[stripes]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle
JV boys, smaller school. Home team completely overmatched. Off and on through the whole game the home coach, who I have had a pretty good relationship with this season, is talking to me about V team fouls that we're missing. At the half my partner and I talk, plan to adjust our mechanics some to try and see this stuff. I even went and talked to the coach at the end of halftime and asked him to tell me exactly what I'm missing. We're really trying to find this phantom stuff. Frankly, mostly what we see is the home team doing stupid stuff, grabbing jerseys, shoving, etc.

With a few mins left in the game, V is up by 30-40. But H is still doing stupid stuff. In the last two minutes I've got a blatant push during a free throw and a dead-ball two handed shove, both by the H team. The coach wants to know why I'm calling stuff on his guys. My answer: "Coach, your guys are frustrated and I'm trying to keep this from coming to blows." Oh, and we fouled out three of his six players.

I absolutely hated how this game ended. I try hard to be aware of game situation and not go rubbing salt in wounds in already decided, lopsided games. But I felt like I had no choice but to keep calling the fouls against H. There has got to be a better way to handle this situation, but what is it?

I guess there are really two questions here: How do I handle the coach, and how do I handle the players?

Ray,

My suggestion is to NEVER go to the coach at half (or before the game for that matter) for advice on what you should be seeing. If he wants to tell you during the course of the game, simply tell him you'll look for it and move on. The more you ref, he coaches and the players play, the better the game will be. You and I have already talked about how to handle discussions about foul discrepancies. If that is really what the conversation is about, end the conversation quickly. Your answer to the coach (re: why you are calling that stuff on his kids)should be "because they are fouling their opponents" or something along thoose lines. Don't try to expalin what kids are thinking. Another possibility is to ask him if he honestly believes that contact like that is acceptable. If he says yes, tell him you will call it the way you are for the opponents and like he wants it for his kids since it is acceptable.

As for the kids, if they foul call it. End of story. Call them all night long.