Weird Coaching Box Situation
 

BV game, home coach is known for being a barker. He kept a soda at the table and every so often during the first quarter, he'd slide up to the table and take a sip, yell instructions to his team, etc. At the quarter break one of my partners tells him he can't do that anymore, with the reason being if we continued to allow that, we would have to allow the V coach (who chose not to even stand most of the game, but that's beside the point) the same privileges. Wasn't going to happen. So he told the coach to take his soda to the bench or forget about it.

As we move to the locker room for halftime, I see out of the corner of my eye the home coach having a discussion with his AD. Partner tells someone to get the AD so we can explain the situation. Partner explains our reasoning (you know, the rule), and the AD replies with "I understand, but our coach's concern is that he thinks you three came into the gym with the intent to get him." I couldn't believe my ears.

Am I right to be upset about that? I understand the sentiment from the coach (who hasn't been that guy once or twice?) during the game, but to hear that from an athletic director's mouth at halftime of a game?

TL;DR Coach questions our integrity through his AD because my partner properly enforced a rule.

First, if you were there to "get" him, you could have stopped his questionable behavior from the beginning.

Second, even if you were there to "get" him, in this case you had every right to do so.

This is the part I don't get. Why? Not necessary. Who cares what the AD thinks or is told?

Your partner broke into jail here. The hurt feelings you're experiencing could have been avoided altogether.

I would tell the AD in no certain terms, "If I wanted to get him, we would have just enforced the rule the first time, not ask him to comply." Then I would after the game send a note to the assignor/supervisor about the situation and tell him/her what the coach and AD said.

Peace

I'm not sure, but the guy has about 20 years of experience on me so I wasn't going to question him.

Also, ADs are the ones who are in contact with our commissioners. I have a lot more respect for ADs than I do coaches.

I am a commissioner. I completely agree with the "breaking into jail" comment.

But ADs can be problems as well. Just because they have a higher responsibility, does not mean they cannot get out of whack either. Sometimes they are worse as they think they act like they have more power than they really do. The officials decide what goes on in-between the lines with the rules and sometimes outside if it influences what goes on in those lines. The AD is to help you do your job better and not interfere.

Peace

"He can't leave the coaching box. There aren't exceptions in the rules for soda breaks."

And I agree that summoning the AD was a mistake. Go about your halftime business (get to the dressing room, discuss what you want, and get back) and enforce the rule. Coach has been warned, which was far more than required.

And yes, if you were out to get him, you wouldn't have even warned him.

It sounds like something is missing from the story. How do you have any idea what the coach and AD are discussing? You warned him after the 1st Q. I assume he complied throughout the 2nd Q. I would have assumed they were talking about something else, because the drink issue was a non-issue at that point.

I'm thinking this is one of those things that I wouldn't give a crap about unless the coach made it a big deal. I mean, what is it, two-three feet to the table for him to take a drink? Must just be me but who cares?

As long as he is quiet or at least not yelling at us, its not on my radar.

Depending on the size of the table, its probably a little further, but I think that I conditionally agree. By that I mean, if it was a college size court, and they use an 8 foot table, he's walking pretty far. On short courts with longer tables? It's probably a lot closer, and not something I would consider to be much an issue. For the same reason that if a coach is 2-3 steps outside of his box giving orders to his kids, if he's coaching, and not complaining, then I'm pretty lenient. In the OP, he walked to the table, said something to his team, and returned to the bench. As long as its a non-issue, I'd prefer to leave it a non-issue.

And I agree entirely with the "breaking into jail" comment. I'm not sure I've heard that description used, but that's exactly what this was. What did you expect the AD to say when you come looking for trouble? I'd rather him tell the truth about the conversation, but I don't think I'd ever get to that point.

I never really gave this any thought until reading this thread, but I now realize that I don't like the coach's box. There are coaches who feel the need to be on their feet the entire game and I don't think they are actually coaching. Don't get me wrong, I have seen very good coaches who are on their feet actually doing good things with their players. For the most part, I think coaches are on their feet to give the appearance that they are doing something.

Coach, Please Get Back In The Box ...
 

Coaches yelling at officials from anywhere outside the coaching box (and, of course, yelling at the officials from inside the coaching box) annoy me.

Coaches coaching from outside the coaching box usually don't annoy me, unless they're way down in the corner, or standing in front of the table, with standing in front of the table being the greater annoyance to me.

Serious question: So?