Best ways to find time for coaches

[BryanV21]

I care about what you guys say, so I'm curious as to why this is such a problem.

I'm not putting words in my partners mouth, nor am I having a three minute conversation with the coach about what my partner said. A quick "my partner said your player lifted his pivot foot before the dribble" seems harmless to me. If that's not enough, then the coach will have to wait.

Trust me, there have been plenty of times when there was a foul called by the lead or center, and I... as the trail... was by the coach and he wanted me to explain the call. To which I'd say something like "I wasn't looking there, you'll have to check with my partner."

When I said it was "very rare", I meant it. Hell, I can't remember it happened, but it seems like something I might have done.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

I care about what you guys say, so I'm curious as to why this is such a problem.

I'm not putting words in my partners mouth, nor am I having a three minute conversation with the coach about what my partner said. A quick "my partner said your player lifted his pivot foot before the dribble" seems harmless to me. If that's not enough, then the coach will have to wait.
....

Again, why would your partner tell you this instead of telling the coach himself?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Again, why would your partner tell you this instead of telling the coach himself?

I know for me, regardless of intentions, I wouldn't trust anyone else to relay a message where even one changed word could set a coach off.

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Again, why would your partner tell you this instead of telling the coach himself?

I don't know. Maybe I haven't done it, it just sounded like something I could do to help the coach and my partner. A way to improve communication with coaches. Who knows?

It'll probably never happen, or have to happen. But just in case, because stranger things can and will pop up, I'd like to know why it's a problem like some have made it out to be. Instead of, like BNR has said, something that simply shouldn't come up.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by Adam

I know for me, regardless of intentions, I wouldn't trust anyone else to relay a message where even one changed word could set a coach off.

Thank you

[Adam]

I think BNR was alluding to the same problem I identified.

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

I don't know. Maybe I haven't done it, it just sounded like something I could do to help the coach and my partner. A way to improve communication with coaches. Who knows?

It'll probably never happen, or have to happen. But just in case, because stranger things can and will pop up, I'd like to know why it's a problem like some have made it out to be. Instead of, like BNR has said, something that simply shouldn't come up.

Here is an example from something that happened in my association. A coach didnt like a travel call against his player. A possession or 2 later he asks one of the non-calling official who was in front of him about it. After the exchange, the coach yells across the court, "See, even your own partner didnt think it was a travel." The non-calling official would later explain that "all he did" was answer a hypothetical about if the kid had done X blah blah blah." But the coach took it and ran with it and was trying to divide and conquer like many coaches like to do.

Again, there is just no upside to trying to relay info on judgement calls. None. If your partner has time to tell you, then he can find time to tell the coach. If its that important. Again, 98% of the time its not. And most of the time the coach doesnt even really want an explanation. They are trying to manipulate the situation and gain an advantage for the next call.

Bottom line is that trying to relay info does nothing to improve communication with the coach and often can lead to problems. Its too easy for things to get lost in translation even if you quote your partner verbatim.

I agree that communication with coaches is important. But being a middle man is not the way to do it.

[Adam]

If I'm the partner who talked about the hypothetical and the coach did that, we're all getting a short free throw break.

[BillyMac]

Coach is questioning a partner’s call:

“Coach, that’s a good call, as a crew we have to make that call.”
“We’re calling it on both ends.”
“Coach, he/she was right there and had a great angle.”
“Coach, we’re not going there, I can’t let you criticize my partner.”
“Coach, he/she had a great look, but if you have a specific question, you’ll have to ask him/her, he/she’ll be
over here in just a minute.”
“Tell me, I’ll ask him.”

Source: Topeka (Kansas) Officials Association

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by Adam

If I'm the partner who talked about the hypothetical and the coach did that, we're all getting a short free throw break.

Agree. That's an automatic with a "sit down and not one more word to or about us.... Or you can go sit on the bus."

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

You said yourself he didn't ask about a call and that the official didn't relay anything about his partner's call. The coach asked about something else and only then turned it into being about a prior call. That is entirely on the coach, not the official.

No I didn't. In fact I clearly stated that he asked about the call.

Originally Posted by VaTerp

A coach didnt like a travel call against his player. A possession or 2 later he asks one of the non-calling official who was in front of him about it.

The entire conversation was about the previous call and I put "all he did" was answer a hypothetical in quotes for a reason. This official himself uses this as an example of why not to engage with coaches about partners' calls.

Its not the exact same thing as "relaying" info from a partner but to say it has nothing to do with the situation here is being obtuse.

Its all part of the larger point about not engaging in conversations with coaches about partners' calls because coaches will often just try to use it to their advantage or try to divide and conquer the crew in hopes of getting calls moving forward. I think most see the relevance.

My advice to the official who was thinking about relaying info from a partner was, and is, to simply get away from that line of thinking altogether for the reasons that have been stated multiple times in this thread.

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by Adam

If I'm the partner who talked about the hypothetical and the coach did that, we're all getting a short free throw break.

The official involved said he thought about going there but decided against it b/c he realized he made a comment that could have been construed that way. The coach set up a trap and he fell for it.

There are others who feel that he should have rang him up anyway. The debate continues to this day.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

The official involved said he thought about going there but decided against it b/c he realized he made a comment that could have been construed that way. The coach set up a trap and he fell for it.

There are others who feel that he should have rang him up anyway. The debate continues to this day.

He used one partner against the other. That's one reason to ring him up. Yelling across the court is another. Personally, I don't see much room for debate on this one.

[Dad]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

The official involved said he thought about going there but decided against it b/c he realized he made a comment that could have been construed that way. The coach set up a trap and he fell for it.

There are others who feel that he should have rang him up anyway. The debate continues to this day.

I'll take a punch if I screwed something up. This isn't taking a punch and I'd bet my car the coach knew exactly what he was doing.

I'm not allowing this. I'm more likely to allow a coach to tell me to f*** off.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

The official involved said he thought about going there but decided against it b/c he realized he made a comment that could have been construed that way. The coach set up a trap and he fell for it.

There are others who feel that he should have rang him up anyway. The debate continues to this day.

I get that he felt used at the time, and I'm not saying he was wrong to not call the T.

I'm calling it, however, and not losing a moment's sleep over it. And frankly, I'm calling it as either official in this exchange. If I'm the one across the court, I'm only giving my partner about 2 seconds to blow his whistle before I blow mine.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

Here is an example from something that happened in my association. A coach didnt like a travel call against his player. A possession or 2 later he asks one of the non-calling official who was in front of him about it. After the exchange, the coach yells across the court, "See, even your own partner didnt think it was a travel." The non-calling official would later explain that "all he did" was answer a hypothetical about if the kid had done X blah blah blah." But the coach took it and ran with it and was trying to divide and conquer like many coaches like to do.

Again, there is just no upside to trying to relay info on judgement calls. None. If your partner has time to tell you, then he can find time to tell the coach. If its that important. Again, 98% of the time its not. And most of the time the coach doesnt even really want an explanation. They are trying to manipulate the situation and gain an advantage for the next call.

Bottom line is that trying to relay info does nothing to improve communication with the coach and often can lead to problems. Its too easy for things to get lost in translation even if you quote your partner verbatim.

I agree that communication with coaches is important. But being a middle man is not the way to do it.

That has nothing to do with this situation. The official in your situation wasn't commenting on a previous call.