Multiple Stick checks

by **Sonny** on Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:27 pm

Have any refs been on the field yet and tried out all the new suggested stick checks? How is it working?

**Sponsor**

by **murphlaxtx** on Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:34 pm

It seemed like every time we turned around there was a stick check in our games, lol.

by **laxfan25** on Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:56 pm

A report from two officials who did their first game with the new mechanics-

"worked our first game today using the new multiple stick check mechanic. The Head Coach is on the NCAA Rules Committee and told us that he put it in there and used the analogy that his father was a NYC cop and the only way you stop speeders is to be out there on patrol and issuing speeding tickets - until they start obeying the posted speed limit. He even asked us to do 6+ checks.
We thought we were all over it with our Pre-game and the first quarter ended with not one stick check. It turns out that we put all our money on checking sticks after the first goal - scoreless first quarter - no checks - lesson learned. Have a backup plan - I suggest checking sticks on the first sideline OOB call and the first time serving foul. Waiting for a TO sounds good - but once again no TO's - no checks similar to waiting for a goal.
Eventually we caught up and bagged 3 sticks - one short and two pinched - if you're playing with a crosse that is named after one of the elements of the atom - you may want to check it. We also had two backup officials rotating through on the sideline and there was a lot of action from the bench players to get their sticks checked.
I am also here to tell you that we didn't do any checks in less than 1 minute. Getting the ball - getting players from opposite teams - timesharing the ball - it can't be done in under 20 secs without good communication and advance planning - plus you then have to remember the plan in the heat of the action."

by **shrekjr** on Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:07 pm

The one game report I heard from a 3-man crew regarding stick checks wasn't positive. Too hard to manage, too hard to get the stick from the scorer as he runs back toward the bench in excitement, too hard to measure a d-pole alone and quickly, too hard to gauge pre-determined stick checks (first goal by each team, first timeout, etc.) when those things don't happen in a game.

Everything is then even more difficult with a 2-man crew.

by **Sonny** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:54 am

too hard to measure a d-pole alone and quickly

I brought up this same exact point at our COC meeting last weekend.

On the video - Seidman states that you should be able to measure both sticks in under 20 seconds. I had to laugh at that one.

by **LaxRef** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:19 am

Sonny wrote:
too hard to measure a d-pole alone and quickly

I brought up this same exact point at our COC meeting last weekend.

On the video - Seidman states that you should be able to measure both sticks in under 20 seconds. I had to laugh at that one.

This is really not an issue. You pick a point on your body that's 52 inches from the ground. Stand the stick next to your body, and don't measure with the tape unless it's borderline.

Similalry, don't measure a stick for 72 inches unless it seems like it's loo long. No one that I know has ever seen a pole over 72 inches, and I don't think they even make shafts that long.

by **laxfan25** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:32 pm

Just a tip for measuring the D-pole. Start at the head and pull the tape measure down a couple feet, press the tape to the stick to hold it in place and then you can finish the rest of the measurement. Practice a few times, you'll find it to be pretty easy to do.

by **laxfan25** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:37 pm

I've got my first game next weekend. Based on the feedback from others, I will remind the coaches in the intro that there are additional random checks this season. When the face-off middies come out to start the game, I and my wingman will do a quick check on their sticks to get the first one out of the way - then do something like 1st goal of the 1st quarter, 2nd goal of the 2nd (if it's the other team) and then on timeouts. Hopefully we'll be at leat halfway through by halftime.
Since they are more random, I don't see why we can't do one as they head to the sidelines on the quarter breaks as well on ocassion. Less interruption to the flow of the game.

by **Jolly Roger** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:29 pm

I thought the COC recommended against measuring before the opening faceoff.

by **shrekjr** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:59 pm

Jolly Roger wrote:I thought the COC recommended against measuring before the opening faceoff.

We were told the same thing...not to penalize a stick before the game has started.

We were also told when doing a stick check on the faceoff, it didn't have to be the two guys facing off. That could be the time to check a stick you've been keeping an eye on during play but hadn't scored a goal at the right time.

Thoughts?

by **laxfan25** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:12 pm

shrekjr wrote:
Jolly Roger wrote:I thought the COC recommended against measuring before the opening faceoff.

We were told the same thing...not to penalize a stick before the game has started.

We were also told when doing a stick check on the faceoff, it didn't have to be the two guys facing off. That could be the time to check a stick you've been keeping an eye on during play but hadn't scored a goal at the right time.

Thoughts?

Well there goes my opening faceoff thought. If I was doing faceoff guys later, I would probably do them both, just so they don't think I'm picking on one and not the other.

by **LaxRef** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:58 pm

laxfan25 wrote:
shrekjr wrote:
Jolly Roger wrote:I thought the COC recommended against measuring before the opening faceoff.

We were told the same thing...not to penalize a stick before the game has started.

We were also told when doing a stick check on the faceoff, it didn't have to be the two guys facing off. That could be the time to check a stick you've been keeping an eye on during play but hadn't scored a goal at the right time.

Thoughts?

Well there goes my opening faceoff thought. If I was doing faceoff guys later, I would probably do them both, just so they don't think I'm picking on one and not the other.

I think you need to either do both faveoff men or] do one on one check and one on another. I think the former is easier to keep track of, so I'll probably do two face-off men one time and two wing players another.

by **Sonny** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:26 pm

We were told to get help from one of the wing officials (Single Side or Center) if you want to check both faceoff player's sticks.

If everyone stood there while you measured & test both faceoff player's sticks at the midfield stripe, it would REALLY bog the game down.....

by **ritzy** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:14 pm

laxfan25 wrote:A report from two officials who did their first game with the new mechanics-

I suggest checking sticks on the first sideline OOB call

No stick checks before a restart either, horn or not, correct?

by **LaxRef** on Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:49 pm

Sonny wrote:We were told to get help from one of the wing officials (Single Side or Center) if you want to check both faceoff player's sticks.

If everyone stood there while you measured & test both faceoff player's sticks at the midfield stripe, it would REALLY bog the game down.....

If it's a faceoff, it's either the start of a period (in which case you had time to talk about it) or just after a goal (when the L and C just exchanged the ball and can surreptitiouslywork it out). As soon as the face-off or wing men are there, the F/0 or C official can grab the sticks and the other official can run in.