. It is a serious commitment to become a good official.

For a 7:30 Friday night Varsity game, the GHSA mandates that the officials be dressed and begin the pre-game conference 90 minutes prior to kickoff- 6:00pm. Which means that officials must arrive at the stadium by 5:45pm. Ever try to get from North Fulton to Rockdale County on a Friday afternoon?

In most cases we spend either vacation or personal time, or lose hourly time to leave work early to get to the games on time. The price of gas can eat up half a game check. Most schools do not provide a pre-game meal( some do, but not all) so there is the added meal expense.

Add the lost work time, the expense, the hassle of dealing with Atlanta traffic and sometimes less than ideal accomodations (changing clothes in the car because no facilities have been provided) to the attitude of fans like you, Mr. Fullerton, and it’s not hard to imagine why it’s so hard to keep good officials. It takes experience to become a good officials, and many good officials don’t want to deal with all that I have just mentioned.

But go ahead and look down on the officials, Mr. Fullerton. As they say, ignorance is bliss.

By Jeff

September 20, 2006 11:50 AM | Link to this

What would have happened if the coach had patted the ref on the back and said, “You guys did one heck of a job tonight.” The answer is that everything would have been great, but the fact is that the coach criticized two calls that the refs made and throughout sports they seem to be above criticism.

By ok

September 20, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this

I’m not a fan of either team, but I watched the game on Comcast. The play (I think) they are referring to is the one in which the player was pushed forward by his teammate to get the touchdown. That team did it twice. The first time it was unsuccessful and it wasn’t called. The second time, the player leaped into the air and was pushed over the top of the line by his teammate and scored. In any other venue, the TD call would have been reversed.

Perhaps the GHSA should review the game film and hand down a little sanction to the referee team for missing two blantant, back-to-back penalties. Not only does poor officiating determine the outcome of a game, it also results in unnecessary injuries.

Poor pay and odd hours does not excuse someone from doing their job. These people know the pay and the demands when they sign on for the position (this includes teaching). What I am surprised about is that the State of Georgia has a committee to protect referees and won’t even protect its own teachers. I have known of several instances where teaches have been attacked by parents and students (with fists and other weapons) and it the responsibility of the teachers to seek protection. No state agency will come to their protection, but it will protect referees from coaches??? Wow….and one wonders why nobody wants to work for the state!

This coach will be “targeted” all season because the referees didn’t like what he said to them. Perhaps the referees should be allowed to “rest” this Friday night, also, since they were so traumatized! I say the GHSA release the names of the referee team so they can be gawked at all season. Hey, even better, let’s have the news recap the missed calls so they can be embarrassed in front of their colleagues! Then, the AJC should put a still shot of the plays, along with their photos on the front page of the paper! I, for one, would like to send them a tissue!

By ac

September 20, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this

2 of the 3 games we have played had some bad mistakes.

WR only score was on a botched punt when the ball was centered over the punters head, the punter recovers the ball scrambles to the sidelines only to throw a pass at the last second. Complete to the wideout 45 yards downfield. The only problem was the entire offensive line was downfield.The center crossed the goal line about 20 yards behind the wideout. You guessed it, no flag. In North Clayton last week, N. Clayton consistantly got 30 to 45 seconds to get the plays off. That I could tell, there was no offical keeping the play clock. We have on tape were 50 seconds ran off the play clock in the last 2 mins. of the game between plays for N. Clayton. One of there scores was a reverse and a block in the back in front of the white hat in the backfield. We have it on tape also. The officating was so bad, we did not put the video on our website. Sometimes 11 has to beat 15

By JAMES MARTIN

September 20, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

GHSA officials are bad and there is not a due process for coaches. It is simply “big brother” making all the decisions. This is not college football or the NFL and fining low paid high school teachers/coaches,with the understanding that the quality of officials are not at its’ “apex” is terrible.Football games are easy to officiate, watch the terrible basketball officials and you will throw-up. But , what do you expect, when the “CZAR” hinself is in charge.Visit their rules clinics, it is a joke. One thought, instead of letting these guys take the rules exams together, make them accountable to pass the test on their own merit, and then move on to the “field” portion of officiating(football and basketball).Just maybe, we will rid the game of those who are not there for the love of the game and kids.GHSA make the games better, you expect better from the coaches, they certainly expect more from your organization. Coaches put your time in , coach golf, such an honor sport.

