Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 So here's the situation: A high-school playoff quarterfinals football game... 'bout a minute to go... team A scores a touchdown for a slight lead. There's a flag... Coach is running down the sideline and accidentally bumps into a ref. The book sez that this calls for a five-yard penalty on the kickoff, but the ref instead calls the play dead. Everyone concerned realizes the call is incorrect, but the call stands. This results in Team B winning the game and moving ahead toward the championship game. So... Team A sues! What should the judge do? Judge to Decide if Blown Call Merits Do-over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Stay out of high school sports. Same goes for the lawyers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The Judge should ask if a bad call really merits utilizing the time and resources of the Court, and the taxpayers' money. Since the coach should also be a high school teacher, the Judge should require he write a 2000 word essay, double spaced, in 12 point font, with proper margins and annotated supporting the position, and give a deadline. Done without the assistance of legal counsel, because it isn't a legal brief. If the coach does write the essay, he should have principal and school board members sign off on the same both endorsing it and acknowledging if he received compensation, since that would also be a use of taxpayer money. But that's just my thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Shoot the ref! We get enough bad call in life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangler Rich SASS #42157 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 It is what it is. The zebra made the call. The game is over. Next shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The judge (has he ACTALLY agreed t hear this???) will most likely rule that the call, regardless of how poor, incorrect, unfair or whatever it may be, stands and that this has nothing to do with the court's realm of influence. I'm assuming the school administration has refused to alter the call. A learning experience for all, I'd say, but apparently not, for some of the smarmy whining adults involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Make the TD legit and correct the score accordingly. THEN, put both teams back on the field with appropriate time remaining in the game and have the team that scored that last TD kick off to the receiving team and let them finish out the game CORRECTLY. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 When the last whistle blows the game is OFFICIAL! Nothing can or should be done to correct any mistakes made by the officials. The entire crew should be fired and never officiate again for allowing such a mis-call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The entire crew should be fired and never officiate again for allowing such a mis-call. Yep, I agree with that. Hey NOZ, I had read in another article (probably Foxnews.com) that when the call was made, the REFS knew that it was an incorrect call and still allowed it to stand. If it can be viewed (assumed or proven) as though the game was 'thrown' by the calling of a ref or refs, the judge could possibly void the game and allow a 'RESHOOT'..... ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Unless there's strong evidence that it was a deliberate attempt by the referee to sway the outcome, let the referees apologize and the game stand to be a lesson for everyone involved. Anyone remember the 28-out "Perfect Game" thrown by Armando Gallaraga? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Galarraga's_near-perfect_game A mistake was made, but class was shown by all parties and Mr. Gallaraga is remembered by every baseball fan for having thrown a perfect game, even if he's not in the record books. About fifteen years ago a local high school in Cincinnati was in the week prior to the state football championship preparing to play for the title. It was learned that they had a player who'd transferred into the school the year prior and was ineligible by OHSAA rules. The games he played in were vacated and the third-place team was called into the title game. Some parents wanted to sue for all the usual reasons. The coach said no, and a huge lesson in class and resiliency was learned by all. Life isn't perfect or fair. Football is just a game. Get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boon Doggle Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Oklahoma. Football. Sure glad people in Texas don't get this worked up over a silly game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudgeBagodonuts Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Typically, if there is a controversy over a call, the coaches will meet with the refs and work it out BEFORE game play continues. Usually, according to the rule books, there is no appeal beyond that, except in the limited circumstance where there is malfeasance by the refs (such as being paid to "fix" a game). I'm shocked that any sitting judge would even consider hearing such a case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widder, SASS #59054 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The Judge probably made his decision to hear the case based on HOW it was presented to him. And its my 'Limited' understanding that the coaches and REFS knew the penalty on the coach was to be effective on the kickoff. BUT, the sideline ref didn't like getting bumped by the coach during the play and nullified the TD. It wasn't a judgment call but rather the ref using penalties that didn't apply to the situation under the rules. This doesn't appear to be a bad call but rather an arbitrary penalty assessed to help favor one team over another. Anyhow, it doesn't matter what I think about it. I'm just trying to convey WHY I think this particular Judge decided to hear this suit. ..........Widder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 About fifteen years ago a local high school in Cincinnati was in the week prior to the state football championship preparing to play for the title. It was learned that they had a player who'd transferred into the school the year prior and was ineligible by OHSAA rules. The games he played in were vacated and the third-place team was called into the title game. Some parents wanted to sue for all the usual reasons. The coach said no, and a huge lesson in class and resiliency was learned by all. Life isn't perfect or fair. Football is just a game. Get over it. It don't always work out that way. The last year of the Southwest Conference's existence, the Longhorns won the title. They discovered (just before the bowl game I think) that they had an ineligible player. IIRC, he was a juco transfer from somewhere in California who had been playing college ball for about 10 years. He wasn't a big part of the team, he'd only played special teams in 3 or 4 games. By rule, those games should have been forfeited. But that would have made UT ineligible for the bowl game. So the guy was quietly removed from the team, and the media reports hushed up. As for the game in question, if I'm reading the OP correctly, I believe the issue is that the ref blew the play dead. They say everyone knew the call was the wrong call, but once the whistle is blown the play is over, even if a mistake was made. To do it otherwise would be akin to the refs awarding a TD. There are some circumstances in football where a ref can award a score by penalty, but they are so obscure that I can't even remember them right now. I assume Team A was given another chance to score with 1 min left on the clock and couldn't do it, right? If they are suing to have the results changed, NO CALL. The only case I can see here is if they're suing for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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