The effect of a technical foul on a coach

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Rich

I am an assigner (23 boys and 22 girls varsity programs) and a regular clinician as well as an official.

(1) I wish officials (in general) called more technical fouls, not fewer. This year I'd like to see a warning in the book for each technical that fits the "persistent" category of the three Ps, though.

(2) When an official complains about a coach's behavior in one of my sportsmanship surveys or through an email, I ask when the T was assessed. If you don't whack him, then you have nothing to bitch about.

(3) When I get a report from an official, I thank him/her for the report. When I get a complaint from a coach that he/she got whacked, I ask for video. I want to see why a coach "didn't deserve it."

In 4 years of assigning HS varsity officials -- over 1000 games -- there is only 1 technical so far that I thought was unwarranted, and it was a second direct technical on a coach where I wasn't surprised it was who it was.

And you’re one of the many good assigners when it comes to this aspect of the position. I would say that most assigners are like you on this, but sadly there are some that are not.

And I’m 100% with you on officials that bitch about a coach’s behavior yet did nothing about it during the game. Of course, this isn’t helped by states that rely on coaches’ input for postseason assignments.

Sometimes I think people use “game management” as a cop-out for “not taking care of business.” I also think that a lot of officials that boast about never giving Ts aren’t as great of “game managers” as they purport–they just let coaches get away with more than they should.