Foul count

[Nevadaref]

Your story is exactly why I advise officials to keep their mouths shut until reaching the lockerroom with the door closed. Better yet, wait until you meet somewhere away from the school after the game.

I constantly observe officials wanting to talk about plays or situations when it isn't appropriate and they just get themselves into trouble.

[j51969]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Your story is exactly why I advise officials to keep their mouths shut until reaching the lockerroom with the door closed. Better yet, wait until you meet somewhere away from the school after the game.

I constantly observe officials wanting to talk about plays or situations when it isn't appropriate and they just get themselves into trouble.

Worked a game on Friday and had one of my partners (1st time working with him) do exactly this several times through out game. He hadn't had this team or coach before. I saw he talking to this coach during a set of free throws. Then coach laughed and said "now your are just embarrasing yourself". Exchange was obviously about his call.....

After game I offered that sometimes less is more.

[Rich]

As an assigner, a vast majority of my complaints about officials deal with officials opening their mouths when they shouldn't.

Example: Coach is not staying in the coaching box, although at this very old school with some unique layout challenges, it's pretty hard for him to do so.

Official talked with him, warned him.

OK, fine. I'm not thrilled with this, but whatever. Coach needs to adjust to officials just like we need to adjust to coach personalities.

The problem was when another coach at the school, working game management, overheard this official telling a partner as they walked out in the second half, "He's going to get one (a technical, obviously) this half."

Sure enough, that's what happened. Now it looks like (and I think a good case can be made) that the official was out to get the coach.

Another official in the last week was reported for trying to joke with a coach in a situation that only the best and most experienced could get away with. Younger official, didn't know the coach, coach didn't know the official, I get an email.

You can't misquote silence.

[Dad]

Originally Posted by Rich

Official talked with him, warned him.

OK, fine. I'm not thrilled with this, but whatever.

How do you want this handled?

[RedAndWhiteRef]

If a coach complains about the foul count, he or she automatically loses credibility with me. Especially at the varsity level. Anyone who understands basketball should know that it's not necessarily going to be equal and the style of play will dictate it more than the officials will. I had a boys JV game earlier this year where one team had way more fouls than the other--that team was jacking up threes against their opponents' zone all night, while their opponents had a size advantage and were banging it inside. The coach never once complained. He knew exactly why. And his team ended up winning the game.

My second or third game of the season, a coach screamed at us right before halftime that his team had 14 fouls while their opponents only had seven. My partner said to him, "I hear you Coach, during halftime we'll go through the rulebook and find the rule that says the fouls have to be equal." Shut that coach right up without even having to raise his voice.

[rsl]

The foul count is one game statistic, score is another.

As officials are we supposed to make sure the score is equal as well?

[Dad]

Originally Posted by rsl

The foul count is one game statistic, score is another.

As officials are we supposed to make sure the score is equal as well?

I doubt anyone is insinuating this. example:

FG game and the score is 48H to 0V. Two minutes to go in the game and V hits a FT but steps on the line. What official is calling this?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dad

How do you want this handled?

I want the officials to recognize that half the box is inaccessible due to the fact it's a 60+ year old gym and the bleachers are almost on the court.

This will fix itself next year (new gym), but for right now I'd prefer to not whack a coach who's off the court, in the area close to where the box would be, who's coaching his team. Maybe I should've communicated that to the officials working in advance, but it's never been a problem before....

[BlueDevilRef]

Originally Posted by Rich

Another official in the last week was reported for trying to joke with a coach in a situation that only the best and most experienced could get away with. Younger official, didn't know the coach, coach didn't know the official, I get an email.

I can't stand this mentality from coaches (or anyone really). I may be new to the basketball world but I've been an official for a long time so not knowing me is not a reason to think I can't handle myself or the situation. I'm meaning big picture here as well. If in your situation the coach didn't like the guy joking the fine but sending an email to tattle on him and admitting that it would be ok if he was older and if he knew him? Cmon!! I hate it bc that just lends assignors (not meaning you here rich) to play good ole boys club and only have the same guys going to same schools all the time. It gets fricking old. Real old.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BlueDevilRef

I can't stand this mentality from coaches (or anyone really). I may be new to the basketball world but I've been an official for a long time so not knowing me is not a reason to think I can't handle myself or the situation. I'm meaning big picture here as well. If in your situation the coach didn't like the guy joking the fine but sending an email to tattle on him and admitting that it would be ok if he was older and if he knew him? Cmon!! I hate it bc that just lends assignors (not meaning you here rich) to play good ole boys club and only have the same guys going to same schools all the time. It gets fricking old. Real old.

Where did you get that from? Rich is saying only a very experienced official with some knowledge of the coach could successfully get away with this behavior.

And what's with complaining about "tattling"? The coach has a right to communicate something he is unhappy about.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Where did you get that from? Rich is saying only a very experienced official with some knowledge of the coach could successfully get away with this behavior.

And what's with complaining about "tattling"? The coach has a right to communicate something he is unhappy about.

I've been out for a few hours and was planning on writing just this exact response -- and I'm glad I didn't have to.

Officials that think that coaches don't communicate to assigners or, perhaps should be immune from such a thing, are delusional at best.

If an official decides to use marginally sarcastic humor with a coach, he'd better have a good working relationship with the coach OR be so well known as an official that the coach thinks better of the situation. Otherwise someone's going to be told about it.

Now, I may not care depending on the coach involved or the official involved, but in this case I knew right away that the official involved couldn't really pull this off and perhaps someone needs to communicate that with him for his own good.

[Adam]

We all have/had a few lessons that need to be learned the hard way.