LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

We were playing a game this year, and this situation happened:

One of my players threw a pass that was clearly deflected out of bounds off of our opponents. The refs then gave the ball to our opponents (I have no clue why they did this. Even the opposing coach said "Really?" when he found out his team would be getting the ball.), and not five seconds later they scored a goal. During a timeout called very soon after that, I started to walk onto the field towards the officials to discuss this situation with them. Before I could say anything, I was told that I could be thrown out of the game for coming on to the field, even during a timeout, to talk to the officials about certain calls.

What I would like to know is whether or not this is actually a rule or if the refs just didn't feel like trying to justify their call and that was a way to not talk to me about it. Any feedback I can get is welcomed.

As a coach you are allowed on field to warm-up a goalie during a called time out. And at halftime. Period. The refs got it right, and could have trhown a flag on you for coming out to debate a call at any other time, no matter how calm your demeanor might have been.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the only time you are allowed to ask questions, as a coach, of the officials is at the 4 minute horn at half time.

Actually it depends on the level. If it was a high school game when the play happened and you wanted to question a rule application you may call for the double horn to ask the question. You must phrase the question in a manner of questioning how the rule was applied. If you are wrong then you are charged with a timeout or delay of game. You may not question the actual call.

TexOle wrote:Actually it depends on the level. If it was a high school game when the play happened and you wanted to question a rule application you may call for the double horn to ask the question. You must phrase the question in a manner of questioning how the rule was applied. If you are wrong then you are charged with a timeout or delay of game. You may not question the actual call.

To elaborate a little more, the request for the double-horn must occur during the dead-ball time, before the whistle to restart play again. Once the whistle blows, that train has left the station. So if your game was an NFHS game, you would have had to call for the double-horn as soon as you saw the ref giving the ball to the other team. While the question was regarding the ref's judgement as to who should get the ball, if I was reffing I would have allowed the question and explained that I saw it go off so-and-so, or that I thought is was a shot, and that the other team was closest.

Dan Wishengrad wrote:As a coach you are allowed on field to warm-up a goalie during a called time out. And at halftime. Period. The refs got it right, and could have trhown a flag on you for coming out to debate a call at any other time, no matter how calm your demeanor might have been.

Well, they were partly right. Coming onto the field at times other than you describe is a conduct foul, which might not even be a flag if that coach's team has the ball. Of course, if you run out onto the field screaming at the officials, that's a USC.

In any case, there's no way that coming onto the field by itself justifies the ejection of a coach. In that respect, the officials were incorrect.

I agree with you LaxRef! Good officiating however would be if the coach seems to have enough concern about a situation to approach a referee like that, I would quietly get him off the field and make any rotation necessary with my crew to be the trail official when play resumed. That way if you were not able to address his question during the timeout, you could attempt to address it as the trail official once play resumed.

Lax_Stats wrote:I agree with you LaxRef! Good officiating however would be if the coach seems to have enough concern about a situation to approach a referee like that, I would quietly get him off the field and make any rotation necessary with my crew to be the trail official when play resumed. That way if you were not able to address his question during the timeout, you could attempt to address it as the trail official once play resumed.

Agreed. I wouldn't automatically call the conduct foul for the coach stepping on the field, but I'd politely explain to him that he is not allowed on the field. Of course, if they step on the field while complaining loudly, etc., it makes it very easy to call the CF.

Is the speaking captain allowed to go out during a time out and speak with the refs?

Brendan Barry wrote:Is the speaking captain allowed to go out during a time out and speak with the refs?

I would think so, if you were asking for clarification of a call. I personally wouldn't have a problem with that.

Brendan Barry wrote:Is the speaking captain allowed to go out during a time out and speak with the refs?

The players can be on the field during a timeout, and I wouldn't mind if the speaking captain asked a respectful question, but you need to watch your step. Really, being the speaking captaing gives you the right to call the coin toss and not much else.

Questions like, "Sir, can you explain that goalie interference call?" will be well-received during a timeout. Questions like, "Will you please just call goalie interference right?!" might get you a conduct foul. Questions like "Do you think you [bleep] [bleep] could pull your [bleep] heads out of your [bleep] for 3 seconds so maybe we could have a fair game?" will send you to the bus.

LaxRef wrote:Questions like, "Sir, can you explain that goalie interference call?" will be well-received during a timeout. Questions like, "Will you please just call goalie interference right?!" might get you a conduct foul. Questions like "Do you think you [bleep] [bleep] could pull your [bleep] heads out of your [bleep] for 3 seconds so maybe we could have a fair game?" will send you to the bus.

Questions like "Sir, my mother would like to know if you will take her to dinner after the game?" are also acceptable.

shrekjr wrote: Questions like "Sir, my mother would like to know if you will take her to dinner after the game?" are also acceptable.

I dunno, have you seen his mother? He could be baiting and taunting...

could also hit him the next game with a 3-min NR USC if dinner doesn't go well.

shrekjr wrote:could also hit him the next game with a 3-min NR USC if dinner doesn't go well.

"No, I said I had an ejection during the game!"