Coaches Education

Notice that I said "coaches" education, not "coaching". While I would agree that the coaching education that USATF runs is indeed a good and necessary program for young, inexperienced coaches, I also think that they need some education in the rules.

Far too often, we have coaches who "think" that they know the rules, and try to bully or intimidate the official into believing them. It has happened before, but this past weekend when I was refereeing a meet, an athlete that was in the high jump and the javelin at the same time had a problem.

When I instructed the head event judge to pass the athlete on his first throw because time had expired (all other preliminary throws had been completed, and he was the only one left), the throws coach said that "technically" (don't you love that term when they use it!) the preliminaries hadn't ended yet, so his athlete was entitled to all three of this trials. Needless to say, he was wrong, and after showing him the rule, he slinked away.

What compuded my frustration was that he told the head coach a different story, so when the head coach approached me, I had to basically call his assistant a liar. I didn't like doing it, but it was the truth.

My point is that if coaches are going to argue rules, then they should know what the rule says. If they want to go toe-to-toe wiht an official, then they better be on solid ground when it comes to protesting. It would be even better if they actually knew the rules, so that they wouldn't make frivilous protests, and waste the time of the referee in hearing something that has no basis.

Do you try and educate the coaches that you run into? Do they actually know the rule that they are trying to argue? should we be traing to educate them, or is it a hopeless proposition? what do you do, or not do, and why?

So is it a foul?

For some time, there has been a debate in the throwing community about the pivot foot in the back of the ring on rotational shot putters. Sometimes, they drop their heel down on the ring as they are pivoting out of the back to move to the center. The fundamental question is - is this a foul?

Christian Cantwell has been called for it on a couple of occasions, and at one of the world indoor meets in Spain, the American contingent went so far as to forewarn the officials that any foul call in the back of the ring would be immediately protested.

This brings us to a point of discussion. If the heel drops and the sole of the shoe is in contact with the top of the ring, then it is clearly a foul. The athlete is using the ring to push off (either actively or passively), and that is a black and white violation of the rules. It is no different than if he/she were to step on the ring at the front or side during the course of the throw.

The discussion point is the point at which they are "on" the ring. My general rule in evaluating this is that if the sole of shoe is creased or bent at the point that they are over the ring in the back, then they are indeed touching the top surface of the ring - hence, a foul. Most of the throws officials I have talked to agree with this.

How do you call it? What, if anything makes it a foul?

Remembering Al Minturn

Excuse me for the very personal post here, but Al Minturn was a good friend and mentor. I can't allow his passing to go unnoticed.

I first met Al in 2004 at the Trials in Sacramento. We became instant friends. He was easy to talk to, was very knowledgeable, and was just like a big bear - warm and friendly, but tough when he had to be. This past summer in Eugene, I remember one morning, well before anyone else was out on the track (except us electronic measurement guys), Al and Ray Fitzhugh came out to put down the foul line extensions for the javelin event that would occur later in the morning. They had all that they needed, and got right after things. Seeing these two veteran officials, good friends, doing what needed to be done, was emblematic of how he worked.

I invited Al to join us at Penn Relays (he had a daughter who works at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital), he thought about it and the next day told me yes, he would love to come in. In April of 2005 he joined our hammer/discus crew. He made such a good impression (hustling and always looking for what needed to be done) that the following year he was named assistant chief of the discus. He brought his own portable PA system, his own windsock, and was always ready to do whatever needed to be done. He was the officials official.

Last year at Penn, we stayed at the same hotel. We had dinner one night at a nearby restaurant, where we talked for a long time and I really got to know the man. He was brilliant. Not just in a track and field sense, but intellectually. He was an engineer by training, but had taught in the LA school system his entire career. It just happened to be the job that was available at the time.

The more we talked, the more respect I had for him. He was not one to brag, or to thump his chest. As I have always said, "good officials get noticed by not getting noticed." Al was a great official!

When my wife was ill and being treated, Al would call periodically to see ho she was doing. Although they had never actually met, he cared enough to call. He didn't use email, didn't even have a computer, but he was never hesitant to call and see how things were going.

I will miss him terribly, and no Penn Relays, or for that matter any meet, will be the same for me.

Are you coming back?

One question that always comes up at the end of any Olympiad is - are you going to re-certify for the next one? This is getting to be a tougher question each time around. Gas prices are up, travel expenses have increased. And, let's face it, the officiating pool is graying rapidly.

As we look forward to the 2008-2012 Olympiad, how many of our officiating brethren will still be there? Are you one who is considering hanging it up? If so, why? And what can we do to get more, younger officials into the fold?

Oly Trials 2008

As an official, what did you observe at the Olympic Trials? Good performances? Disappointing ones? Good officiating (no names please) or "can be improved upon" officiating (again, no names)? I would like to generate some comments and discussion on the job that we are doing. Add your comments.

What makes a chief?

Alright, we've all been there . . . doing the grunt work on a crew at a meet. There is someone else in charge, the crew chief. What makes him or her special?


What are the qualities that make a crew chief? Is it personality? Knowledge of the rules? Charisma? Something else, or a combination of things? And if so, what things?

Let's talk about what makes good, and not so good, crew chiefs. Please, no names or other ways of identifying who they are ("At the 2004 Trials in the discus . . ."). If we can identify what are the good and bad traits of crew chiefs, then we can begin preparing the next generation of leaders in our officials ranks.

Throws Safety

Again we have heard of an injury at a track meet, and again it involves a throwing event (the discus). And yet again, it is an injury that was completely preventable.

First, what was this parent doing on the infield to begin with? why wasn't he in the stands where he should have been? I know that I like to be close to the action, but standing ON the sector line is not exactly the best place to be.

Second, what was the meet administration thinking by allowing this obviously ignorant parent to be out there? didn't they have any rules in place for where spectators can be? This is akin to allowing parents to stand at the hash marks to watch a football game, or place a chair on the third base line to see the batter better. What were they, the administration thinking?

Third, where were the officials and why did they allow this to happen? We don't know from t he information what role, if any, the officials took, but SOMEONE should have been looking around and seen this.

For the past 2 years, I have been doing a throws safety course for anyone who wants to participate. Obviously, these folks need help when it comes to throws safety.

If there is enough interest, I would be glad to present this to an officials association, or at the national meeting (sorry, I won't be in Hawaii, for I have neither the time nor the money). the National Throws Coaches Association, of which I am the vice-president, feels that this is a VERY important issue for the future of our sport, and for the future of the throwing events.

What do you think? Is there any interest out there in a throws safety seminar? If so, where and when?