Sometimes sarcasm has to be met with sarcasm.

Peace

This is one of the situations that I'm trying to improve myself on this year. In years past, I would have a very low tolerance for this and would probably whack after telling him to stop. Even for one comment after that like "I'm talking to my player," I'd whack. I'm really trying to be more approachable this year, in an effort to get to the state tourney. Reading how you more experienced and better officials would handle it is why I really like coming onto this forum.

A serious answer (which carries the risk of "breaking into jail"): Find a time to get next to the coach and say, "If you have a reasonable question about a call, I'll be glad to answer it. But, I can't have you making comments like that."

If he says, "I was talking to my player," then respond, "If you are saying it so I can hear it, you are also talking to me."

Perfect!

Being approachable is subjective. And what people think is approachable is "taking all their s##t no matter what." That is not being approachable. Being approachable should be to talk to them when they have legitimate questions or comments in your direction. And giving them calm and reasonable answers. That does not mean you have to take whatever they give you or not be aware of whatever they are giving you is unsporting. I have directly confronted coaches on their BS only to have them apologize later. We cannot take this job personally, but we do not have to put up with their personal BS either.

Peace

Great point! Perhaps the official should say directly to the assistant right next to the head coach, "The guy that did this last week got whacked before the quarter was even over."

Exactly. Approachability is a two-way street, and the hypothetical coach in the OP is demonstrating he has no desire to have an actual conversation about anything. He thinks he's being clever, when all it's doing is hurting his players.

1. He's teaching them that the refs are just doing it wrong but that somehow magically we're going to adjust to the players. As if we're somehow averse to giving johnny his 5th foul.

2. When a coach acts like this, he shows me he doesn't want to work with me on sportsmanship issues. If that's the case, when johnny starts questioning my calls I'm more likely to just go straight to the T and be done with it. When his AC starts chirping, I'm more likely to go straight to the T and be done with it since the coach's actions tell me it's not worth my effort to work with him.

Now that's funny.

And when the HC objects, you turn to him and tell him "I wasn't talking to you."

Awesome!!!


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Tweet, technical foul on the head coach for unsporting behavior.
That should put a stop to it, but if it doesn't the second T will.

I have said this more than once in the FT lane prior to shots. Usually goes something like, "No matter what your coach says, you can only play good defense like that 4 more times and then you can't play anymore today."

Everyone seems to get the message.

In our local kids rec league, we would always have a Board member at each game, wearing a jacket with the league logo on it to identify him or her. If there was a problem with a coach or a spectator, the Board member would go over and talk with them. This is a strictly recreational league (with about 1500 players) and we would not allow any poor sportsmanship. If the behavior of the coach or spectator was really bad, they would be directed to leave. If they refused, the Board member would tell them that if they didn't leave, the game would be stopped and all the players, coaches and parents of the players would be told it was because of that coach or spectators actions.

It didn't happen much, but it was always effective in getting the coach or spectator to leave. Oh yeah, if it was a coach, his (or her) name would be taken and there would be an interim Board meeting to deal with the incident.

God, it's like in baseball when a borderline pitch is called a ball and the coach bellows from the dugout "GREAT PITCH JOHNNY!" or "Didn't miss by much!"

I have no tolerance for this crap at all, especially in sub-varsity games. Coaches know what they're doing. The sooner it gets addressed the better.

A great idea, which I've suggested to one local kids rec league with recurring problems. I was told it was too burdensome. I no longer work that league.