You're right to a degree Doug, however...
it is still your job (and any of us) to make sure the ref hears you!!!
You even said that the ref was doing stats, handling 5 clocks, and trying to work the camera as well. That's a lot of pressure for one person to do all those things!
Now, if that is the case, I probably would have tapped the ref on the arm and told him just to make sure he knows. Or I would have screamed out loud that "I have a lineman eligible." Chances are, I would have told the other team too just so they would be alerted to the situation.
This was a good experience for you and it will ring true for others. I do think that rule need to be put back into the CBSMF rulebook immediately (as well as a few others) so that up the road, no heart-feelings are hurt. I also think there needs to be a distinct designation of what a lineman is from the standpoint of how a figure should look to the eligible number.
I've got linemen from the 50's and 40's who wear #'s in the 30's. I could be sneaky and just let him run free and throw to him and then say, "He's a receiver because he played TE". It's so many underhanded ways to bend rules in your favor. That's why I had 100 pages of information. It stopped some of those bendable rules!
So yes, things like what you speak of Doug, need to be addressed. But I would also caution to you and everyone else, don't just know the rules when they work in your favor. Know them when they are right or wrong for everyone.
Reg
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