Our day at the CIF-Southern Section office …

The SGVN crew spent the morning at the CIF-Southern Section office (partly because it included a continental breakfast and lunch), but also because it was a great opportunity for reporters across the Southern Section to listen how the Section operates and for us to ask questions. It was very informative in helping understand the CIF bluebook, how they rule on the eligibility of transfers, how they place teams in playoff divisions, how they put brackets together, etc, etc. There was so much information shared, so kudos to CIF and particularly spokesperson Thom Simmons for putting it together. In fact, I was invited by CIF to sit in on Saturday’s pairings day (the day before pairings are released on Sunday) to observe how brackets are put together for playoff divisions and listen in on the conversations in terms of who plays who, and how they decide at-large berths. I can’t share what I observed until the pairings are released, but I would love to come back on Monday and share how the process worked which obviously makes my job of answering your questions about at-large, seedings and placements much easier.


Priceless: Found this picture hanging at the CIF office of Bishop Amat’s Pat Haden accepting the CIF trophy after the Lancers’ 1970 championship…

You want answers: There was a fairly heated exchange at today’s meeting when a reporter asked commissioner Jim Staunton about CIF transfer rulings. When CIF makes a decision on a transfer, it does not follow with a written explanation, they simply make a ruling. The reporter wanted to know what state or federal law CIF was citing for prohibiting them from giving a written or verbal explanation, especially to reporters, after a ruling. Staunton didn’t address the legal aspect, but simply said they do not talk about the specifics of decisions. Simmons said they do not offer written or verbal explanations because it involves confidential information. Fair enough, but the reporter said the reader has a right to know, so lets ask you…


Reporting scores: CIF is in the process of creating a database for schools/coaches to call in results for all sports so that scores and standings are easily accessible on CIF’s webpage, which is something that would benefit all of us. Imagine being able to go to CIF’s website to find results of soccer games played earlier in the day? Enforcing schools to call in results is a different story. It would be nice if the member schools proposed a rule that would require member schools to call in results to CIF. If the member schools could write it into bluebook law, it would be much easier for CIF to enforce it.

Soccer ties or not ties: I learned something all soccer coaches need to know when posting results. When soccer teams are in winter tournaments and ties are decided on penalty kicks, neither team should be credited with a win or a loss, it should simply be a tie. However, if it’s a tournament championship game decided on penalty kicks, the winning team can credit itself with a victory and the losing team must take the loss.

In closing: Whether we agree or disagree with a variety of CIF’s decisions, they care about high school athletics and care about making the best decision they can. Maybe I’m getting soft but the more you talk to people face to face, the better you understand where they’re coming from.

Facebook Twitter Plusone Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email

30 thoughts on “Our day at the CIF-Southern Section office …

  1. Your question of whether CIF should provide a written explanation or respect privacy is two opposing questions that can not be answered together. The answer can not be yes to both or no to both. If one is Yes then the other is No. You are asking for one answer. I suggest you ask two individual questions or your data will be skewed because anyone who answers can not determine which way you will interpret it.

    That being said, I believe that a general explanation with out personal details of the individual or family is appropriate. However, I do not believe that a school has the same right to privacy specifically the school submitting the challenge. It would be nice to know the motivations of some schools and why they challenge some transfers and not others.

  2. Fred-
    Your right, was a great picture.I knew Pat,John and Jr pretty good.Pat deserves the high marks and praise he gets. A good family man also.

  3. Remember, this fall alone the CIF-SS office reviewed 950 transfers. You want them to file a written response for each… just because we’re curious?

    They’ll spell it out in detail for the families/schools involved if asked – but they’d have to hire someone whose sole job is to write reports.

  4. Please tell me you asked them about DaVonte Young.

    I’m dying to find out if this kid is going to get cleared or not.

    Oh wait this is the WDN, not the PT.

    My bad.

