I think the ruling is a tough one but that it was fair. If we applied the same "not capable of making the correct decision - it wasn't their fault" logic to other situations the outcome might be easily debatable the other way (drunk driving, habitual drug use, etc.). Also to coin the phrase my parents seemed to repeat to me a lot as a kid; "if your friend jumped off a bridge would you follow?". Regardless, the coach is a participant in the event - or at least they can easily be considered a member of the team and the team should receive penalties for rule infractions. The order of the RC to remain on shore was an important one for safety, liability, and organization. Whether or not the teams were aware of it, the proper signals were present and this order was not followed. What if I drove my car through a stop sign because I thought the white border meant it was optional? Not knowing the rules is no excuse – it should be embarrassing to these coaches.

It is very disappointing for the kids but I side with the RC.