Notify The Head Coach Through The Assistant Coach ...
 

I'm not going to lie, I've been known to do this, or at least, to consider doing this, under certain rare circumstances. Sometimes I've may have important urgent issues to discuss with my partner, and/or the table; or more often, due to earlier unsporting behavior, I may not want to speak directly with the head coach. I'll usually work as hard as I can to do it by the book, but sometimes (rarely) I just don't get to the head coach and "settle" for the assistant coach. I just hope that this never comes back to bite me in the butt.

One thing that I will never do under any circumstances is to go digging into team huddles to notify head coaches, the point of my recent posts in this thread.

You think I am ignoring the rule? What is the spirt and intent of the rule as laid out? Do you think it really really matters if the head coach is told personally by the official or do you think it matters if they are simply told? Now if you can find an interpretation that is that specific, I will be waiting patiently. Otherwise if the coach is told by someone and you did your job to inform the team, I really do not see anyone caring. Never told officials that only the head coach can be told something like this. Just like captains can make certain decisions about things, but chances are I am going with what the adult says in those situations.

It is much more important to me to talk with my partners about things near the end of a game that is in question (and not in question) than trying to relay specific information to the coach that they have people that already track that stuff. I guess those that do not like that will have to be upset. But never had a high school supervisor even care about this one way or the other. We have to learn to run the game, not nickel and dime about things that no one is going to realistically know, let alone get upset with you about. High school coaches want explanations when we are not obligated to give them (like when a live ball is going on) and you worried about the specifics of how you tell them timeout situations? Really?

Peace

Purpose And Intent ...
 

Don't hold you breath. No interpretations, one way, or the other.

Fully agree with purpose and intent. Rule says to "notify" head coach. I can understand your definition of "notify", while others may differ.

Agree it's important.

Tone ...
 

Absolutely hate it when the coach replies, "I already know", when his tone really means, "I already know you stupid idiot".

Game's almost over, let it slide off your back.

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There's one particular coach up here at "Latitude 65" who is particularly difficult to deal with. I usually just give him the "Ok, coach, but by rule, I must notify you" response. I found that usually works with the first delay-of-game warning, too, since we're required to notify the HC on those also.

I worked in law enforcement for 15 years, so his tone matters little to me.

Try something like, "I know you already know, but I'm required to tell you -- you're out of timeouts"

Usually by the time you get past the first clause, the coach is saying "I'm out" and holding up a fist (indicating "zero")

Thank You ...
 

Same thing after, "Coach, that's #12's fifth foul", but of course, in this case the coach is much more likely to already be pissed off compared to a usually "neutral" timeout notification. For timeouts we occasionally get a "Thank you" like we're enjoying tea and cucumber sandwiches together. Never a, "Thank you", for a fifth foul notification. More like the prelude to a bar fight over beer nuts.

We have local guidelines in place (often brought up in pregames) that say we have the option the non-calling official notify the coach of the fifth foul if we know that the coach is already hot under the collar. I never use this guideline, don't want the coach seeing me cowering on the endline, I don't think it's a good look.

However, I will sometimes take advantage of a local guideline that suggests that the non-calling official remind the coach that he must sit down after technical foul that requires such. Might avoid a double barreled technical foul that might put a visiting coach on a cold bus in the parking lot.