LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

Can a side line call for a stick check if there isn't a head coach or coach present?

I've never heard a sideline talk myself, but I understand you hear all sorts of inanimate objects talking to you! (There is help available for that). What do they usually say to you? "Hey, quite stepping on me!" "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

I thought you needed to have a head coach designated in order to play a game. Assuming this was some kind of pickup game with no coaches, I may or may not allow a request for a stick check depending on my mood at the time, and whether it looked like they had a good case for the request.

What about when two NCLL team's play each other and they both don't have coaches? Or to be fair when two MCLA teams compete during the regular season?

The rules are unfortunately vague on this. I think I submitted a rule change suggestion this year mandating that the coach is not a player.

Personally, I do not allow a game to start until each team designates a non-player as the head coach. For high school, there needs to be an adult head coach; I won't accept the liability of letting them play without an adult. For MCLA games, they can use an injured player, a parent, even a player's girlfriend as the coach, and they can tell that coach when to call timeout, when to request a check, and so on. But I'm not going to let the game start without a coach, and frankly I'd think any MCLA conference would take a dim view of a team trying to play a regular-season game without a coach.

Whoever they decide to designate as the head coach is the only person on the sideline who can call a timeout, and he or she is the only person anywhere that can call for an equipment check.

Club ball would be an exception to this; there, everyone is an adult. But when was the last time you saw an equipment check in a club games? Similarly with fall ball.

Club ball would be an exception to this; there, everyone is an adult. But when was the last time you saw an equipment check in a club games?

I say this with out the intent of any sarcasm.......a lot! Often we see teams in the MCLA without "coaches" and at the NCLL it happens often.

I guess I just haven't seen many games where there isn't a coach. I guess in that case I'd want one of the players to be designated a player-coach, even if they're on the field, and then allow them to ask for an equipment check.

Zeuslax wrote:

Club ball would be an exception to this; there, everyone is an adult. But when was the last time you saw an equipment check in a club game?

I say this with out the intent of any sarcasm.......a lot! Often we see teams in the MCLA without "coaches" and at the NCLL it happens often.

You may well see this where you are, but in the MCLA conferences I work it wouldn't be tolerated.

You don't see equipment checks in club games a lot, do you? (When I say "club," I mean post-collegiate club, not MCLA.)

You may well see this where you are, but in the MCLA conferences I work it wouldn't be tolerated.

This discussion was generated from a discussion that a ref and I had during a tournament this fall. Couldn't agree with you more.

You don't see equipment checks in club games a lot, do you?

Not often, maybe once in 3 years. Post Collegiate, forget it.

The rules are unfortunately vague on this. I think I submitted a rule change suggestion this year mandating that the coach is not a player.

This is the kicker and things like this could assist the league in making teams buck up a little.

Zeuslax wrote: This is the kicker and things like this could assist the league in making teams buck up a little.

There's nothing stopping a league from enacting a bylaw that is more strict than MCLA rules. This may not work in the CCLA since, from what I understand about your particular conference, some (many?) of the teams really don't want to abide by this particular rule.

Be ready for a much strictor wording and interpretation from the MCLA in the near future.

Be ready for a much strictor wording and interpretation from the MCLA in the near future.

You are correct about that!