Assistants chirping from bench

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by UNIgiantslayers

That's my problem. So I have to be a little quicker otherwise I'll hear it all night. But I also have to be careful because I don't want to lose games because that's my only tool. So I try to be approachable and laid back but have a distinct line in the sand that if it's crossed I won't hesitate. How would I justify to an evaluator whacking a guy for snickering? Do you guys think it would make me look bad or would they know what I was trying to accomplish?

That's why I don't like to tell head coaches to "control their bench". There is no room for snickering when you tell the HC "I'm not tolerating any more comments from your assistants."

[Dad]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

That's why I don't like to tell head coaches to "control their bench". There is no room for snickering when you tell the HC "I'm not tolerating any more comments from you assistants."

I tried talking to assistants and I didn't really like the results, but I also think there are infinitely better ways then saying, "control your bench." Too many ways for this to be taken wrong and the HC or AC to say something stupid where you regret even saying anything. I just run by with a question that gets my point across and I'm basically already gone before they've thought of an answer.

[BatteryPowered]

I usually tell the HC "Your assistant is about to cost you the box." It lets everyone know I hear the comments and gives the HC a chance to take care of business. I always try to walk the fine line between working with a coach and putting up with too much.

Last night in a close varsity girls game (3 officials)...after the 3rd quarter the crew got together and agreed we needed to have more whistles. The game started getting a little chippy in the middle of the third and even without talking to each other we started calling it a little tighter. A little more than two minutes into the 4th we have a held ball (I am C, table side, tie-up was FT line extended at the arc on the opposite side). Trail hits his whistle quickly on the held ball but immediately heads down court. Just as he turns the player on the team trailing by 3 pulls hard as she pivots her hips and flings the other player a good 6 feet (she does not hit the floor). I immediately call an unsporting T.

After I report the T, her coach asks the usual "What did she do?" I explain and squash his comment that she didn't hear the whistle and tell him "Now, we're done". As the free throws are being shot he keeps expressing his displeasure so I say "Coach, your team is still in this. Do you really want to keep going on about that call?" I knew I had, in my mind, just warned him but gave him the benefit of the doubt that he may not have taken it as a warning. It helped that he had said maybe three things to any of us all game up to that point.

Should I have whacked him...probably. But the point was made and the game finished without incident...and his team lost by 5 after some late free throws were made.

[Pantherdreams]

Originally Posted by BatteryPowered

she pivots her hips and flings the other player a good 6 feet (she does not hit the floor).

Is she still up there?

[SD Referee]

Pretty much all of you guys have given some great advice and great things to say that will handle the situation. Thanks! It's fun to learn how other guys handle things in the profession.

[Welpe]

I like Rich's advice and I've used this myself at the sub-varsity level where the coaches probably aren't as experienced:

"Coach, your assistant is about to get a technical foul. That is going to cost YOU your coach's box." Provides a reminder of the incentive to keep his assistant's in line. That's probably not needed at the varsity level.

That isn't the type of comment to avoid. What you need to avoid are the ultimatums. "One more word and you're getting a T!" There's nothing wrong with being direct with a coach about how close he or his assistants are getting.

I also agree with BNR, I don't like to tell coach's how to handle their team.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I like Rich's advice and I've used this myself at the sub-varsity level where the coaches probably aren't as experienced:

"Coach, your assistant is about to get a technical foul. That is going to cost YOU your coach's box." Provides a reminder of the incentive to keep his assistant's in line. That's probably not needed at the varsity level.

That isn't the type of comment to avoid. What you need to avoid are the ultimatums. "One more word and you're getting a T!" There's nothing wrong with being direct with a coach about how close he or his assistants are getting.

I also agree with BNR, I don't like to tell coach's how to handle their team.

I think whatever gets the job done is really up to each official. Ultimatums, threats, even not so great language, if it gets you to get a point across I have learned it does not matter what I personally would do or not do based on another individual.

I have been doing this long enough to see an official tell a coach to actually, "Sit down and shut the #### up" and was amazed the coach did just that very thing.

And when we are talking about assistant coaches, this is no different than many aspects of life. When I am dealing with a business, I do not talk to the person that answers the phone as the person that pays for the phone to be in the office in the first place. That is not being disrespectful, that is knowing who you have to get the point across to in the end. That does not mean be disrespectful to anyone, but you have to make it clear what you want to accomplish and the head coach has to know their role. They have privileges that the assistants simply do not have. I think we spend too much time trying to moralize interactions with adults as if we all are coming to the table with the same sensibilities.

Peace

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I like Rich's advice and I've used this myself at the sub-varsity level where the coaches probably aren't as experienced:

"Coach, your assistant is about to get a technical foul. That is going to cost YOU your coach's box." Provides a reminder of the incentive to keep his assistant's in line. That's probably not needed at the varsity level.

That isn't the type of comment to avoid. What you need to avoid are the ultimatums. "One more word and you're getting a T!" There's nothing wrong with being direct with a coach about how close he or his assistants are getting.

I also agree with BNR, I don't like to tell coach's how to handle their team.

I've come to use the more direct approach, the same general approach I use when a player is getting close to the edge.
"Coach, I'm giving you the chance to deal with xxxx, but he's about to cost you if his comments don't stop."

I've tried "coach I need you to control your bench," but some coaches just don't get it. Being clever is fun, but people don't always catch on when you're clever or subtle.

It's amazing what happens when you talk to them like adults and let them know the expectations.

[BlueDevilRef]

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

Is she still up there?

HA!! awesome

[bainsey]

Who was it in this forum that sometimes said, "Deal with the organ grinder, not the monkey."?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Dad

I tried talking to assistants and I didn't really like the results, but I also think there are infinitely better ways then saying, "control your bench." Too many ways for this to be taken wrong and the HC or AC to say something stupid where you regret even saying anything. I just run by with a question that gets my point across and I'm basically already gone before they've thought of an answer.

That's an important part to this dynamic. Don't stick around to allow a back-and-forth. Make your statement and keep moving.