miner_35

Hate to hear this. Had some battles with Coach Spencer. Was a great coach and leader. Thoughts and prayers for his friends and family.

26 minutes ago, Maynard111 said:

We had a player from the visiting team ordered by the crew to cover his knees completely.

As the player was coming to the sidelines he's all WTF'ing and "I've been wearing them this way all f'ing season (to his coaches) 
The officials did make sure that he knew he wasn't playing unless his pads covered his knees and that the coaches were reminded that this was covered in pre-game.

I was under the impression the knees being covered was always a requirement.

Are the players complaints a result of other crews not enforcing the requirements?

Long story short, yes. The only time a kid has ever gotten “away” with it for us is if he shows us he has tried and he keeps trying to keep them down. Manufacturers are the ones that keep making them shorter.

Also, with that being said. I hate being the fashion police. Pants, jerseys,  one strip of eye black. It just pisses players and coaches off before we start due to not everyone enforcing it.  

1 hour ago, Titan32 said:

I am a little surprised more guys on this thread haven't seen this one.

I know that with my crew, the ready for play starts as soon as the box is set. The only time we are over the ball for an extended time is when it is needed (After timeouts, change of possession, etc.). We try not to interrupt the flow of the game, if at all possible. This is actually part of our pregame talks with the coaches. If they say they like to go fast, we try our best to not slow down either side. 

39 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

Honestly I could give two shits about visors and covered knees. None of us want to be the uniform police. More to the point the same person who harps on this crap hand picks these crews. So the question begs to be asked what’s really important? I get it’s the championship game, and it’s about the play on the field……at what point are we to ignore these rules, sectional, regional, SS, or is it only at the finals?

This is my biggest complaint besides coaches vote being a thing. We get told to be those guys, yet they are issues every year in the State Finals. No crew is perfect, but if they are letting it happen in the state finals, you can bet they have let it happen all year.

33 minutes ago, oldtimeqb said:

Agreed - it has to be a tough and often thankless job.

I have noticed over the last few years, there have been many youth/MS games where we have wondered if a referee crew would show up, but there never has been a shortage of dads wearing team polos on the sidelines. 

A lot of that has to do with the fact that they can show their butts with no repercussions. They think that because they are coaches, they not only know more about football than me, but they know the rules better as well. We all make mistakes and most of us learn from it.

I look at it this way anymore. I will be at a football game every Friday night regardless, so why not get some extra money instead of paying to get in? The money is not much, but without us there doing our job, these teenagers can't do the same thing that 95% of us did in high school, enjoying the game we love.

My HL, who is no longer on my crew, was getting chewed on by a coach and finally replied, "Coach, I really think you should worry about your coaching and let me worry about the officiating because we are definitely not the reason you guys are down 35-0." I told him he shouldn't have said that, then proceeded to laugh to myself because I definitely have thought it a time or two. 😄

23 minutes ago, Major said:

Not sure that was a good spot on the punt that was downed on 1 yard line. Sitting in south end zone front row it looked as if the last Lutheran player was standing right on the end zone line. 

So it should have been closer to the endzone? As long as the ball itself didn't cross the goalline, in NFHS, that is still not a touchback.

How about in the 4A game. Multiple "personal fouls" for "unsportsmanlike conduct" and "unsportsmanlike conduct, unnecessary roughness." No dead ball signal when needed. And people wonder why younger officials quit. 

10 minutes ago, dazed and confused said:

Bobref explained it, no not in hs, dont know why ???

If we were able to review every targeting call like the NCAA, we might make it that way.

To throw a player out where we call "targeting"  in high school with an ejection being automatic, would have a lot of players missing time the next week. If it's egregious,  I completely agree, eject the player. But targeting can be called without it being egregious and that would piss a lot of people off.

4 hours ago, BigCatFootball said:

2 scenarios here…

1. If md wins state and the sectional next year they will be moved up the following year. 
2. If md loses state they would have to win the regional to be moved up to 3a the following year

Unless this has changed, it's either:

1. Win State, and at least a regional.

or

2. Back to back state appearances 

1 pt for Sectional

2 pts for Regional

3 pts for Semi-State

4 pts for State

3 hours ago, Bobref said:

No disrespect to this gentleman, or to chain crew members everywhere. But when I was working, when we met with the chain crew pregame and heard, “yeah, we’ve been doing this a long time,” I cringed. Often, those guys were the hardest to work with, since they had their own way of doing things.

The same can be said for the clock operators... 

When I was on the wing my 1st year, I was doing a game that got ugly quick and started to pour down rain. With about 2 minutes left in the game that was 70-3, I look out in the middle of the field and after the play was over the crew was chuckling. They came over the handheld and said "Turn around." The chain gang decided to leave. I was speechless. When we talk to the chain gang before the games, now that I am the R, I make it a point to tell them that you can not leave until we do. 

