Scrimmage not so fun

[deecee]

BV scrimmage today that ended in disaster. One team started off chippy with a T within the first 2 minutes. The player that got the T then stormed off and I didn't see him squirt water on the court on purpose, neither did my partner, otherwise he would have been done.

Then another player on the same team had received a warning from my partner and continued to say something. My partner with his back turned I see the kid mouth something to him so I ring him up. I had also told him I had enough. Both times coach was more interested in us talking to the players and him rather than T and I told him we warned the kid(s) first.

Then after the second T the coach takes him out and the kid is acting up and I tell the coach he's done for the day (rather than go through the whole second T since it was an informal scrimmage). Coach said I couldn't do that it was a scrimmage and I told him that wasn't the case.

Then another player on the court looks at me and says, "I thought we weren't letting in Syrian refugees into this country."

What do you think happened after?

[Rich]

A wise, since deceased, supervisor once said, "You're working for free and they're not keeping score. Don't waste time with technicals. Put the ball on the table and go to the house."

[JRutledge]

I do not think teams should play each other before the season. Just my take. It sounds like you create some other issues by doing this. But that is my two cents on the matter.

Peace

[Rich]

Well, that's what scrimmages are in most of the civilized world -- teams scrimmage each other.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rich

Well, that's what scrimmages are in most of the civilized world -- teams scrimmage each other.

Well then play a real game. But I mostly hear of all these problems about how they are handled. If they are scrimmages, then why all the problems? Just an opinion after all.

Peace

[deecee]

I called the game walked off, blood boiling, pissed, hurt and upset. I will be filing my report with the section chairman (who happened to be the other coach in the game).

Even the fans were disgusted at the behavior of the one team, and I heard several of their fans say they were ashamed at the behavior and embarrassed as they left the gym.

[Rich]

Cause people are stupid......and officials are powerless when these things don't matter.

I do scrimmages....for the check and to shake off rust. And they just don't behave that way here. If they did, I'd just leave.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not think teams should play each other before the season. Just my take. It sounds like you create some other issues by doing this.

Originally Posted by Rich

Well, that's what scrimmages are in most of the civilized world -- teams scrimmage each other.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Well then play a real game. But I mostly hear of all these problems about how they are handled. If they are scrimmages, then why all the problems?

I've been working high school varsity intersquad scrimmages for thirty-five years, and never once considered that the extremely rare problems that I had encountered, like a player mouthing of to me, were caused because there were two different teams involved.

Players could mouth of to an official in an intrasquad scrimmage just as easily as in an intersquad scrimmage.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I've been working high school varsity intersquad scrimmages for thirty-five years, and never once considered that the extremely rare problems that I had encountered, like a player mouthing of to me, were caused because there were two different teams involved.

Players could mouth of to an official in an intrasquad scrimmage just as easily as in an intersquad scrimmage.

The last statement is very true, but at least a coach can handle it and decide what to do. When the actions between teams tend to be more contentious and they are not playing with their "friends" they environment is much more laid back. When they are competing against opponents that they do not like already, a lot more can happen. At least in a real game there is consequences. It could be just like a summer game that also has not governing body jurisdiction over the contest, but there are usually some defined standards of behavior that often are more harsh than the actual regular season games for at least the league, tournament or shootout involved.

And I am not so much worried about them mouthing off to me, but what they do with the opponent. Even during a scrimmage we do when they mouth off to me, I am much more vocal and explain to them what could happen in a real situation. But those games are so laid back that this almost never becomes the case.

Peace

[OKREF]

Aren't you guys told to treat scrimmages just like a normal game? We've always been told to treat them the same.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by OKREF

Aren't you guys told to treat scrimmages just like a normal game? We've always been told to treat them the same.

No. Most of the time they are done to just play a "quarter" or a brief period of time. And as I stated, these are intrasquad scrimmages which often involve different levels like the Sophomore team playing the Varsity and we are not keeping track of any fouls or even shooting normal shots on fouls (1 for 2).

Heck on Thursday I had a scrimmage which for the very first time they ran situations where they would play a real timed game but would play like the last 4 minutes of a half or play an overtime period with set fouls already on the board. But parents are there and they are mostly trying to just showcase the new teams for the year and give parents a way to see the team before they play.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

At least in a real game there is consequences.

Good point. I'm not sure how the coach, athletic director, principal, or the Connecticut state interscholastic sports governing body, would handle a fight in an intersquad scrimmage, but I know how I, as on official, would handle it, just like it was a real game. Flagrant fouls, disqualifications, ejections of coaches (if warranted by rule), game reports to my assignment commissioner, and to the state interscholastic sports governing body. And if the coaches involved, or the site director, didn't comply with any of the penalties I imposed during the scrimmage, then I'm heading out the door, and I'll worry about my check later.

By the way, that's exactly how I would handle a fight in an intrasquad scrimmage.

Back to reality. I don't believe that I charged a technical foul in a scrimmage in thirty-five years. But there can always be a first time.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Rich

Well, that's what scrimmages are in most of the civilized world -- teams scrimmage each other.

Here, scrimmages are always intra-squad. I've never seen one where it involves two different teams. As a result, we just don't have these issues with scrimmages.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

No. Most of the time they are done to just play a "quarter" or a brief period of time ... we are not keeping track of any fouls or even shooting normal shots on fouls ...

In my little corner of Connecticut, most intersquad scrimmages are played in six periods (four varsity, two subvarsity), stop time, with the score reset to zero after each period. We don't keep track of personal, or team, fouls, and we only shoot "in the act", and "and one", free throws.

Odd tradition here, players never wear their "real" uniforms in intersquad scrimmages, they always wear T-shirts, or scrimmage vests. Officials often have to report fouls on player #0 because many players don't have numbers.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Here, scrimmages are always intra-squad. I've never seen one where it involves two different teams.

Funny. In thirty five years, I've never worked an intrasquad scrimmage, all have been intersquad.