By ok

September 20, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this

I’m not a fan of either team, but I watched the game on Comcast. The play (I think) they are referring to is the one in which the player was pushed forward by his teammate to get the touchdown. That team did it twice. The first time it was unsuccessful and it wasn’t called. The second time, the player leaped into the air and was pushed over the top of the line by his teammate and scored. In any other venue, the TD call would have been reversed.

Perhaps the GHSA should review the game film and hand down a little sanction to the referee team for missing two blantant, back-to-back penalties. Not only does poor officiating determine the outcome of a game, it also results in unnecessary injuries.

Poor pay and odd hours does not excuse someone from doing their job. These people know the pay and the demands when they sign on for the position (this includes teaching). What I am surprised about is that the State of Georgia has a committee to protect referees and won’t even protect its own teachers. I have known of several instances where teaches have been attacked by parents and students (with fists and other weapons) and it the responsibility of the teachers to seek protection. No state agency will come to their protection, but it will protect referees from coaches??? Wow….and one wonders why nobody wants to work for the state!

This coach will be “targeted” all season because the referees didn’t like what he said to them. Perhaps the referees should be allowed to “rest” this Friday night, also, since they were so traumatized! I say the GHSA release the names of the referee team so they can be gawked at all season. Hey, even better, let’s have the news recap the missed calls so they can be embarrassed in front of their colleagues! Then, the AJC should put a still shot of the plays, along with their photos on the front page of the paper! I, for one, would like to send them a tissue!

By Anthony

September 20, 2006 01:07 PM | Link to this

Here are two examples of severe officiating mistakes I’ve seen this year:

1) In overtime, a third down pass falls incomplete in the end zone. In the end zone withing two yards of the intended receiver, an offensive player immediated catches a cramp. He is number 58. As the official stands over him, he makes not illegal receiver down field call. The offensive team gets a 4th down without penalty.

2) On a crucial 4th down attempt, the ball is spotted down between the 21 and the 20 inside the hashmarks. This appears to be a first down, but close enough to measure. The spotting official picks the ball up and walks it toward the sideline, outside of the hashmarks, re-spots it near the chains instead of bringing the chains to the spot where the ball was marked down. In the process of the official’s moving the ball,the offense lost 1 and 1/2 yards.

Both of the incidents were contested by the coaches on the spot and are validated on film.

Unacceptable.

By dex

September 20, 2006 01:25 PM | Link to this

Without doubt the officiating at all levels has gotten worse. Even when instant replay is used these guys can’t make the correct ruling.

By GHS Ram Dad

September 20, 2006 01:28 PM | Link to this

I think two important concepts are being missed. First, officials are human just like the rest of us. I will never forget coaching a Little League baseball game a few years back and having the umpire come to me after the game (we lost) and say “Coach I made a bad call on that play at third base in the second inning and I apologize.” That’s class. Secondly, if we as coaches and parents continue bashing the officials and challenging every other call we are simply teaching our kids to continue to foster the “it’s all about me” litigious attitude that our society so openly embraces today. Life is not fair. The sooner you get used to it, the better off we will all be.

By mitch

September 20, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

appropriate…whine about officials…can your kids read? does anyone realize that not every kid is an all-star? do we have real problems to handle? jesus…get something to fuss about.

By Nikki

September 20, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this

To Judy who wrote “the officials want to be a bigger part of the game”—the game wouldn’t take place without the officials.”the officials are too sensitive about criticism”—maybe the coaches/fans/PARENTS are too sensitive about the calls and or mistakes their teams/SONS make “the officials go out of their way to create controversy”—What a load of bung….The only controversy I see at HS games is the outlandish behavior of the coaches and parents. It seems that the officials certainly don’t do what they do because they are getting rich from it…..why not support them…..support their community involvement and their dedication to HS sports?

By Personal Foul

September 20, 2006 01:52 PM | Link to this

Officials are human and make mistakes. Coaches are human too but are turning into self-serving punks just like their players and parents! Just look at the college and pro criminal list.