  5. Hefer – this is the Tribune – not the Whittier Daily News OR the Press-Telegram – or the Register. And why should it matter to anyone here with a Irvine to Tustin to Bosco transfer? How could he POSSIBLY be eligible with that? If he didn’t get in trouble at Irvine he wouldn’t have these problems. It’s on him.

  6. The picture with Pat Haden identified should but Football Championship year 1970. For those that may remember the Championship football team of 1971 featured John Sciarra. Both men turned out to be extremely good examples of a Catholic school education and san gabriel valley community.

  7. doesnotknow,
    For your information John Sciarra was not a transfer in the sense you are insinuating. Mission High School went from co-ed to an all girl school . The male students were allowed to continue their education at Amat . We also got the great Tate Duff from Mission and those teams were something to see 70 and 71 .

  8. Not sure if he came with the coach just know that’s where he came from. Not a bad pickup for Amat.

  9. Sorry, didn’t want to stir it up…I was just kidding. Just knew the history, I would have gone to Mission.

  10. Intheknow – apparently – you “thought” you knew the history. Mission closed to boys. boys were allowed to come to Amat. No boys – no football. Defensive coach was hired at Amat. This pissed off Hitchcock, who would duck Amat while at Temple City. Amat gym eventually named after defensive coach, Tate Duff. Msg Carroll disrespects that history by knocking down the gym, building a beautiful new one to be named after Alumni. Pissed off alumni who will not donate to Msgr – so instead he arranged to have it named after himself and leaving nothing named after Tate. Now it sits relatively vacant during boys games while the program flounders. And alumni are still pissed. But we’ve got football taken care of – so that’s a step in the right direction. Next!

  11. Great article Fred. Very informative and i love the picture of Pat Haden. Can’t wait to read about how the brackets are put together.
    This is part of the reason why our SGV tribune blog is so popular. Thanks to all the bloggers that post information on our rich SGV history, I always look forward to read what you write.
    Thanks!

  12. history said:
    Intheknow – apparently – you “thought” you knew the history. Mission closed to boys. boys were allowed to come to Amat. No boys – no football. Defensive coach was hired at Amat. This pissed off Hitchcock, who would duck Amat while at Temple City. Amat gym eventually named after defensive coach, Tate Duff. Msg Carroll disrespects that history by knocking down the gym, building a beautiful new one to be named after Alumni. Pissed off alumni who will not donate to Msgr – so instead he arranged to have it named after himself and leaving nothing named after Tate. Now it sits relatively vacant during boys games while the program flounders. And alumni are still pissed. But we’ve got football taken care of – so that’s a step in the right direction. Next!

    Some good points you make….a couple of base and all I can some 40 years later is….MOVE On!

  13. Hey old timer,

    I’m really amazed that your old brain cells are still alive and are actually able to remember things that happened so long ago.

    Must be nice to know that the geritol’s still kicking in and working after all these years….

    Idiot

  14. jcaz -what did old timer say to deserve that? inside joke? is there some past history we should know about?

  15. Jcaz,
    What’s with the slam on old timer. All he did was make a comment on Haden, McKay , and Sciarra. For those of us who walked the hallowed halls back then it was a great time to be a student at AMAT as the ones there now are finding out . I still remember those days as if they were yesterday as many of us who attended AMAT in those early years do and by the way I do not drink geritol nor need it to remember those days and if I did you know it would be out of blue cup . Don’t know when you attended AMAT but tone it down a little with the comic relief . That post was totally uncalled for especially from an alum.

  16. NO WAY! jcaz an alum? What did I miss? I thought he was just an overanalytical parent! jcaz, what were you thinking when you wrote that? Uncalled for and embarassing.

  17. You guys…you know Jcaz is quite silly at times but he’s never cruel like that. That was obviously was a Jcaz imposter.

  18. You guys…you know Jcaz is quite silly at times but he’s never cruel like that. That was obviously was a Jcaz imposter.

  19. I think that response came from old timers nemesis from Los Altos r2g626 – or whatever his #s are

  20. How can that be an imposter with the registered icon. Oh wait maybe it’s COCF #1 or # 2 using jcaz’s computer. He is silly at times and at times can be a real azzhole. Take your pick which one on the post in question.

