Best ways to find time for coaches
 

Trying to create better on-court relationships with coaches this season and I'm finding it's still a challenge to get to them to answer questions in a timely manner during the game. This isn't about toadying to cry-baby or out-of-order coaches. I'm talking about good game management when an ear or a few words of explanation would be appropriate.

This is especially difficult in two-whistle, when you might find yourself opposite the benches for numerous trips up and down the court. Breaks at the quarter are often too far away, and free throw situations too infrequent. And timeouts are bad because a coach is, of course, dispensing his or her wisdom to the players and understandably doesn't want to eat up that time (especially if angry about a call). There's also the element that if you get to them too much later, you're bringing up a dog that's gone to sleep and you should just let lie.

Would like to hear what's worked best best for tending to coaches, not interrupting the game too much, and hopefully doing more than just yelling a line of explanation (to them and undeserving fans) over the shoulder on the way to the lead position.

Talk with them when it makes sense, and only to answer a question they may have. Other than that your whistle and call communicates EXACTLY what you had on a play.

Free Throw ...
 

Connecticut is a 100% IAABO state, with all IAABO mechanics. IAABO mechanics dictate that the trail (Connecticut is, for all intents and purposes, a two person state) always goes opposite the table on all free throws. If we feel a need to communicate something to a coach, we will occasionally have the trail set up table side on a free throw (lead goes opposite the table in this case) to be better able to talk to a coach. I probably did this once, or twice, this season with good results. It's certainly better than trying to carry on a short discussion from the other side of the court.

Reporting - If I'm going to be in front of the table to report anyway and I can see the coach has a concern or question I can address as i get back into position for the next play I can do that.

Dead Time - If we are making a correction to the shot clock, or waiting for an injured player, etc. Any of these times I will go over near coaches to see if they have a question or concern to bring up.

Adminstering Free Throws - If my partner is reporting and I'm at the bottom I might step towards the coaches side between free throws (that aren't going to be live) in order have a quick listen before administering #2.

Post Quarter or Halftime Breaks - Coming out of breaks as we get set up or get players moving if a coach needs a moment so long as things are moving quickly I can find one.

Deal with it when its in front of you - If something has happened and I know an explanation is going to be looked for give it then quick. We've got a local coach who doesn't complain but on every block call in a potential PC situation coach just walks toward the calling official/table as they report asking what player x did or asking if the call was because player x did (fill in the blank). We tell him what we had and move on.

Don't worry too much about talking with the coaches. When a coach truly needs an answer, he will find a way to get it. The official doesn't have to worry about making it over to the coach. The opportunity will eventually present itself when warranted.
In fact, it is often better to give no response at all to some of the things that coaches get upset about and just move on with the game. A coach will have perhaps one or two legitimate questions during a game. Anything more is just bellyaching and needless complaining.

This also use to be the NFHS and CCA Men's & Women's mechanic. As a retired college official I had no problem with the change at the college level because coaches tend to be more professional and you see individual coaches multiple times during the season.

BUT!! It is not a good mechanic for H.S. whether it is a two or three-person crew. H.S. coaches, in far too many cases, lack the professionalism to let a call go. It just puts the H.S. official in a position where he has to listen to a complaining coach.

MTD, Sr.

This may be an in Rome thing but we were asked by the powers that be to seek out coaches directly to communicate with them/work with them. If a coach is upset about a call find them at the end of half/quarter to let them know what you saw or to hear their grievance. Go talk to coaches to break up time out huddles and share instructions or what you are seeing with them to re-enforce to their players, etc. We were constantly being encouraged to talk more to players and coaches vs blowing the whiste and walking away.

Ironically enough at the same time we were being asked to have a pretty high standard on calling violations and contact so that may have had something to do with it. Expecting coaches to be unused to or upset by tighter standard and talking them through the process. A lot of hand holding in retrospect.

It seems like the majority of questions from coaches (well, legitimate ones, at least) are about fouls... so after reporting them is usually the best time to have a quick chat.

For example, here's what happened to me on Tuesday night:

A1 and B1 both jump to try to catch an errant pass. They collide (incidental); but on the way down, B1's arm comes across and slaps A1 in the face, causing A1 to fall. From the coaches angle, he couldn't have seen the slap. (I'm not describing it all that well, but it was definitely a foul on B1).

I call a foul on B1. Of course, B1 is the starting point guard, and it's his 3rd foul about 6 minutes into the game.

Coach (as I'm on the way to report): "What? How can that be a foul?"
Me: "I'll be right with you, coach". I then report the foul. "Ok, coach, what's your question?"
Coach: "How was that a foul on my player? They both jumped for the ball, it's not my guy's fault that he fell"
Me: "Coach, on the way down, he slapped A1 in the face. There's no way I can't call that."
Coach: "Oh, I didn't see that... ok, that's a good call then."

And we moved on.

I don't find time. If the time is available, and the coach is respectfully asking a legitimate question, I will give a short explanation or answer.

Otherwise, I'm just nodding my head or continuing to go about my business.

I know this isn't your fault, but as a general rule, I don't like this. This takes the "be approachable" thing too far. It sounds like you're supposed to be their sounding board instead of working the game.

If a coach is near by, I will give them a short answer. If I am the Trail during a free throw or throw-in and the coach right in front of me is asking me something, i will try my best to answer legitimate questions. I will not go in the backcourt to the other bench during a free throw to talk to coaches. A lot of guys do it but I refuse to unless it is something really out of the ordinary that needs an explanation. If I need to address the coach on the other end I will either just turn around and say something or tell him as I run by going to be the new Lead.

This is what pre-season rules clinics, meetings, emails, memos, etc. are for. Expecting officials to convey this info during games is a lose-lose proposition IMO.

I think communicating with coaches is important. But the focus should be on finding the the most effective and most concise way to convey info and getting back your attention to calling the game.

I don't worry about finding time to talk to coaches. I just try to work on, again, language that is effective and efficient.

I can understand the challenges 2 man or going opposite after reporting present in terms of opportunities to talk to coaches. But I would not worry about it. Just focus on your communication skills so that when those opportunities do present themselves the conversation is quick and you convey what you want to convey.

It's very rare, but there have been times I've asked my partner what he saw on a call, and explained that the coach had a question about it. That way, if I have a chance to answer the question the coach has about the call, but my partner hasn't had a chance, I can give him the answer.

Depending on the coach I'll respond/ignore whatever they say after reporting the foul. For violations, I almost never see a need to talk to a coach. I'm going to guess in a year or two you'll realize you're worrying too much about coaches. I ignore them any time I don't think there's a good reason to respond. Some coaches I respect and I'll talk to them all game long, np. Others, the moment they open their mouth and it's directed at me I'll tell them to zip it and aim their yipping to their players. Broad range, I know, but such is the life of officiating and coaches.

Let your partner explain his own call. I'm not going to ask a partner what they saw during a game other than to make sure we are the se page as far as the rules or game management..

Gross.