Loser parents are afraid to make little Johnny mad by teaching disipline and morals. This leads to “Johnny” thinking he can do no wrong and deserves everything he wants.

Punks beget punks!!!!!

By dex

September 20, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this

Ram Dad….UNBELIEVABLE..you must work for a company that is extremely tolerant of poor performance. It is a job that can and should be done correctly. Yes we all make mistakes, however, stupid mistakes should not be tolerated. Mistakes have consequences and every effort should be made to minimize mistakes not excuse someone just because life is not fair. What a typical PC correct attitude.

By george

September 20, 2006 01:59 PM | Link to this

Officiating is MUCH worse. In the Northside WR-N Clayton game last week, N Clayton had at least 7 plays where they exceeded the 25 second clock by more than 8 seconds, WITHOUT BEING CALLED FOR DELAY OF GAME. It doesn’t take a genius or a lot of training to operated a stop watch. NO JUDGEMENT IS REQUIRED…just a little common sense.

By the way, the officiating in Athens for UGA-UAB last week was terrible for both sides.

By RJ

September 20, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

I became a sports official in 1986 as a result of what I perceived was inadequate officiating. I was told to either “put up or shut up.” It is not as easy as one might think, however the rewards of a job well done are tremendous. I am starting my 21st season and it keeps getting better. So, to all of you gripers, if you think you can do it better, get involved! PUT UP OR SHUT UP!

By Joe

September 20, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this

Uppity private school loses to public school, do the math = SORE LOSER.

By Brian

September 20, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this

Nikki,

Amen! Coach’s and parent’s behavior is much worse at the middle school and recreation levels. Unfortunately, the kids are more impressionable at that age.

I can attest that the majority of high school football officials officiate due to their love of the game; not for money. Yes, the game fees help to defray some costs, but we are not ahead if you figure travel time, study time, etc (as HS Official pointed out).

One thing that really bothers me about this blog are the generalizations that the quality of football officiating has declined. When have you heard on the news or read in the paper about a “well officiated game”. The sports media will never do that since a positive angle would not be “interesting” to their viewership or readers. I can tell you that the vast majority of games on Friday nights are well officiated. What constitutes a well officiated game? First and foremost, our responsibility lies with the safety of the players. Second, we are to be sure that the contest is played in a fair and equitable manner. Good coaching and good execution by the players helps in a well officiated game.

I am not claiming that official’s do not make mistakes. We all make mistakes at all levels of competition. However, it is irresponsible to claim that all officiating is bad just because of a few documented instances where the call was not made or incorrectly made.

I would like to challenge everyone to seek out and join the official’s association in your area. Go to GHSA.net for information. Try to officiate football for a minimum of two years. In most associations, first or second year officials are not assigned on the field for varsity games. The experience comes at the youth and subvarsity levels. One thing I can guarantee is that you will have a different appreciation for the game of football after wearing the stripes.

By Retired HS Official

September 20, 2006 03:11 PM | Link to this

I found this article to be very interesting. As a retired official with 25 years of experience and having worked playoff games for Mr. Chadwick I found him to be a very intense coach. A perfectionist. As far as GHSA officiating today well the fault lies on both sides, coaches and officials. The change in HS football goes in the same direction of college. HS coaches are now hired and fired on their record, not what the do for the kids or the community. The HS Officiating profession has also become about the money. You put those two factors together and you will have problems. Coaches must win to keep their job and Officials have the attitude that, “I don’t have to take that crap for what they are paying me.” When I started and ended my officiating career it was because I loved the sport and always had the excitement each time I stepped onto the field. When I left officiating it was because the younger officials were only concerned about how much they could make. JV games did not pay enough so why do them. If Mr. Chadwick had touched this referee and told him great game there would be no article or complaint to the GHSA. Finally, the control that the GHSA has over officiating today has lead to smaller numbers and less competant officials. You reap what you sew

By REF-No-Mo

September 20, 2006 03:20 PM | Link to this

In basketball in the GHSA if you pay to go to a camp, you can be put into the watered down state tournament. If you have 25 years experience but don’t go to a camp, you can’t work post season. The inmates run the show at the GHSA and the officials and the game are ultimate losers. Oh, by the way, the camp I referred to cost the OFFICIAL $150 and time away from work. They need to get their own house in order in Thomaston.

