Pregame festivities

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

**One thing I have done/said in pregame is: "don't interfere or toss the ball to me after it has gone thru the net, this is delay of game, and this pregame warning serves as your official warning, it's a T if done in the game". I do this because players and coaches know they can "get away with one infraction" and the Rule for allowing one instance is so abused. I did admin a T during the season and neither coach nor player complained, not even a murmur---all though I did hear a fan yell--don't they get a warning?!

Sorry, but you were wrong and the fan was right. You ignored the rule and overstepped your bounds. If I was your partner I would have come to you to rescind the T, and if you stuck with it I'd call the assigner and not defend you to the coach, either. You can't give a pregame warning for delay.

As for my pregame dog-and-pony show, it lasts 15 seconds max (we do one meeting here with captains and coaches together). I'm one of very few officials in my area that doesn't ask who the "speaking captain" is, and I couldn't care less. The only thing I say to the coaches other than "have a good game" is the stupid "properly equipped" question because it's required by rule.

Officials that think they're impressive because they recite the entire rule book in their pregame meetings are generally miserable to work with and get a few eye-rolls from the coaches, as well.

[BillyMac]

I pulled these off my hard drive. I don't know if they're still valid, all three are several years old.

The National High School Federation and your state association require officials to enforce sportsmanship rules. High school athletics emphasize positive values. All of us have worked hard to create a sense of teamwork, respect, responsibility and perspective. We remind you that we expect good behavior and will quickly penalize misconduct. We encourage and appreciate your help. Let the competition reflect mutual respect among participants and officials. Coaches please certify that your players are legally equipped and uniformed according the NFHS rules. Good luck and have a great contest! (New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, Kentucky High School Athletic Association)

"PIAA requires all registered sports' officials to enforce the sportsmanship rules for coaches and contestants. Actions meant to demean opposing contestants, teams, spectators and officials are not in the highest ideals of interscholastic education and will not be tolerated. Let today's contest reflect mutual respect. Coaches please certify to the contest official(s) that your players are legally equipped and uniformed according to NFHS rules and PIAA adoptions. Good luck in today's contest." (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association)

To captains: The FHSAA requires officials to enforce all rules regarding unsportsmanlike conduct by players and coaches. Violators will be ejected. It is strongly suggested that you remind your teammates and coaches of this policy. Additionally, this is a simple reminder that jewelry is not allowed, and jerseys must be tucked in during play if they are designed to be worn in. To coaches: Coaches, do you certify that your players are properly equipped and will demonstrate sportsmanlike behavior during today’s contest? (Florida High School Activities Association)

[sdoebler]

Players:
1. Respect Us
2. Respect Each other
3. Respect the Game
Good luck, have fun

Coaches:
Let us know if you want a 30 or 60 so we can let the other coach know
Please respect the coaching box
Good luck, Have fun

[JWP]

If you do junior high games, you often find yourselves in quirky gyms. I use the pregame meeting to cover anything weird with the court, such as auxiliary baskets that are hanging on the edges of the court. Or if there is limited (or in some cases, no) room on the sidelines/baselines, telling both teams they will have to provide a little extra room for the inbounder.

Locally, we are phasing out the captain's meetings and instead meeting with the coaches, giving them quick reminders on letting us know what size of time out they want, coaching boxes, breaking the huddle at the first horn, etc. Seems to be helping.

[Scooby]

While the are differences between the the classroom and sports, they are not totally separate. This is from the NFHS website, so they appear to believe that sports is an extension of the classroom.

"It is understandable that the first responsibility of principals and superintendents is to hire the best possible person for classroom instruction. However, many also agree that the playing field, gym and auditorium are extensions of the classroom. This means a coach’s selection, preparation and continued professional development is equally as important as novice teacher preparation."

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

Invariably during the pregame an official will say such things as:

1. "this is an extension of the classroom, so we expect....[blah blah blah]". I never say such a thing as this because the athletic competition is nothing like a classroom where the expectations are different.

2. "who are the speaking captains for your team?". I never say this, I always refer to them as "team representatives". For the simple reason that, I don't know what a "speaking captain" is, and I will never remember the number of said individual player. Also, does the "speaking captain" [if you can remember the jersey numbers of them] have any rights that are above that of the regular players? During a game I will address any player's question--regardless of their status.

3. a coach looking off into space during the pregame conference and/or nodding their heads in a manner to suggest "let's just get on with this game ok".

**One thing I have done/said in pregame is: "don't interfere or toss the ball to me after it has gone thru the net, this is delay of game, and this pregame warning serves as your official warning, it's a T if done in the game". I do this because players and coaches know they can "get away with one infraction" and the Rule for allowing one instance is so abused. I did admin a T during the season and neither coach nor player complained, not even a murmur---all though I did hear a fan yell--don't they get a warning?!

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Scooby

While the are differences between the the classroom and sports, they are not totally separate. This is from the NFHS website, so they appear to believe that sports is an extension of the classroom.

"It is understandable that the first responsibility of principals and superintendents is to hire the best possible person for classroom instruction. However, many also agree that the playing field, gym and auditorium are extensions of the classroom. This means a coach’s selection, preparation and continued professional development is equally as important as novice teacher preparation."

Great, that is for the coaches and administrators to adhere to. That statement is as much political theater as it is reality. Sport is sport, at the end of the day.

My expectations of sportsmanship are not based on any sort of "the court is an extension of the classroom" lip service. And I wouldn't be caught dead saying that in a pregame meeting.

To each his own.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by SC Official

My expectations of sportsmanship are not based on any sort of "the court is an extension of the classroom" lip service.

It's not just lip service here in Connecticut. On court, on field, unsporting conduct is not only handled by the on court, on field, officials, and the state interscholastic sports governing body, it's also handled by the school principal, or assistant principal, which in severe cases, can lead to a student athlete being suspended not only from an athletic contest, or a sports team, but also suspended from school, or subject to some other school disciplinary actions outside the realm of athletics.

Same thing can happen to kids on the debate team that violate curfew on overnight trips, or kids in the fishing club that decide to have a few beers on a fishing trip. Or the French club, or the drama club, etc.

These are extracurricular school activities, "extra", but still school activities, paid for out of the Board of Education budget. Some school systems call these co-curricular school activities.

After over thirty years in the classroom here in Connecticut, involved with both sports, and non-sports, school activities, these activities are definitely an extension of the classroom and the school day.

Compare the sportsmanship shown by coaches and players in interscholastic games to the sportsmanship shown by same in recreation, travel, AAU games, etc. Not even close.

Of course the usual caveat, when in Rome ...

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It's not just lip service here in Connecticut...

But it still has nothing to do with how I enforce sportsmanship. In the rare event I work "offseason" ball I'm just as, if not more, strict on misbehavior. If a principal/AD doesn't like the way a player or coach is acting, that is not my problem. So that phrase isn't really relevant to me.

Heck, you don't hear that phrase at the college level and on average I think college coaches behave better than high school coaches. At the very least they're more intelligent and know how to pick their spots and interact with officials. And college officials are less hesitant to issue technical fouls than high school officials, in my experience.

[ODog]

In my state, we're lucky on two fronts:
1.) We don't have 30-second timeouts
2.) Coaches aren't involved in the captains' meeting

Mine is …
"Mr. X, Mr. Y and Mr. Z. No taunting, no BS, if you have questions during the game, let's talk to each other just like we're talking right now. Any questions (never)? Anything partners want to add (never)? Have fun."

20 seconds max.