Coach lobbying for calls pregame
 

I'm curious about how the esteemed members of this forum handle this type of thing. I don't get it often, if ever but I had a coach earlier this season try to lobby for a call before the game even started. After captain/coaches meeting, we were standing in our spots near half court with like 4:00 before tip. Coach walks up and asks a question about waist bands then makes a comment like "just so you know, I watched a lot of film and 30 carries the ball every trip down." I just turned and walked away because I have very little patience for coaches acting like jerks and I thought that was pretty annoying. My partners humored him. I ended up getting his PG twice in the first 5 min for illegal dribbles, and he was a prick the whole game. Any thoughts on this type of crap?

It seems like the coaches who act like nice guys pregame end up being the worst lately.

Keep It Simple ...
 

"I'll watch for it coach."

And then either watch for it, or ignore, whatever suits your fancy.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.jant...137920_low.jpg

+1. A succinct, cordial response (like Billy's) is better than just turning and walking away. But it doesn't have to be anything more than that. Just enough so that he knows he was heard.

Beyond that, you now have information. It's totally up to you how you judge and use it.

This is why I love football. I ask each coach what they've seen about the other team on film we should be aware of (they both know I've asked that question) and then the crew packs it away in case it's needed later.

Yes. The purpose of the "coaching" box doesn't include acting like a prick the whole game. Give the warning early and follow through if the coach doesn't get the message. And do it before halftime.

My comment would have been, "OK." Then I would have moved on and done exactly what I would have done before that comment. If there was a carry, I would call it like I normally would. But I would not make it up or ignore an obvious violation.

Peace

You are asking about how to respond to the coach. I agree with Jeff--a simple "OK."

But, as billyu2 notes, your post raises a second concern when you said that the coach "was a prick the whole game." Only if you let him. Otherwise, warn or T him, T him again, then exile him to the locker room.

He was warned, an assistant whacked, and that shut him up.

Coach/fan definition of a carry: What the other team's point guard does.

(Maybe I'm delusional with age, but as I watch HS ball, I think about 30-40 carries a game would be called if the standard was the same as when I played.)

this

Right.

I don't know that it works in this situation, but sometimes you can deal with the situation by saying, "Let's get (other coach) in here and discuss so we can all be on the same page."

That might be true but does not mean it would be correct. Players do not dribble anymore with the ball perfectly on top. The current interpretation is also not that strict either. This is why I laugh when I hear for calls for a carry when no move is being made to get by the defender.

Peace

That is one I will keep in my back pocket, I like it.

This. Or "I'll watch for it." Or "tell me what he's doing." Or go to #30 and tell him to make sure you're not carrying the ball.

Everybody's Talkin' At Me (Harry Nilsson, Midnight Cowboy, 1969) …
 

I won't do this pregame after being spoken to by opposing coach, it's not fair to screw around with the kid's head pregame.

Now, if I see something odd in the game, I may mention it to the player, or to his coach, especially in a subvarsity game.

If some of us don't like coaches trying to mess around with our heads pregame, why would we want to do the same thing before the game begins to a player.

Usually At Halftime ...
 

Not my favorite tool on my black tool belt, but I have used it a few times, usually in regard to rough play, usually at halftime.

I would just stare at him with a dumb look on my face or tell him "the opposing coach said the same thing about your point guard".

Every time a HC would try this stunt with me I would stop him before he got started and inform him that if I listened to everything that he told me about his opponent that I would have to go the opposing HC and asked him to tell me everything he thought your team was guilty of. That ended the conversation before it got started every time.

MTD, Sr.

I also had a coach tell me the same thing before a game. It was the first game fo the season. He told me that a particular player carries the ball a lot. I was familiar with the player, I called a few of his games over the past years. Anyway, I asked the coach to define a "carry". Once we covered what the rule was, he backed off and I never heard him the rest of the night.

I have had coaches ask me how we are going to call certain things. I try not to get into that discussion with coaches because no matter what you say, they will try and use it against you at some point during the game. When asked about these things during the pregame, I try and paraphrase the rule (without sounding stupid) and stick to that. I will not tell them how I am going to call something.

When it comes to rules, I just tell them "we'll call it per the rule book".

That is essentially what the outcome is. Having a short (very short) discussion during a pregame if a question does come up, makes me better and might even teach the coach a thing or two. Actually engaging with coaches when needed goes a long way.