By Alan

September 20, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this

Who cares about the officating at high school football games? Its high school football for crying out loud. Loser adults who get their panties in a was about kid stuff need to develop some grown-up interests. If you spend Friday nights at the high schhol stadium you are a loser.

By mike

September 20, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this

this coach slapped the ref so hard as he ran by, that a hand print was visible an hour after the game

By ok

September 20, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

Oh, come on. If that coach left a hand print on that referee, I’m sure that referee would have whined his way to some police station somewhere and filed charges. If he did, indeed, hit that referee that hard, why didn’t said “victim” take photos to turn into the GHSA along with his complaint? Even the GHSA “investigative team” didn’t think the pat was malicious.

Another thing, why wasn’t the assistant coach who, according to the same article, followed the refs into their dressing room placed on the front page of the AJC with his photo and name? Why wasn’t that reported? Makes you wonder….

By Charles

September 20, 2006 04:56 PM | Link to this

Whine Whine Whine. The game is played on the field and should be called on the field. Do quarterbacks ever throw errant passes? Do receivers ever drop passes? Do runners ever fumble the ball? Do tacklers ever let a runner slip from their grasps. On and on and on and and on and on……….. The officiating crews are subject to making human mistakes and so is everyone else. A far superior system would review every play and every motive. Let’s start college games on Friday and hopefully the will be concluded by 7:00 PM on Sundays so 60 minutes will begin on time. And while we are at it, return to a 10 game season if we are going to continue to have conference championships and bowl games.
And back to the issue at hand: If an official in a replay booth can’t get it right (or is the question “Can’t call it the way I want the outcome to be”), then perhaps we should line the first few rows of the stadium with officials who hold up cards agreeing or disagreeing with every call.
Get over it and go get a life. Charles

By embarassed

September 20, 2006 06:02 PM | Link to this

I’m a little perplexed. Over the years, we have all seen and heard of games that seem to be determined by a call at the end. See Terrence Moore’s column for instance. What I mostly remember from coaches whom I admired was a steadfast refusal to blame the loss on the “call”. Instead, class coaches look to the entire game. “Yeah, they could’ve called that one, but it was our fault for not having our young men prepared.” By analogy, is the umpire who “rings up” a batter on a questionable pitch to end a 10 to 9 game with a man on second and third responsible for the loss? Or is it the errors and poor coaching decisions that led to the 10 runs?

I did not see the game, but listened to some of it. Didn’t Marist give up 21 points before you could say “you missed that call sir”? Might not a coach blame himself and his staff for being woefully unprepared in the first half on both sides of the ball? Admittedly, Marist made a heroic comeback effort. These young men showed the kind of character that defines Marist. However, couldn’t Marist have iced the win with a few more first downs instead of punting from deep inside of their own territory? Did the refs do the play calling there? Did the Refs give the ball to Tucker inside the one on that punt? Seems to me that Marist, as a team, did plenty to lose that game that had absolutely nothing to do with the Refs. The only saving grace here is that no one is blaming the poor young man who, while trying to make a play, touched his knee down. I agree with the posts that suggest that blaming the Refs sets a bad example for young athletes. Not a good moment for a program that has always been a benchmark for “class”.

By David P

September 21, 2006 11:32 AM | Link to this

To all that said that officials are horrible, suck…. Put up or shut up. Not a single one of you have the guts to complete the training and stick with it long enough to get on a varsity field.

For those that said the coach did nothing worng… I do not know about GA, but in FL we actually have a rule that says if the coach persues you after a game is over then he is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct. There is a DIFFERENCE between criticism and unsportsmanlike conduct.

I coach soccer as well as officiate and we had a young lady that got yellow carded and she had to come off the field. While coming off of the field she did a cartwheel. She would have been ejected had it not been for one of our coaches yelling at her and then benching her. Her parents were in the stands laughing but they thought she was being cute. That is the very same attitude you all have taken that support the coach’s behavior. You all have a lot to learn about sportsmanship.