3 hours ago, MDAlum82 said:

I am certain every school & team has a story like this but it is still good to read about this kind of dedication from fans & alumni. 

Apologies if posting this story from a local station violates some GID policy, as that is certainly not my intent.

 

https://www.14news.com/2022/11/11/mater-dei-graduate-celebrates-44-seasons-wildcats-chain-crew/

By Tamar Sher

Published: Nov. 10, 2022 at 11:08 PM CST|Updated: 8 hours ago

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Joe Koressel was born a Mater Dei Wildcat.

“Ever since I can remember, my mom and dad went to Mater Dei football games, we would go to Vincennes, Terre Haute, and come back the same night,” Koressel said.

Koressel graduated from Mater Dei in 1979, the same year he started working for the Wildcats’ chain crew.

“I was at a football game the fall that I graduated,” Koressel said. “They needed a guy on the ‘chain gang,’ so I was leaning up against the fence at the Reitz Bowl and the guy said, ‘Hey, you want to do this?’ And I said yes. Been on it ever since.”

Over the years, Koressel said he has seen a lot of talent from the sidelines, including the season that Mater Dei won the state title with head coach Mike Goebel in 2000.

“The best win was when we beat Indianapolis Scecina and that gave us the trip to Indianapolis at the Reitz Bowl,” Koressel said. “It was crazy that night, I think the field was just about full with fans.”

[RELATED: Mater Dei eying for third straight 2A regional win over Triton Central]

For the past 44 seasons, Koressel has volunteered his time to the community he calls family.

“I think it’s great for our players and students to see and get great role models as far as people who give and give and give,” Mater Dei head coach Mike Goebel said. “Maybe they can learn how to do the same thing. That lesson in life I think wears off nicely.”

Throughout his time with the Wildcats, Koressel has rotated through every position from holding the forward and rear rods, to the box, and now he is the “clip man.”

“My actual job is to place the clip on the chain, which makes it crucial on first downs because when they go to stretch the chain I could be off by a half an inch and not get a first down,” Koressel said. “Of course, I always mark it right.”

Koressel told 14 Sports his goal is to make it to 50 years on the crew.

“I tell people one arm bleeds red, the other bleeds gold,” he said. “Mater Dei is simply the best all the way around.”

Copyright 2022 WFIE. All rights reserved.

 

Great read! Glad he enjoys doing it!

I heard a PA announcer from a game on Friday announce "Personal Foul, Unsportsmanlike Conduct on the Defense." My wife goes " I didn't think that was possible in high school." I just smiled and knew I had a keeper. 😊

Saw a play Friday night where the QB was getting tackled, was in the FBZ, and was throwing the ball away. However, it landed at the feet of a receiver behind the LOS and intentional grounding was still called. What really irked me, with being the R on my crew, was that the LJ threw the flag. This is the R's flag to throw.

8 minutes ago, MarkCalaway said:

For example, Team A is flagged for an illegal procedure prior to the snap.  The play continues, and Team B is flagged for a face mask penalty. 

What is the ruling?

By illegal procedure, I would assume tou mean illegal formation, shift, or motion. These become fouls at the snap, which makes them live ball fouls. With the facemask being against B and the original flag against A, you will have offsetting penalties.

27 minutes ago, jets said:

Blocked FG and/or Punt behind the line of scrimmage (4th down)...live ball. Defense picks it up and attempts return - makes it about 10 yards and fumbles, original offense recovers. 

1st and 10 for the original offense? (The team attempting FG/Punt)

And then...does this enforcement change if it was 3rd down? 

This is multiple possession changes and will be a first down for whichever team ends up with the ball after B's fumble in either scenario as long as B had  clear possession prior to their "fumble".

27 minutes ago, gindie said:

Are offensive holding penalties always marked off from the spot of the foul, even if that spot is behind the line of scrimmage?  Just watching Valpo/Michigan City game and the holding occurred 2 years behind the LOS and they marched off 10 yards from there, making it 1st and 22.   If so, this must be different than College and Pros.

Not always marked off at the spot. If the end of the run is prior to the spot of the penalty, it's marked off from the end of the run. we hear all the time on penalties behind the LOS "It's enforced from the LOS!" I smile as we walk off from the flag or the end of the run and signal the ready for play :).

13 minutes ago, Moshiner1345 said:

Interestingly though, did you notice that this year's sectional finals included ZERO crews who worked the state championship last season. It looks like they were capped at 2 rounds in order to advance more "new sided" crews to a sectional championship contest. This opened up 6 spots for those "new crews" to advance. So while we all do have our complaints, little steps are being made in getting more "new crews" deeper into the tournament (albeit 1 more round which = zero more "experience" points). (editorial note: "new crews" for the purpose of this post = crews who have not ever worked a state championship before).

I should have paid more attention to this, nice catch. Possibly they are setting up for the future after all. Let's see if they continue this next year.

