Go to phrases for coaches/players
 

I am working on using short and sweet statements for coaches to effectively get a point across without having lengthy dialogue, either to explain calls or addressing behavior. I would love to hear what you guys use so I can improve my communication and game management skills. Thanks.

My favorite is: "Solly. No speekie Engrish".

Players are simple:

Stop the ****ing nonsense and play basketball

You are not good enough to play and officiate at the same time, so stop complaining and just play

Coach he (partner) had a different angle.

This one sounds great for using with rec leaguers. I’m stealing it for next year.



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"Shake your head your eyes are stuck"

"Get off your knees and blow the game"

Oh wait .. I think this is the wrong "go to" list:D

After time is up when trying to explain a rule to a coach....Coach. I tell you what. If I'm wrong I'll give you 50 bucks.

From The Topeka (Kansas) Officials Association ...
 

Communication With Coaches

General Techniques:

Statements by coaches don’t normally need a response. Answer questions, not statements.
Let the coach ask their question first, before speaking. Be a responder, not an initiator.
Most coaches will have questions when they believe the officials have missed an obvious call.
Having the officials in closer proximity often calms down the coach.
Be in control and speak in calm, easy tones. Be aware of your body language; maintain positive and confident
body language.
Make eye contact with the coach when the situation allows.
Do not try to answer a question from an out of control coach; deal with the behavior first.
If you’ve missed a call or made a mistake; admit it. This technique can only be used sparingly, perhaps
once a game.
Don’t bluff your way through a call.
Do not ignore a coach.

Specific Communication Examples:

Coach sees the play very differently than the official:
“Coach, if that’s the way it happened/what you saw, then I must have missed it. I’ll take a closer look next
time.”
“Coach, I understand what you’re saying, however, on that play I didn’t see it that way. I’ll keep an eye for it
on both ends.”
“Coach, we’ll watch for that on both ends.”
“Coach, I had a good look at that play and here’s what I saw (short explanation).”
“Coach, I was in a good position to make that call.”
“Coach, I understand what you’re saying, but my angle was different than yours.”
“Coach, I had a great look at that play, but I understand your question and I’ll have the crew keep an eye on it.”
“Coach, I had that play all the way and made the call.”

Coach believes you’re missing persistent illegal acts by the other team:
“OK coach, we’ll watch for that.”
“Coach, we are watching for that on both ends of the court.”
“Coach, I hear you, and I’ll work hard to get a better view.”

Coach is questioning a partner’s call:
“Coach, that’s a good call, as a crew we have to make that call.”
“We’re calling it on both ends.”
“Coach, he/she was right there and had a great angle.”
“Coach, we’re not going there, I can’t let you criticize my partner.”
“Coach, he/she had a great look, but if you have a specific question, you’ll have to ask him/her, he/she’ll be
over here in just a minute.”
“Tell me, I’ll ask him.”

Coach is very animated and gesturing:
“Coach, I’m going to talk with you and answer your questions, but you must put your arms down/stop the
gesturing.”
“Coach, please put your arms down. Now, what’s your question?”

Coach is raising their voice asking the question:
“Coach, I can hear you. I’m standing right here, you don’t need to raise your voice.”
"Coach, I need you to stop raising your voice and just ask your question calmly.”
“Coach, stop yelling across the court, I’m right here.”

Coach is commenting on something every time down the floor:
“Coach, I need you to pick your spots, we can’t have a comment on every single call that is being made.”
"Coach, I can't have you officiating this game."
"Coach, I understand you're not going to agree with all of our calls, but I can't have you question every
single one."
"Coach, if you have a question, I'll answer if I have a chance, but we aren't going to have these constant
comments."
“Coach, I will listen to you, but you can’t officiate every play.”

Coach has a good point and might be right.
“You’ve got a good point and might be right about that play.”
“You might be right, that’s one we’ll talk about at halftime/intermission/the next time out.”
“You might be right; I may not have had the best angle on that play.”
“Coach, I missed it.”

Coach is venting, make editorial comments:
“I hear what you’re saying”
“I hear what you’re saying, but we’re moving on.”

Coach just won’t let it go:
“Coach, I hear you, but we’re moving on.”
“Coach, enough.”
“I’ve heard enough and that’s your warning.”

Source: Topeka (Kansas) Officials Association

Wow, this is great material. Thank you BillyMac.

Billy's list pretty well covers it all, but the key phrase when asked about a call your partner made is "he/she had a great angle.." They don't want to hear anything about your "area" or anything like that. But if its way out of your primary you can say "I'm not even looking over there but my partner had a great angle"

It also works to tell them "I was watching numbers xx and yy in the post" (or whatever)

To players
 

"This is not the NBA, stop coming to me every time there is a call."

"I was not the one that made the call, ask him (pointing too), he will explain it to you."

They usually get frustrated and stop asking questions. Problem solved. ;)

Peace

Using terms out of the rule book such as legal guarding position, displacement, and incidental contact has gotten me out of some potentially contentious situations with coaches. They usually back off because many have no clue what the rule book says.

Steps ??? We Don't Count No Stinkin' Steps ...
 

Agree.

Also, when confronted with a coach questioning a travel/nontravel call, be sure to identify the pivot foot (left, or right (best guess if you have to)) and what that pivot foot did, or didn't do. This will usually disarm a coach because they usually want to talk about the number of steps, which, of course, as we all know (but they don't) has very little to do with a travel call.