  21. Franky, I really appreciate the questions that are being asked here and maybe there is a need for an explanation.

    You see, I like, so many others, have an awesome time in here going toe to toe with so many of our fellow bloggers. And even though I may some times talk some crazy azz schitez, I truly do love this time that i spend in here with so many of you guys.

    In some ways, maybe all of you are allo like a family right ??

    I mean sure, we all root for our teams when there god and we all love to come inhere and really give it to one another, but in the end, it’s kind of a common bond that we all shaer because ultimaltely, we all love the kids who play these games, and we all, mos certinaly love prep sports. Othe wise why would we spoend so much of our day in here any way ?

    But as I have so often pointed out to so many of you in the past is that you can call me anything in the book that you want to and i’ll be ok with it.

    In fact and believe it or not, if its even justified, I might even agree with the things that you have to say, because if any one of you have been on this forum long enough, then you will have seen that on more than one occasion, I have actually agreed with a blogger if I felt that he was absolutely right on point with one of my diatribes.

    Having said that, there is still a line that no body should ever cross with me.

    And I for one like to use the analogy of “you can all me what you eant, but don’t ever talk about dear old mom” right ?

    Well, the other day, I was having a little bit of fun with a pic that was posed by Fred, and this idiot an this idiots brother Ron, said something that was really out in left field.

    At first I was so stupid that I just let it go, but after thinking about it some more, I felt that this guy had no right to go there with a comment such as that.

    In other words, it really crossed the line with me.

    Now, again if I act even more stupider that I often do in here, then ya, point it out to me and by all means give it to me good, because like I said earlier, I might even agree with you (unless im intentionally trying to stirr the pot in here right ??..ha ha ha ha)

    But, all I ever ask, is don’t cross that line with me because even though its just a blogg, there are places that even I would never go to in here.

    So, that, why I felt that I need to let this clown know that he’s an idiot in my book and will always be an idiot.

    Anyway, back to the schits and giggles eh 73 !!

  22. jcaz,
    If you are trying to say that because someone called you out on some post you made on a picture Fred posted as the reason for your reply to old timer you are one sick person . I am pretty sure what you’re talking about is related to your post on a picture of a cheerleader . Actually your post was in very poor taste to say the least as most of your jokes are also .Not the first time you have caught shiat for one of your twisted posts. If you feel you need to get back at this Ron and his brother that was the wrong way and it only solidified the blogs view on you being a total idiot.

  23. NOT GOOD ENOUGH

    Ok, perhaps in retrospect, I will agree with you in that my humor in that instance was in poor taste, and maybe it didnt come off in quite the way I anticipated it to.

    But here is my beef with him and even with you.

    If you disagre with with what I had to say, then why couldn’t you or him, just say it in a more mature way ? Why imply that i’m some kind of a pedophile ?

    You know, the fact that you don’t like my silly jokes or that you enjoy calling me an idiot is not even an issue with me (get in line right…), but what is a pet peeve of mine, is the fact that you did so, not with your regular moniker, but in a drive by, puzzy azz way.

    So tell me, why did you feel you needed to do it in this way ?

    If anything, I can at least respect both Ron and Old Timer because in the end, they posted by using a name that we see in here on a regular basis.

    Not with you however, and perhaps that’s because you feel that you can say what ever you want to without ever having to worry about the consequences of your statements later on down the line.

    Well, guess, what ? If I say something in here, you can always come right back at me and call me on the carpet for it. Why ? because you will see me in here using this very same moniker time and time again.

    But with you, well, maybe that’s the biggest differnece between being an idiot and a coward, because if anything, it shows my willingness to take the heat when it comes my way…

    Hum…I guess that’s really being an idiot there eh…Ha ha ha

    Anyways dude, at least grow a set, and come after me with your regualr screen name.

    Don’t hide behind that little girls skirt dude, because it makes you into an even a bigger puzzy when you do that ok…

Comments are closed.