Coach Berating Players

[so cal lurker]

Originally Posted by billyu2

I think a case could be made to penalize the coach. Unsportsmanlike conduct is unsportsmanlike conduct. Doesn't matter who it is directed at. If the verbal abuse of the kids is unquestionably severe or vulgar, sure, the parents/school will likely deal with it later; but at the moment someone may have to step up. I would take the risk (right or wrong) of putting a stop to it.

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It could, and there's a case play / interp to that effect. But, don't be that guy.

I often think these questions get answered on a forum like this with different people having different visions of the context and expectations of the league. High school? Yeah, don't go there. CYO 6th grade game or YMCA game where the ref is the only authority figure besides the coaches? May go there as the expectations and standards are different. Put another way, I think an internet forum is about the worst place to get an answer to the kind of question here because beyond the high level answer, it becomes so dependent on local expectations. (It is also difficult to see how bad is bad and what lines might have been crossed.)