Star-News Editorial: There's no tying in football
OUR VIEW
There were no cascading lateral plays. No running back with the ball knocking over the other team's tuba player. No field goal splitting the uprights.
Instead of a memorable finish, the Arcadia Apaches vs. Temple City Rams high school football game ended in a tie Friday night, after a mid-field meeting of the referees at the end of regulation resulted in the officials walking off unceremoniously and saying they don't work overtime, according to a coach who was there.
Even after both football coaches agreed to play an overtime period to break the tie, the referees said they wouldn't work anymore, according to Temple City High coach Anthony White. So that was that. The game ended in a tie. A tie is not satisfying to players and fans; in fact, in football lore, a tie is described as like "kissing your sister."
The players left the field shaking their heads. The fans - stunned - booed the decision and eventually filed out of the stadium disappointed, the score knotted after regulation, Arcadia 28, Temple City 28.
A tie.
Though ties were common enough years ago, this is unheard of in contemporary American football, where the two teams, 11 on each side of the pigskin, play hard until the best team wins. This isn't soccer, where draws happen all the time. This is the gridiron, where the victors get carried away on their teammates' shoulders and the losing team comes back to try again another day.
This is Friday-night lights, where boys prepared by practicing in triple-digit Valley heat, where fans - proud moms and dads, aunts, uncles, grandpas and grandmas, sisters and brothers - pay to watch the two squads play their butts off until the cheerleaders' final back flip.
This isn't a politically correct version of duck-duck-goose where everyone who plays "wins." These are young men who train to play hard, play fair and try to win. When they don't, they accept defeat as a tool to make them stronger and with a sportsmanship tip of the helmet to the opposing team.
But the referees took those lessons away from these boys from Arcadia and Temple City, neighboring rivals. And for what? For not wanting to work another half hour?
We thought the CIF, the organization that oversees high school sports in California, was better than that. We used to think San Gabriel Valley football was better than what happened Friday night between two rival teams. In fact, it is, judging by the way these teams played - competitively, excitingly and with heart.
But like the infamous Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2002 that was allowed to end in a tie because no one cared enough to play to the end, this one left a bad taste. This Arcadia-Temple City tie could leave a not-so-flattering mark on San Gabriel Valley football like that All-Star game left on professional baseball. That's no reflection on the Arcadia and Temple City players and coaches who wanted to finish the game.
The only way to make it right at least for them is to allow them to play the overtime period at a later date. That way, the teams can get out what they put into their efforts. That would be doing the right thing.
Are the CIF and the officials game?
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About this blog
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
I am a football ref and according to the CIF rules there is a tie breaker that should have been played.
Someone who knows-
What exactly do you mean by this statement "I find it funny that a bandie soccer sportswriter (like there are never any ties in soccer) would fabricate statements by the officials" ? Is that a reference to Miguel? My recollection is that it was the TC coach that claimed the refs said they would not work an ot game since they did not get paid and the refs later denied saying that. Miguel did not misquote anyone and it seems quite defamatory for you to accuse him of that . I fail to see how CIF "confusion" of the rules caused the refs to run off the field when both coaches and teams wanted to play OT. It is pure balderdash to try to defend these refs. I was on the sideline at that game. Those guys ran off- plain and simple. There was not an iota of evidence they were"confused" about anything. Their plan to zoom out of their was quite plain .
I am hoping to see both Max and Gibby get some tough carries this week and hopefully allow our Oline to block, move and get downfield...like the TC gods have always intended. The RHL has not gotten a bead on Gibson running yet, which is fine, but sooner or later he will help us. He reminds me of Antuan Roy from last year, a back who almost prefers to bang into somebody, rather than go untouched. He is not big - but the kid is all about effort, just like Max.
I've heard that both Diaz's are hurt - which is a drag because I would rather face the Mead full strength, win, lose or Hell No.... no draw. We are not full strength either, unfortunately. We have good kids in place though, and we need 110% from them to leave this crappy no win life behind.
Go Rams....first interception to come this Friday!!!
GA:
If Ruckle goes off tackle he may average yards 8-12 per carry. Rosemead linebackers are very aggressive around the middle. One good bump on their limebackers will cause a good quick back to see daylight. Now on the flip slide TC may not have to worry so much about their passing game it is almost non existent. Another Plus is that You will see their who's who standing, sitting or laying on the sideline after their battle at OUR HOUSE and after the Harvard/Westlake game. Good Luck and dont let Coach White get to crafty out there. Stick with your game plan.
Hammer away on their front line. Our line dominated.
