Always learning

[BlitzkriegBob]

First match of the year night before last. I am the R2. Varsity match between two 1A schools, both with new coaches. Home team, where I do about three matches per year, is a Christian school unlike the ones you unfortunately always seem to hear about. This school always exemplifies excellent sporting behavior. Coaches never complain, heck don't even question any calls. Fans never complain and I always exit the gym hearing nothing but "Thank you" and "You did a great job!" one after another.

Visiting team was whining from the first whistle. Not a lot, but a few times each set. In the first set, after an obvious touch on a block that went out of bounds and was called as such by R1. Coaches began chirping but quieted down after I gave them a quick "That's enough, let's play." They, and their fans, chirped quite a few times at one of the line judges, but never bad enough/long enough to warrant any action. Match went 5 sets, with the visitors winning 16-14 in the fifth. All in all a pretty nice start to the season.

So what did I learn? The only real problem I had began in the second set when the visiting coach was standing in the substitution zone giving instruction during a dead ball. Just a step beyond the attack line so I chalked it up to him not realizing he was over the line. In the third set he does it again, this time a couple of steps into the substitution zone. Since it's close to the end of the set I make a mental note to talk to him between sets. I do that, informing him he needs to instruct his players while standing in the replacement zone and not the substitution zone. He looks at the lines on the court and then back at me and says "okay". I also inform R1 that I talked to the coach. Fourth set there is a loose ball on our side of the court and he stands to retrieve it in the substitution zone, taking the opportunity to give more instruction. I let it go. Still halfway through the fourth set he again stands in the substitution zone to provide instruction, and I subtly begin with "Coach" but get no further as he tells me, without looking back "I hear you" and slowly backs up to his seat on the bench.

At that point in time I decided that the next time that happened I would penalize the coach. I was trying to remember what the penalty would be and figured I should treat it as a delay. This morning I have time to look it up and realize that it is actually considered unsporting conduct and that the proper penalty would have been a yellow card. I hate to think that I would need to bust out a yellow card in the first match of the year, but luckily from that point on the coach always stood in the replacement zone while instructing his players during dead balls.

How did I handle this, other than the obvious scolding that I should know the rule? Was I too lenient? Would I have been OOO for giving a yellow card if it had happened again? Any other comments are welcome!