As a follow to my original post, I spoke to my partner from Friday about how we handled that game in light of how the game went yesterday and determined that there was nothing really in our game that we could have done differently from a game management point of view. We controlled the coach by communicating with him ("I'll give it a look coach," "I hear you coach," etc)and basically letting him know where the line was. The officials in the other game ignored the behavior of the coach and it got worse. In my opinion, coaches have to be addressed in some form, or their behavior will simply get progressively worse.

Zebraman, from my perspective on the sideline, your approach works wonders. While I've never been T'd in 12 years (more or less) of coaching, I've certainly found that an official who will talk to me respectfully when my frustration level is running high, will help me settle down. It also improves my ability to help my kids by getting my head back in the game and off of individual events within the game.
I think many time coaches can't let go of something (like a call they didn't like), then subsequent events just add to it. I bet that your kind of intervention can be pretty effective at helping them to let go and get back to their jobs.

You always have the best signature lines!

Butch,
It really is amazing how well this works. At my last state tourney, there was this one coach who was just being a crazy man in his first two games. None of the refs dealt with his ranting and yelling which I think really hurt them in their evaluations (they all got sent home quickly). I had him in my third game and the first time he started wandering and yelling I just walked over to him and said, "hey coach, what did you see that I didn't see?" He said something about his player getting pushed and all I said was, <i>"I didn't see it that way coach, but I'll keep an eye on that. But coach, I really need you to ask in a respectful way rather than running out of your box and yelling OK?"</i> He just smiled sheepishly and said, "OK, sorry." He was a complete gentleman the rest of the game and just asked legit questions and stayed in his box.

Now it doesn't work that well everytime, but I guarantee you that the game would have been a nightmare (or a quick T) had I not gone over and addressed him respectfully right away.

Z

When do you all have all this time to talk to coaches? During time-outs? I often want to diffuse a coach who disagrees with a call, but am torn between taking care of the coach or getting in position for the inbounds.

I often play politician in the first half. In the second half (if he proves to be an idiot), he gets concise answers and a strong warning. After that, T city.

Luther

Luther,

You can talk to a coach anytime you find yourself standing next to him.

If you are doing a lot of 3 Person, it is really easy. Usually at least one official is standing next to the benches.

Peace

Hey Z, which tournament was this at? Just wondering if I have come across this coach before...tell me the level and gender and let me try to guess which school, ok??

It doesn't have to be even anything close to a full conversation, and it doesn't have to be on every call the guy dissgrees with. But, every so often, when you're running by, if the coach is beginning to rant about a "travel" you didn't call because of an interrupted dribble, all you've got to do is say "Interrupted dribble, coach", and he's very likely to let it go. In fact, you may have blown the call, but it won't matter to him anymore. He has let it go, and you've run past so he can't argue with you. His attention is now back on the game, not on being upset with you or the call. If you don't do that, he may ultimately reach the point that no amount of talk will calm him. I personally have no use for coaches who want to argue, and if, as you say, he proves to be an idiot, I'd be the first to applaud you sending him to "T city" - particularly if he was my opponent :D.

...call a travel on him :D (j/k)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by rockyroad

Quote:

Hey Z, which tournament was this at? Just wondering if I have come across this coach before...tell me the level and gender and let me try to guess which school, ok??

Washington State Girls 1A. Now guess.

Z

Speaking of ts coming in situations here's a story from the kingwood classic:

Coach down by 24 points.. Complaining. I give him a soft two-hand stop sign (my back is to the scoreboard)go down the floor come back he's still going - give him a hard 2 handed stop sign. Go down the floor come back - player goes up for the shot and he stands up and in a raised voice says to the back of my head, I want an AND 1 ON THAT!" So I t'd him. Now - Had I realized he was down by 40 points with only 2 mintues left in the game I probably would have given him one more stern hard warning and been done with it.

Georgia Techs coach got my attention as I was walking off the floor and said, "You look like a smart guy and a damn good referee, I was shocked to see you drop that technical on that coach." I told him "thats what happens when u cant see what the situation is and you have to take care of business some how."

So, I count four stop signs (why did you use two hands?)and a T at the end of the game. A team is down by 40 points with two minutes to go and you say you can't see what the situation is? With the information you have given I find it hard to see giving this coach a T. How does the saying go "there was nothing left but the crying" or something like that. I would have been trying to keep the clock running.
I will end with this. IMHO, it is difficult to say for sure whether you had no choice. I can't see it but I wasn't there and I didn't go through this the entire game. If the coach behaved badly the entire game you should have got him early. From reading your post, what he said is becoming more common and to read it doesn't trigger anything worthy of a T.

I think that was the point of the last paragraph, Tom...

Rainmaker, are you saying that he was telling coach Hewitt that the coach didn't see the situation?