Offseason Discussion: TCOB

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Every once in awhile I hear veteran officials make statements such as, "I can count on one hand the number of T's I've issued in my career."... interpreted as, "I'm too scared to take care of business and penalize misbehavior."

Thirty-six years for me, and I would need more than two hands to count career technical fouls that I've charged to high school coaches. I might be able to count career high school coach ejections on one hand.

Maybe it's my thirty years teaching science at the middle school level. I could go an entire year without any student office referrals. I would go months between student detentions. Yet I was considered a strict disciplinarian. I never ignored poor behavior, and addressed it every single time. How did I accomplish that? Communication. Patience. Attention to detail. Hard work. Caring attitude.

Same thing with coaches. Always hustle, no matter what the score. Sprint when you're supposed to sprint. Use proper body language to show that you care, again, no matter what the score. Communicate often with coaches, not long discussions, just short statements. "Coach, I'll watch for three seconds", is better than ignoring him, even if you know that there isn't a three seconds problem. Coaches want to be heard. Address all inappropriate behavior before it escalates. "Coach, please calm down", "Coach, you've got to let me call the game", will go a long way in preventing technical fouls. Never ignore bad behavior by a coach, it won't fix itself, or go away, on it's own.

Two seasons ago, one technical foul to a high school coach. Last season, no technical fouls to a high school coach. I'm not proud of it, I don't wear it like a badge, it's just a fact. Yet, my peer ratings are always great under the category of game management.

Maybe it's my gray hair, and the fact that I've been to the rodeo a few times. When I walk onto the court, coaches know what to expect from me, and they know that I know what to expect from them. You can't beat experience to help with game management.

[JRutledge]

I stopped worrying about what other officials do in this area a long time ago. One of the reasons is because we are individuals and what we tolerate or what we allow can be several different things. Really do not think much of those statements either way.

Peace