4 hours ago, SoIndRef said:

We have had glowing observations, with stating that we are capable of going as far as the process can take us, which would be regional.  We got a second round.  It is disappointing to hear that the observers do no have as much influence as they should.

This echoes what I was trying to explain in my post. The IHSAA "wants" to advance new crews but if you look at the assignments, most crews have already had a sectional championship game or more under their belts. I understand that there are a lot of good crews out there in the state of Indiana, but I know that the IHSAA is going to continue to lose officials if they do not get a better criteria for advancement. Heck, why not go ahead and make it an individual vote based upon what each official works and then throw crews together like they do in basketball come tournament time( I do not believe this is the best method). I do not know what else can be done, but there is no point in getting observed and being told you should advance as far as you are capable, in tournament, if the observers rating does not have a greater impact on the score.

5 hours ago, Bobref said:

Not sure what you mean by that. Did you have a post-game debrief with the observer? Did you get a copy of his observation report?

I should have specified as both observers were excellent and pointed out things we need to work on. I meant as far as advancing in the tournament past the first round. If they are being sent to watch someone, you would assume a good report, let alone two in the same season, would help your crew out with tournament advancement. This means that the ones that know you are doing this rather well, have less input than the coaches do. 

On 10/27/2021 at 12:29 AM, JustRules said:

Some years the observers are asked to vote and some years they aren't. Some years when they vote their vote is factored in. We've had observer votes appears when we weren't observed by that observer.

I love and respect the observer program, but it has little or impact on your rating and little or no impact on your advancement. We've been observed twice in a tournament game and given a 5 but didn't work the following week. Why would they observe us if they knew in advance  we wouldn't have another game. There is a ton of potential for the observer program to have a greater input on crew ratings. The risk there though is many of the observers know and have worked with many of the crews they are observing. There is a potential for favoritism in that process if the rating has more value.

I completely agree. My crew was evaluated twice last year. Once during season at a big 5A/6A conference game and during the first round of sectionals. Nothing came of it at all. Why not give more say to observers that actually know what the officials are suppose to be doing? I do not know how many times as the R on Friday's I get asked "How is that pass interference?" They don't like when I state "Coach, I do not know, it's not my call." 

It is very well established that many coaches do not know/understand the rules.I also know that coaches can be very biased. There is one coach in particular that is very well respected that has given my crew (prior to me becoming crew chief and even last year) a low rating due to something that happened 8 years ago. None of the crew from last year was even officiating this game.  This has now hopefully changed since they have limited this vote to the last 3 years. In the end, I still believe that getting observed means something and in the future I hope it allows officials to advance for the right reason and not be held back because of one call or a dislike of someone on that crew.

1 hour ago, Spitting Llamas said:

And he truly believes Forest Park is a legitimate threat. I don't believe he's making that up for a second. 

I have seen Forest Park a couple of times this year. They play hard but seemed to tire out in the two games I saw. They are not a bad team at all and I feel Coach Goebel is dead on about his assessment.

I can understand being upset, as would I, but please do not mention the name of someone on here.

This is unacceptable for the crew to do as it does not follow the rules, and it does rob the kids of gaining experience.

With that being said, was this something that was agreed on by the coaches due to injuries on one side and the tournament looming? I have no clue, but if not this was handled incorrectly. Just please dont mention individual names.

I know of a few instances where the lack of school votes has hurt a crew. If your crew is under a new crew chief under this current system, you have to rely on write-in votes since you do not have a 3 year history of games. This could be a big problem if you do not reach out yourself to previous AD's/coaches and inform them that a write in is required for the vote. I am sure this can/will be fixed in the future, but this is the biggest flaw I see in the new change.

57 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

We had an odd situation Friday night. A is behind by a large margin 1/10 on their own 5, with 50ish seconds to go in the half. A’s coach makes it known they are taking a knee. A lines up in victory (?) formation, DL doesn’t even get in a stance, A snaps, QB immediately goes down to a knee. B’s coach calls TO. He claims he didn’t know they were taking a knee and is upset no one told him. Personally I thought it was pretty obvious to everyone in the stadium they were taking a knee. A’s coach is even more upset that we didn’t let A’s coach know. Even bringing it up in a post game email exchange. 
 

Our philosophy has ALWAYS been and we’ve been told in training not to alert anyone as to A taking a knee. We don’t adjust our mechanics, other than the U paying particular attention to the snapper. 
 

Thoughts from coaches and officials? 

I will usually ask if they are taking a knee and will inform both the opposing players and coach. I also inform the opposing team that the ball can be recovered if a fumble takes place. I then move up and make sure nothing happens.

Believe it or not, I had a player and a coach ask me the following questions.

1. What kind of tee can we use for a free-kick following a fair catch?

2. If the ball is near that sideline on a kick off, can I step out of bounds, on purpose, and touch it? Would this make it a kickoff out of bounds? (Saw it on Sunday)

I feel like I answered them rather well, but wanted to see what everyone else's thoughts were on these.