PIT TOUCH and FLAG FOOTBALL in WINNIPEG MANITOBA - FOOTBALL!

254 Posts

Just a couple things I wanted to get off my chest after last night. First, last time I checked this was a TOUCH football league. It's not tackle football, it's not even flag football where things are a little rougher, it's touch. So it's totally unesscessary to intentionally to extend both your arms and shove a player to the ground. I saw this at least 4 or 5 times last night, mostly coming from the same game, and once happening in my game. That's how some players get hurt, cause they aren't expecting to be shoved like that. On top of that, don't shove a player to the ground, and then act surpised when you get flagged for it and have a ridiculous "what did I do??" Look on your face. Yes it's football, but like I said earlier it's TOUCH football.
Secondly, We aren't in junior high school anymore, challengeing players, or refs for that matter to fights in the parking is extremely childish and idiotic. What exactly do you intend to prove by trying to fight someone? How tough you are? Well, how tough will you look when to punch someone in the face and he decides to charge you with assault and has you arrested? Would it be worth it then?. Tempers flare during games, I get that, but challenging someone to a god damn fight in the parking lot is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of. It's touch football, it's fun, we aren't kids, so don't act like one.

134 Posts

Another one to add on is the old grab the guy and drag his collar while he's trying to make a catch on defense or offense. It's touch: you can't alter a person's catch here folks. YOU CAN ONLY TOUCH!

254 Posts

Suuuure add that one too. I was just bringing up the ones I noticed a lot during last nights games.

3774 Posts

Travers contact Scott or myself and let us know the details. We will deal with the situation.

The PIT Crew

19 Posts

No matter how much you post on the forum. The refs are not gonna call it because the owners don't enforce it. Like I believe all refs so get re- trained once a year just for a refresher on the rules and how to properlly and CONSTITENTLY make calls. Travers you said you noticed it last night. It's been going on since touch football started. Some guys think they made the league or something. But all in all. It's the refs that need to do a better job officiating because time and time again they make inconstient calls. For example. Catching the football. I heard and seen so many different opinions on this it's a joke. Just some food for thought

254 Posts

I wasn't talking a shot at the refs at all or the league. I love playing in this league, and I think Jon and Scott and whoever else do a good job running it, I've said that numerous times on here before. What I don't like is players wanting to throw down anytime they get flagged or disagree with a call that the refs make. There's just no reason for it. The refs do the best they can, however saying that, if there is a call that is blatantly obvious that a flag should be thrown, like a rough tag, I don't think they should hand out a warning first. I also don't think the whatever the score is or however much time is left should determine if a ref throws a flag or not. My two cents.

51 Posts

I agree with Travers. If the ref doesn't call it, that sucks and we have all been on the receiving end of missed calls, but I have seen it get worse over the summer and this fall especially (the rough play not missed calls) A missed call doesn't mean people should just throw the rules out. I fervently disagree that its solely the refs job to clean up the game. Boys have to be men, grow up and learn that this is a rec league, there is no need for a lot of the hits people are taking out there. The CFL/NFL has no scouts here. You will not be noticed. If you need the adrenaline rush of hitting people, play hockey or tackle. There are several teams around the city. I have respect for most refs here, who do very good jobs and for most players who play clean games.
I think Travers attempt to call out the players is a good start. People are starting to get hurt here, and we have lives outside a rec football league. These players all know who they are. They should be given a shot at cleaning up their game. If they cant change, show them the door. IMHO.

151 Posts

Well said Travers and Val.

9 Posts

There is a huge difference between rough tags and tackles boys, I highly doubt people are tackling other players otherwise they would get suspended or kicked out of a game, I've been playing in the PIT since it began and the refs are very strict with tackles, now admittedly I've been flagged for rough tags before, and I've felt (along with my teammates) that the guy who receives the call is clumsy and can't stay on his two feet but acts like the biggest chump out there. Also guys embellish the tag just to get a call, I sure hope you guys aren't these guys and are trying to get things changed, it's simple, stay on your feet boys! Sure it's a rec league, but there's gonna be a little contact, it's football guys, if you can't handle a little tough competition, there's a co-ed soccer league that runs before the pit games do.

13 Posts

I've lost my temper a few times on the field. Never ending in actually challenging anyone, though I've been challenged to a fight a couple times lol. But I think there's a general understanding between players that everyone can be having a rough day or whatever and no matter how stupid they act on the field when the whistle blows it's time to let it go, because like you said...it's rec league football. It's bad enough that my knees blow out on their own. I don't need to add any other injuries off the field. If you can't let it go, then you should probably look at why you are playing. It's supposed to fun after all.

That being said, floppers might be the worst ever. Rough tags can be accidental, they happen we've all dished them out and had a few good slaps/shoves on the back etc....but flopping is never an accident, beware of floppers. They're the worst.

151 Posts

I've been knocked down with a hard tag a few times during my years of play. It has nothing to do with my level of balance as Im fairly nimble for a 300 lbs+ man. I suspect the hard tags were earned by myself for evading younger, quicker players that feel a little foolish for missing a tag on a double wide human. When I take a shove in the back (ie: tag) Im probably already at my stumpy legs maximum output. When more speed is added, Exceeding my maximum I fall forward. This results in me picking myself off the ground, dusting myself off and being quite angry with the person directly behind me.

This is an argument with no solution or real final answer. There is no black and white here just a bunch of grey. We are not equipped with onboard force meters that detect how hard we were hit. Nor is there any video replay available to the refs. So lets all just play the game and show some respect to our fellow players. Play hard but play smart. If you knock a guy down with a hard tag try apologizing or even give the guy a hand up. This does not make you "weak" it makes you a human.

254 Posts

It's not the accidental rough tags that I was speaking off, you can tell if someone accidentally hits a guy hard, that happens, but you can all tell when a guy is intentionally trying to hurt another player by shoving him in the back when a simple one hand or tag would of be good enough.

6 Posts

I'm a mediocre player and ref, and I'm also likely to be one of the guys who loses balance and falls, sometimes when pushed, sometimes because I over-extend my minimal athletic ability. We've all been hit, some accidental, some intentional. The best thing you can do is apologize. A few weeks ago I clobbered a receiver, who I didn't see coming, between myself and the guy I was covering (damn crossing routes), he got up heated (understandably) I apologized, game continued without issue. Simple.

Ref consistency is an issue at every level or sports, I think our refs do a solid job, if you have an issue with the reffing in your game, try being a back judge for a night...

As for fighting in the parking lot, that's not football, that's an arrest and a ban for life.