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CDAREF
More information on the game in question: It was at a tournament, 7th grade boys, the officials looked to be in their early 40s, both had State official's association patches. I didn't get the impression they were new at this.
I'm not a yeller (as a coach.) In fact, I don't talk to the officials at all unless they ask me a question or I have a question. (My philosophy, in general, is that they run the show and I provide the cast.) I called a time-out and walked over to one of the refs - after our second player came out crying after a blow to the the head - and asked if they could call the game a little closer, watch the fouls, because kids were getting hurt. Ref said, "OK" and walked away.
I thought about bringing our player over to talk with the ref too (the one who had just come out) but he was in tears and I didn't want to embarass him further (crying is not cool for a a 13 year old!) Maybe I should have brought him over though.
The play of the game was rough - lots of reaching, body checks, elbows, pushing, grabbing, etc.
I DO think that calling the game closer would have made a difference. I think the kids were testing the boundaries of what they could do (as teenagers will do sometimes) and even a few well-called fouls would have helped the kids go, "Hey, I guess I won't do that again."
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