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Originally posted by tsswebmaster
Are there non-threatening, respectful ways for a coach to initiate dialog with an official during a game for the purpose of call clarification or rule interpretations. Or, how about respectfully directing attention to an opponents tendancy to violate a specific rule that may not be obvious to the official.
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If you have a question about a call or no-call, most officials will be glad to answer any question that you have under these circumstances.
1- During a lull in play, quietly address the official the way you would want to be spoken to.
2- Ask, "Isn't #43 traveling when he makes that little spin move in the lane?" or "Isn't #12 pushing off with her off arm?".
3- Don't expect him to engage in a long conversation.
4- Don't attempt to point out something that you think your opponent is doing and the officials are ignoring. We don't like to be accused of cheating.
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I know it would be advantageous to get this done prior to game time, but often things develop during the game that were not anticipated. Does this always require expenditure of a team timeout?
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Actually, this is not the time to do it. A coach should not go to the officials before the game and say, "Gentlemen, we noticed while watching our opponent on film that..." This is completely inappropriate. Most officials will tell you that they won't listen to this type of thing. Many may listen to you but ignore your comments. Some may view it as an intimidation tactic.
If a situation occurs and you feel that it's correctable situation, then, yes, you must call a timeout to point it out. But be carful, because chances are that the officials will know the rule better than you do. If you're wrong, then you've just burned a TO.
Do you have a particular play in mind or has something happened in the past?
A final word might be that you should remeber why you're there. You're there to coach and the officials are there to officiate. Let them do their job.
Respectfully,
TH