Quote:
Originally Posted by ajmc
If you see it, you need to address it immediately right there on the spot, as inconspicuously as possible, but the person suggesting such tactics needs to be instructed that what he is teaching is wrong, will absolutely not be tolerated and if repeated, or carried out, will be dealt with harshly and reported.
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I would not worry about being inconspicuous.
At a middle school game earlier this year, the winning team taunted the defense after yet another touchdown. We immediately flagged the taunting, but the losing coach did not think that was sufficient. He yelled to his players to "Punch him in the mouth if he does that again."
I immediately took an official's timeout and had a talk with him in front of his bench. I kept my voice at a conversational level and turned my back to the bench area while we were talking so as to keep the discussion private, but everyone on that sideline knew why I was there. After explaining the error of his ways, I had him call his team to the sideline so he could tell them he said it in frustration and they were not to follow through on the instruction. I took the opportunity, while he talked to his team, to move to the other sideline and discuss the USC with the winning coach. He had already pulled the offender from the game and we did not see him again that afternoon.
No more problems from either side. Had I let it go, however, who knows what might have happened.