Sorry for the long post but it is needed to set the scenario.
I know it seems as if I have been down on some partners lately but today's situation takes the prize.
Two whistle, MS tournament, championship game. I get notification from Arbiter about three hours prior to game time that I had a new U1 - someone I didn't know. No problem as I enjoy working with new people at times - especially if it is a lower level game such as MS. I get there probably a hour early because I wanted to see the game prior to ours. My partner arrives about 15 minutes prior to game time so I have to do a rush pre-game. Found out he is a first year official and got the call at lunch to cover this game due to my original partner having to leave town unexpectedly. I try to go over as much as I can in a 5 minute period and then we head to the floor. I check the books, etc and off we are to tip off.
Well his lack of experience showed quickly. As play was in the front court, he would stand about 10 feet
behind the division line. While standing back there he called a double dribble in my area from way back there. He missed several traveling violations, etc but I racked it up to inexperience. At the first TO we had I asked him to close down while we were in the FC and he got better at it after that. I also noticed he wasn't doing a visual count while the team was bringing the ball down the court. I mentioned it to him and he did a little better.
Well if this was the only issue, I would have been okay but....... Near the end of the second period, he again has no visual count and the offense is being pressed heavily and having a hard time getting it past mid court. It seems that they took well over 10 seconds but I wasn't going to call it from my L position. Needless to say the visiting team's coach was pretty upset and they clearly had the home team trapped. At the end of the period the coach said something to my partner about not calling 10 seconds and not having a visual count. I overheard it and the HC was nice about it but my partner says (in a very defensive and loud tone - " I counted it in my head and that should be good enough for you. You worry about your team and I will take care of the calls." Needless to say this flew all over the coach. I immediately step in and ask both of them to calm down and lets get off the floor for half time. Well the HC continues and so does my partner. I am thinking "great I may have to give the coach a T but he is being provoked by my partner!!!" The HC kept on and I finally said "coach, I will handle this but you are going to have to be calm. I heard your complaint and we will address it so please don't make me have to give you a T. I understand your frustration but we can't be raising our voice at each other". He said he had no problem with me but did my partner. I told him "coach, consider this your warning - another word and I will have to give you a T" He turned and went to the locker room. I probably should have issued the T but I was trying to defuse the situation that my partner has started.
We get to our locker room and I asked my partner why he raised his voice to the coach. He responded that he accused me of not having the BC count. I told him that didn't justify his response. I told him that it puts us in an embarrassing situation by him yelling at a coach. He was very defensive and said he wasn't go to stand there and take it. I told him that if he really wants to officiate ball he is going to have to get some thick skin and let things go - especially when the HC asked him in a calm tone initially.
So should I have T'd the coach anyway? I wanted to give them both a T but obviously that isn't possible