Another situation…. I was the backjudge for a football game his year where the defense made a good play and then the defensive guy got up and started blowing kisses to the crowd. I told him to knock it off, this is not Sunday football. He continued and got flagged for it and gave the other team a first down and allowed the other team to win the game. I had to run to get out of that stadium without being attacked.

You all need to go read the rules regarding sportsmanship and learn the differences between high school, NCAA, and NFL!

For those that continue to bad mouth officials without being willing to try out the job, you are nothing more than cowards.

By ok

September 21, 2006 01:00 PM | Link to this

Nobody is to judge who is right or wrong in this situation, that’s what the GHSA is for (apparently). My whole point is that this happens too often for one coach to be headline news….the article stated that fact itself. My other point is that the GHSA has a committee to protect referees (who do this job as maybe 2-4 times a week), whereas this same state won’t even protect its own teachers who put in time that exceeds 100 hours weekly. So many times this newspaper prints articles that shed such a bad light on educators. I seldom see the articles about attacks on educators by students and their parents. This happens on a daily basis, right here in this great city of Atlanta. Where are the reporters then? You jump to report of any perceived wrongdoing by any educator, but the reverse is MUCH more common!

Where are the reports on the referees who refuse to eject coaches from games who threaten youth football players and charge onto the field after them yelling insults, instead saying that said coach was just upset? He knows this because “Coach __ has been coaching for (#) years.” This is on tape…..youth coach runs onto field during the game swinging his clipboard at, and yelling at a 11 year old player from another team. Referee does nothing and tells the victim’s mother the abovementioned statement. Mother files grievance with the recreation league and the referee’s association. Coach apologizes to mother. Mother never heard anything from the referee’s association. Guess what?? Coach is still coaching, even after documented aggression and attempts to instill trepidation in an 11 year old child. Why? Because he tackled the son of the coach and the son didn’t get to score his touchdown. Where was the AJC??? I guess it’s more newsworthy to report that a referee got a little uncomfortable with a coach.

I say what’s good for one is good for all. Print a list of all the coaches who have had grievances filed against them. Then do the same for the referees. If you do it to one…do it to all!

By ok

September 21, 2006 01:01 PM | Link to this

Nobody is to judge who is right or wrong in this situation, that’s what the GHSA is for (apparently). My whole point is that this happens too often for one coach to be headline news….the article stated that fact itself. My other point is that the GHSA has a committee to protect referees (who do this job as maybe 2-4 times a week), whereas this same state won’t even protect its own teachers who put in time that exceeds 100 hours weekly. So many times this newspaper prints articles that shed such a bad light on educators. I seldom see the articles about attacks on educators by students and their parents. This happens on a daily basis, right here in this great city of Atlanta. Where are the reporters then? You jump to report of any perceived wrongdoing by any educator, but the reverse is MUCH more common!

Where are the reports on the referees who refuse to eject coaches from games who threaten youth football players and charge onto the field after them yelling insults, instead saying that said coach was just upset? He knows this because “Coach __ has been coaching for (#) years.” This is on tape…..youth coach runs onto field during the game swinging his clipboard at, and yelling at a 11 year old player from another team. Referee does nothing and tells the victim’s mother the abovementioned statement. Mother files grievance with the recreation league and the referee’s association. Coach apologizes to mother. Mother never heard anything from the referee’s association. Guess what?? Coach is still coaching, even after documented aggression and attempts to instill trepidation in an 11 year old child. Why? Because he tackled the son of the coach and the son didn’t get to score his touchdown. Where was the AJC??? I guess it’s more newsworthy to report that a referee got a little uncomfortable with a coach.

I say what’s good for one is good for all. Print a list of all the coaches who have had grievances filed against them. Then do the same for the referees. If you do it to one…do it to all!

By old dawg 55

September 24, 2006 10:24 PM | Link to this

You don’t need to pursue officials to make your point…you have a grade sheet to make your opinion known to officiating supervisors! I have been on both sides of football controversies as coach and official..you don’t solve anything by showboating to the crowd when you dislike a call nor will you gain anything by castigating officials during a game. Grow up! Do your job..use the right avenues to complain and act like a professional..coaches are supposed to be one!!