"Coach. His right foot was the pivot foot and it never returned to the floor before the shot was released".

"Coach. Her left foot was the pivot foot and after being lifted it touched the floor before she released the pass".

"Coach. His right foot was his pivot foot and he lifted it off the floor before releasing the ball to start a dribble".

Coaches want to talk about the number of steps so when you come back at them talking about which foot was the pivot foot and what that foot did, or didn't do, it confuses them for a second, they figure that you know what your talking about, and they shut up, or you're long gone up the court.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.a...=0&w=220&h=182

Really good stuff about explaining pivot foot over # of steps. I will incorporate that into my games. Also good stuff CJP, thanks.

....and if the coach wants to argue how many steps a player gets, its just easier to walk away knowing that you're talking about a pivot foot and be able to say, "you're arguing a rule that doesn't exist."

In blowouts, I'll say "time and score, Coach" when explaining why I passed on a foul on the team getting blown out. It's really hard for the winning coach to argue with that one.

My go to phrase (most of the time - gotta be careful with some coaches) in situations where the coach is fired up about a travel/no travel is, "Coach, which foot did you have as pivot?".

99.999% of the time in my experience.......crickets.

Movin' on!

I try to use rule book terminology as much as I can when appropriate, but I used "displacement" this year when a player cleared out a kid with his butt/hips on a rebound. The coach acted like that was the most ridiculous term anyone could use. I even said "Boxing out is okay, displacing someone and moving them isn't". Oh well, not my problem he doesn't get it.

I had a fan in the stands last year who apparently had just learned the word "displacement"... because he yelled it at us every time his daughter had the ball, even when there was no one within 10 feet of her.

Anyway, back on topic, I find this useful for someone who is very close to, but not over, the line on unsportsmanlike issues:
"Don't make me have to make a decision, because you might not like the decision I make"

I personally tell my partners to avoid this type of thinking and attitude for a few reasons.

1. With the amount of video available to teams, plays in which you are speaking of can easily be submitted to assignors or state organizations. When or if a play like that is submitted to your assignor, he/she is not going to look at the play and say well it was a foul but the score didn't warrant it. They may not even be able to tell the score/ game situation with just a clip submitted. They will simple say my official missed that play(s), possibly without you ever knowing the play was submitted.

2. Most often when coaches are ahead like that they aren't totally concerned with the passing of the foul but the risk of someone getting hurt. If you pass on a foul, the offending team might do that action again, or worse commit something more violent or flagrant. I think you should be aware of the precedent you are setting for the kids in these situations.

3. Sometimes we say don't miss anything on team XXX (winning team). While I generally agree with this it must be paired with don't make anything up. When a player makes a good or legal defensive play and we whistle them for a foul they believe that they have done something wrong. There are more games to be played and hopefully they are always learning and shouldn't try to correct/change legal plays.

My .02

My responses can be plotted on a graph where one axis is my mood and the other axis the a-hole quotient of the coach. :cool:

I never would recommend saying this and if my partner did he's on his own. The winning coach doesn't have to argue. We just have to officiate. Although the levels of "advantage/disadvantage" might get adjustments during the game a foul is a foul and I would never say what you said.

You might as well just say "I dont want to be here and just want to go home."

I've heard NBA refs put it as the grey area being adjusted. An obvious foul is still a foul. But plays that require judgment and decision-making, that 50/50 line moves to expand the grey area.

Most coaches understand and recognize this. That's why I'm comfortable saying it the way I say it.

I would never say this either. It might be a reality to why I call a foul in some small situations, but I would not admit that to a coach. For example, if a team is getting pounded and they have a marginal contact take place, I might give them the foul if the score is clearly not going to change in any drastic way if I call a foul. I would never say this or suggest this to a coach.

Peace

Where is the like button?

Peace

To clarify, I never say this after blowing my whistle. Only after choosing not to.

Subtle but important difference in my opinion.

It's both the same. It's a choice you made that effects the game. It's just my opinion, but you can do you. I wouldn't suggest this is all I'm saying to any official, and mind you I say some stuff to coaches that a lot of officials are scared to say for whatever reason. I just take a more blunt approach to jerk coaches.

That is just as bad if not worse. You are telling the coach or player that you did not blow the whistle for a foul that was actually a foul because of the time and situation. I would just rather not say anything at all. Not saying the thinking is not valid, but saying it is different. Just like telling a coach, "It is not my call" as opposed to, "Coach we are not looking at the same thing" or "Coach my partner had a good look at the play that I did not have." You are not lying in either situation, you are just not suggesting you choose not to call something they see as obvious.

Peace

Thirty-Two Minutes ...
 

Agree. My partner, and I, try to be as consistent as we can, for the entire game. No way am I suggesting to the coach that we want to get in, get out, and get paid. Those scrubs that only see varsity action in blowout games deserve the same level of officiating that we gave both teams for the first twenty-five minutes of the game.

When I'm the referee, this is how I end all of my pregames: This game is the most important game being played anywhere tonight for these kids, fans, and coaches. Let’s make sure we officiate the game keeping that in mind, through our effort, and attitude.

At a soccer game, a coach and I went back and forth for a moment, and I wound it up by saying, "OK, coach, I'll give you the last word. What is it?" He was speechless, and we moved on.