O-cat
what is key to beating this year's Rosemead team?
When this Kid Robert Mency jr. returns to the Duarte line-up the Montview league will be up for grabs. Tip is about 3 skill players from winning league.
Goldenarm,
Coach Sanders should be more optimistic about Montview play compared to Duarte's brutal preseason. Duarte played one of the tougher schedules. Plus, Tip mentioned that more players joined after the Monrovia game. While the Montview teams have winning records, it certainly does not have teams on par with Cajon or Monrovia.
Stang Fan,
According to PSN, your new track man is Coach Horton, who worked with the TC kids over summer as strength and conditioning coach. I thought Horton did an excellent job with our football team and he was extremely well liked and respected by the kids he worked with. Good score for the Stangs.
Only Tip Sanders could "remain optimistic" of D-rocks chances with opening of Montview league play. The Falcons have been outscored 205 - 0.
I plan to use the "Tip" plan for maintaining positive vibe in my life.
RAMS - BREAK THE FUNK, FORGET THE NEGATIVE, LET'S GET A WIN FRIDAY!!
Go Rams.
sorry, 1972 not 1973.
someone who knows,
nice job of clearly stating your points.
In 1973, I was a participant in a CIF tie breaker - as described by you. The ball was placed on the 50 and each team ran a set of downs, whoever ended on the other side of the 50 "won". We were bused down to Gahr High School from Alhambra on a Wednesday (school day) at 9am, after an 8-1 season in the Pac League, losing only to Hamilton's PHS team, who was undefeated and took the Pac league title that year.
It was a big politcal broo0ha with the CIF selection panel loaded with reps from the SunBelt league or some crap section I can't recall - but they decided the Pac needed only one representative in the playoffs, arguments about sanity and favoritism erupted, and thus the Moors got thrown into tie-breaker out of the blue - at the absolute last minute.
On the last play from about the 46 yd line, our coach put on a 11 man blitz, they had the right thing called - and we lost. It was devastating, after a season where our defense had allowed only 79 points!
I can't even remember the team we "lost" to, only that they played St Paul the first round and were annilated 59-0.
Needless to say - my opinion on the "tie-breaker" of that era is not a positive one.
rio hondo league does do overtime now. Was put into there constitution at end of last year.
A tie breaker is by state rule adaptation. As usual, the CIF-SS, which is the "state" authority here has been wishy washy on whether it should be in all varsity games and leaves it to the individual leagues to decide.
Some of the local league use OT and others, including the Rio Hondo League do not. So there is little consistency.
Get this, the Southern Section has modified their OT to be done from the 25 yardline which the City Section uses the 10 yard tiebreaker in the NFHS book. In the State Bowl games, the 10 yard tiebreaker is used.
So with all the different things, a local non-league game has brought a lot of attention to something as convoluted and confusing (by the CIF-SS's own rulings) as when OT should be played.
Also the CIF-SS has gone both directions in using any OT in Finals. At one time, the team with the most first downs was declared the winner, how is that for a tiebreaker?
Also in the 1960s to the mid 1970s the old "California Tie Breaker" was used where the ball was placed at the 50 yardline (40 for six man and eight man football) and each team ran four plays and whatever side the ball was on would determine a winner.
In 1977 the CIF-SS adopted the 10 yard tiebreaker that had been first used in Florida, if I remember correctly. The CIF-SS went to the 25 yard tiebreaker about a decade ago, but uses HS rules, not college rules, so after the third TB, no one must go for 2 on extra point trys like in college.
The CIF for around a decade and a half, would not use a TB in the Finals and Co-Champions were crowned. Glendora HS was a Co-Champ one season back in the early 1990s. The Southern Section returned to OT early in this decade and Rio Hondo Prep won its last eight man title in 2002 in OT.
So Ties have been an historic thing in HS football and the Southern Section has used many methods of Tiebreakers, including no tie breakers at all. So we blame a crew for not playing a non-league tiebreaker when the CIF-SS has been rather schizophrenic in using them in the first place?
I find it funny that a bandie soccer sportswriter (like there are never any ties in soccer) would fabricate statements by the officials. Should they have stayed and worked OT, yes; but with all the confusion coming down from the Southern Section over the years, it is easy to see how the decision was made not to play OT. This game is being made out to be more critical that the state deficit.
Looks like Friday, November 20, will be open for both teams. Miguel, see if you can coordinate.
Old School Football Purist:
While the NFHS rule book does specify that the tiebreaker in football is from the 10 yd line, CIF has decided to use the 25 yard system from college instead of the NFHS recommended system.
