Today I had a rather interesting experience watching a 7th grade girls playoff game. Last night my partner and I (both of us with varsity experience) did a game in which coach A, who is ordinarily an extremely nice guy off the court was sort of a howler, wanting calls, especially non-existant travels and the like. My partner and I both thought the comments were mildly annoying, but nothing to really even warrant a T or a warning. Today after working my two games, that same team played its next playoff game, and I stuck around to help with the book. The two officials both had HS experience, one with a good deal of varsity experience. During the game the same coach was much more of a howler almost openly complaining about cheating by the officials and even cross talking to the other coach, accusing him of being dirty. He was not T'ed nor warned by the officials. Had it been my game, he probably would have earned at least one T.

The reason for this post is that it made me think about my game the night before. Maybe if I stuck the guy with a T when he started to mouth off he would have gotten the message and backed off today. Also, I thought about the officials in a 7th grade game who he might see in the future, typically younger, inexperienced guys who aren't used to handling coaches tantrums. The game was called well, except for the management of the rogue coach, in my opinion, but seeing this game made me re-evaluate how I handled the coach last night and gave me new perspective on the importance of enforcing bench decorum. Not enforcing it strictly is giving the next game's officials a raw deal.

At a camp one of my evaluators told me this, "If you regret not giving a technical, you should've T'd him up" I think that this is an excellent situation that falls right into this quote.

I tend to officiate more on the side of caution, if i think there is a remote possibility i will regret not T'ing up a coach, he's gonna get whacked ;) j/k

Although i have been one to T up quite a few coaches, i'm sure they've all deserved it, and after seeing them in other games, their behaviour has benifitted from it.

Giving Ts do not solve all problems. Just because you did not give a T, does not mean the coach is going to feel his actions were wrong. That really has little to do with it in my opinion. Every game is different and every situation is different. Maybe he was on them more because he did not think they were as good? Maybe he was on them because there was more pressure? I obviously do not know the answer to this, but just because the guy before gave a T, it is not going to automatically change the attitude for the next time. It might when that coach runs into you, but not some other guy. Good coaches at least know who they can get away with things and who they cannot.

Peace

I disagree....an NCAA evaluator spoke at a camp I went to a couple years ago. One of the things I remember most from his speech was "try to have your errors be errors of omission". I think that applies well to T'ing coaches.

Although T's are supposed to be "just like any other foul", we all know that in reality, they are not. If I am in doubt about a T, I'm thinking it's better to pass on it. Then again, I have a very well-developed sense of what I will and will not allow, so I haven't had a whole lot of instances where I looked back and wondered about it.

Bottom line is that a T is supposed to make the game better in some way. If I'm not sure about it, I think the probability of it making the game better goes down.

Just my $0.02 (or $0.00002 U.S.)

You can't change the way you ref because some other officials had some troubles. You didn't consider regretting your no-T until the next game was trouble.

Your game - your T. Next game is someone elses problem. Jrut makes some good points too.

The technical foul is just another call in the rulebook and nothing to get emotional about.

This sounds good but really not true IMO. If it was just another call, the formula for calling it would remain the same no matter what. Depending on the climate of the game, what is a T today is not a T tomorrow. This applies to fouls and some violations also.

Yesterday I T'd a coach about four minutes into the game. He was continually complaining about calling it both ways. My partner called a foul in favor of his team and he was still complaining. The board was not showing the fouls but they were like 4-1 in his favor. I told him that was enough and gave him the symbolic stop sign. This is something I rarely do because I rarely T coaches. Anyway, he kept on and I T'd him up. He was OK until the end of the game when he started again about a no call from my partner. The coach then continued to talk about us to his players. He was staying because at this point his team was losing by about 36. So the coach and his assistant start to give me the "don't take this away from the kids ref." Huh? You are losing by 36 and now looking for someone to blame. You are losing by 36 and we are taking it away from the kids?

Friday night, tied game with under a minute to play. One team had come back from about 18 points. This team had a coach that wasn't a coach, an assistant that wasn't a coach and some fans that didn't know what they were complaining about. I think we've all seen this before. So on two consecutive trips to the line I tell the players on both sides "do not let what the coaches and fans dictate what you do and how you react to calls at this point in the game." So the next trip down the court my partner calls a travel under the basket. The kid that he calls it on comes all the way out to the three point line and throws a tantrum. I mean he falls on the floor kicking and screaming. Maybe at home, maybe at school but not on the court with me. Technical foul. This team has one player who has his head and tells the coach what I had told them. After the game the coach begins to complain and say things to us until I repeat exactly what I had told the players and mention the fact that he didn't say anything to the player. He agreed and told us that one of his players had told him this. He shook our hands and that was that.

Coaches and players will do whatever we let them do for the most part. If they are consistently dealt with the smart players and coaches will change their behavior.

He was OK until the end of the game when he started again about a no call from my partner. The coach then continued to talk about us to his players. He was staying because at this point his team was losing by about 36. So the coach and his assistant start to give me the "don't take this away from the kids ref."

Coaches and players will do whatever we let them do for the most part. If they are consistently dealt with the smart players and coaches will change their behavior.

[/B][/QUOTE]And if they aren't consistently dealt with, coaches won't change their behavior and then they'll be openly talking about the officials to their players.

Totally agree - in the context of how we approach it, but to everyone else, it definitely is not. After all, coaches and players do not get five T's before they are tossed out (thank goodness).

And if they aren't consistently dealt with, coaches won't change their behavior and then they'll be openly talking about the officials to their players. [/B][/QUOTE]

Exactly, which is why I talked to him so his players could hear me on purpose. At that point in the game, ejecting him would have been useless. Talking to him and sending the message that what he was saying wasn't alright was the best thing to do to get the game over with.

A "T" may be "just another call," but it isn't the only way to prevent bad behavior. When I first started officiating, I ignored coach behavior until he/she "crossed my line" and then I gave a T.

My approach now is way different. As soon as I see that a coach is starting to complain too much, I get over there as soon as possible and have a quick respectful conversation with him. Usually, that's all it takes and he/she realizes that I'm human and that I'm not going to let him/her behave that way all night.

Now if a couple of "respectful interventions" don't work, then we might be heading towards a T but I have found that there are much more effective and quicker ways to curb coach behavior.

Z

Exactly, which is why I talked to him so his players could hear me on purpose. At that point in the game, ejecting him would have been useless. Talking to him and sending the message that what he was saying wasn't alright was the best thing to do to get the game over with. [/B][/QUOTE]

Not that I'd do it in all situations, but I was doing a youth league game and we had a blowout. The losing team was completely overmatched, and their coach kept chipping about calls, I had finally heard enough and while putting the ball in play near their bench I said, while pointing to the scoreboard, "Coach we have NOTHING to do with that score, so stop looking for excuses."

He stopped talking about calls after that and I did not have to T him.

Not that I'd do it in all situations, but I was doing a youth league game and we had a blowout. The losing team was completely overmatched, and their coach kept chipping about calls, I had finally heard enough and while putting the ball in play near their bench I said, while pointing to the scoreboard, "Coach we have NOTHING to do with that score, so stop looking for excuses."

He stopped talking about calls after that and I did not have to T him.

[/B][/QUOTE]A simple "STFU" has been known to work also.

Have to agree fully with this one - call (or don't call) a technical based on the game situation you are in - not based on the possibility of a future game situation. It's up to the coach/player whether or not (and what) they learn from the situation.

Wow.

I think this is the point at which I say - "you're gone."

There's no place for that in a game of basketball.