Coach: An open letter to all of our sports officials

A warning in advance to our newspaper editor: This column may invite some angry letters.

What follows is an open letter to all officials and referees - from high school, junior high and youth leagues, and spanning out to the collegiate and professional levels.

But before we get to the letter, let's address an issue that has been well documented of late: the serious shortage of officials, particularly at the high school level.

There are a number of reasons for the difficulty in getting officials, but bottom line? Not enough young men or women have entered into the profession, even on a smaller, part-time basis. It is simply not in the current mindset of the Z generation, or the Y generation or the Millennials (or whatever other new term is being used now) to subsidize their income by staying involved with the sports they loved so much as young kids.

That used to be the reason younger folks decided to get into officiating, but it doesn't seem to resonate as it used to.

The need for more officials is great in almost all high school sports. Anyone interested should definitely contact their local officials organization. It won't take long to get you going. A quick rules review, an online test and, if you are reasonable and of sound mind and body, you can quickly gain some assignments, especially on the lower levels.

Now, speaking of "reasonable" and "sound mind and body," here is my open letter to all officials and referees:

Dear Ref:

Please. Please, please, please try to understand how and when to apply certain rules, particularly when it pertains to crucial end-of-game situations where your call can decide the eventual winner or loser in a particular contest.

The idea here is to let the players and teams decide the game, and understand the spirit in which rules are made, including the all-important concept of "no advantage gained."

I will give some specific examples, but first let me point out that one of the reasons for this column is a streak of critical bad calls of late on the biggest of sports stages.

A touch foul that should never have been called sent San Diego State to the Final Four in college basketball. And I think almost all of us can agree the penalty call at the end of this year's Super Bowl was horrendous!

In both instances, penalties that really didn't need to be called ruined opportunities for both teams to play it out and let the best team win, not to mention great sports drama for the fans watching.

I would even strongly argue that a penalty-that-actually-was-a-penalty in the AFC Championship game never should have been called. It was a late hit out of bounds by a Cincinnati linebacker on Patrick Mahomes for Kansas City. Clearly a penalty. BUT. there was five seconds left in a tie game for the right to go to the Super Bowl. No advantage was gained by the late hit. It was not malicious, not violent, just the result of overexuberance at a crucial moment of the game.

I say, don't make that call at that moment - even though it was a penalty by rule. Keep the flag in your pocket so the teams can decide the outcome, not your call. (I know many will disagree here, saying a penalty is a penalty no matter when or where it happens, but that is where I completely disagree.)

The end result? Kansas City took the 15-yard penalty walk-off and kicked the game-winning field goal. End of game. No overtime to determine the real winner. No matter which team you were rooting for, it was an unfortunate result in the true spirit of competition.

So Mr. or Ms. Referee, PLEASE use good judgment. Exercise common sense, not just literal knowledge of the rules, especially at the end of games. Have the integrity to bend the rules when necessary.

Let me repeat that statement, as this concept takes some getting used to: Have the integrity to bend the rules when necessary.

That may sound bizarre, but let me explain with some examples:

• A high school boys basketball game with a one-sided score has substitutes who haven't played all game ready to check in at the scorer's table. But play continues and time on the clock is winding down. The official, instead, calls his own time out to wave the players into the game. Part of the technical rules? No. The right thing to do? Absolutely.

• A kids flag football game has a great touchdown run down the right sideline. The official on the other side, away from the play, sees a lineman holding the defender. It is completely away from the play and has no effect on the touchdown run. Even though it is a penalty, I say don't make that call. Hold the flag. Don't ruin the exciting moment for the kids, remembering that no advantage was gained by the holding away from the play. (The good referee will then talk to the player about watching the holding during a time out or dead ball situation.)

• A youth baseball game where one team's pitchers are really struggling and they are behind by a score of, say, 14-2. It is cold out and getting late. Is it OK for the umpire to "help out" the struggling pitcher and expand the strike zone by calling some would-be balls into strikes? Considering the score and the weather conditions, I think most would agree it's an OK thing to do. Part of the technical rules? No. The right thing to do? Absolutely.

• Finally, I will give you an example that happened to me many eons ago, and I got lambasted for it in an issue of "Referee" magazine.

I was umpiring a high school girls softball game and the batter hit a deep shot that went way past the outfielders, on a field with no fence. The ball was hit so far, for all I know it may still be rolling.

During her easy home run trot around the bases, I did notice the batter stepped over second base and missed it by a little bit. After easily crossing home plate, the other team's coach came out and appealed to me about her missing the base. I wrote in the magazine that there was no way I was going to call her out just because she barely missed the base on such an easy home run. I white lied it and told the coach "it was close, but I think she touched it."

From the responses I got from fellow officials, you would have thought I had committed highway robbery, or worse.

But I stand by my call way back then as strongly as I do now. No advantage was gained by her missing the base. What exactly would be gained by calling her out when she so easily scored on the long home run?

Some will say that it is a "lesson learned." To that I say, the only lesson learned is that calling her out would have ruined a great sports moment for her and her team, and for what purpose?

In conclusion, Mr. and Ms. Referee, we thank you for your service. We need more of you out there so our wonderful sports programs can continue to grow.

But do PLEASE remember to use good common sense and don't be afraid to bend those rules when the situation so merits. Good judgment always takes precedent over technical knowledge of every rule.

I am well aware that many, maybe even most, will disagree with me on this. The editor's email address is at the front of this issue.

• Jon Cohn of Glenview is a coach, retired PE teacher, sports official and prep sports fan. To contact him with comments or story ideas, email jcsportsandtees@aol.com.