This can be found in the CIF bluebook under the football section. Hence in California (including the state championship games) ties are broken using the college system.
First of all, to TROUBLED,
What does going to referee school have anything to do with this editorial? As an official, albeit from a different sport, I know that it is a thankless job and I've heard officials use the "go to referee school" or "read the rulebook" line tons of times, when receiving criticism, as if doing those things will make the other party empathize with them.
It won't.
Players and coaches will always question referees' decisions. Get used to it, or get out of the business...
The job is a tough one and a respectable one, but lets not make it out to be more than it is... The importance is the game, not the officials, and while I appreciate CIF-SS standing by their officials before investigating, if they were wrong, they should face consequences.
The job of referees and officials is to, first, keep everyone safe, and second, to enforce the rules so that the game is on an even playing field... Anything more or less is a terrible misrepresentation of those who care for the games they officiate and are doing things right.
Now as far as the editorial goes,
The game is over. Get over it. If a mistake was made by the officiating crew, that is unfortunate and should be addressed.
However, to suggest that they should play the overtime at a future date is laughable, and to be honest, quite contrived.
This article became a little too sensational in the last couple of paragraphs.
Come on guys. You know better.
Old School, that may be true, but at the Glendale/SP game last week, I am sure they started the boys out at the 25 yard line each time. another ref screw-up??
Dear Miguel Melendez maybe YOU should go to the classes that the ref's go to. Maybe then you will know what you are talking about.How come you have to get your facts from the LA TIMES? Time for you to go to REF school.....
Hey Big Fat,
Like reading your stuff, but High School OT is from the 10 yd. line, not the 25...just so you know.
Hey Big Fat,
Like reading your stuff, but High School OT is from the 10 yd. line, not the 25...just so you know.
Now we are getting closer to what I suggested earlier.
Miguel:
Respectfully, I disagree with youon this one.
Firstly, I'm not excusing the officials who worked this game at all.
But your point about ties in football is incorrect. Ties aren't at all just an ancient happening in football. There have been thousands of them in the past - and they still continue to happen in HS football every week across the country. Some of the most memorable games in football history have been ties. And they still happen in the CIF every week at all levels.
If the CIF wants to change the rulebook on the OT issue to make its postion clear, then they need to do it....because right now there is no clarity for officials on the point of when/when not to use OT situation at present in the CIF book. Futhermore, if CIF chooses not to act on this, it isn't all bad, in my opinion. I think that both teams may deserve the feeling of a tie if, after 48 minutes, neither team can settle any superiority on the field, esp. in non-league. This provides teams with an incentive to win in regulation, no? Ties usually feel better after some time, especially, starangely enough, in championship games. Why should one team have a lifetime of frustration and "what ifs" after losing a CIF Final in OT when they proved equal to the title winner in regulation, ruining a great season? And why should one team be rewarded with the feeling of victory - and one penalized with defeat - because of an overtime situation - a situation which only mirrors a very small part of a game. If your team has a poor kicker or if your strength is big plays and not working on a 10 yard field, OT is a big handicap for your team in HS. Is this fair? I agree with you that if both teams want OT, then it should happen. But making football an across the board OT sport is wrong.
NY, gotcha! how about Miguel refs an arm wrestling competition between the coaches?
BigFatFan,
I was referring to a tiebreaker that was/is used in the RHL for teams that finish tied in the league standings after week 10.
CIF is always ready to pounce on the tiniest rule violation by high school athletes, but will they crack down on these completely irresponsible referees (ADULTS!)?
I doubt it.
This team should be told they are through as referees.
the method used in HS is the same as in college, each team gets the ball on the 25 and gets a chance to score. if both teams score a touchdown, then they go at it again
Is it too late for a "Rio Hondo" tiebreaker...neutral field and one set of downs...is that method still in use?
i am glad to see that CIF is looking into this situation. there is so much inconsistency among the referee crews its ridiculous. take for example, intentional grounding... some crews call it, and some dont. and that can be a backbreaking call, so they should all call it the same way.
I don't know if there is any precedence in CIF about how similar situations were handled in the past. It is like a "correction" game now.
As bad as it was, Arcadia is on the verge of league play and probably has flushed this from thought with the opener coming at them real fast.
TC is starved for a victory and White and crew are getting prepped for a physical battle with the Mead.
It would be great to see a winner come out of the haze and bad memory of seeing those refs sprint off the field, while two grandstands full of people stood scratching their heads....It could be done, I just can't see how and when it would get done.
MM - Thanks for the follow up - as you promised.