He told me to "zip it and sit down". :D

Seriously, I have on occassions exchanged comments with someone on the sidelines, particularly during warm-ups. You just have to be careful what is said. Sometimes a student/parent/fan will walk by and say something like...."Should be a good game tonight". I might just smile and nod or say "I agree". I see nothing wrong with this. If they tell me we suck, that's a different animal.

I have certainly done things like this at Rec level games or even turned and thanked the stands for their help with a 3 seconds call, nobody will make eye contact or admit they were yelling, and this usually helps them chill out.

The big one at HS games is when A contacts B and causes the ball to go out of bounds off B but you still give the ball to B with no fould called and the fans get excited. I will usually tell player from A, and if fans hear it then so be it, "either take the foul or give them the ball". Once fans realize your thoughts behind that call, you can see their light bulb turn on.

You've got to be kidding.

I've had fans point out an untied shoelace before, so I stopped the clock for the player bringing up the ball (well in their own end, no pressure) to tie the shoe as a safety measure (on a fast break or something I'd wait until the play had run its course) and then said a quick "Thank you" to whoever said it.

Sometimes a fan will ask you some innocuous question that you can answer very quickly without getting into a conversation. But I focus too much on the game because I'm still new at this, and I can't let myself get distracted.

If a guy I was working with had been drinking? Hooh-boy. That's a tough one. If it was obvious, I'd pull him aside and try to diplomatically get him out of there. Or hope that game management did it. Even if it left me on an island (if it was a 2-man game).

Well, like Chuck said, I'm not at the top of any collegiate group but I do officiate the occasional NCAA game, and I certainly banter with fans during pre-game warm-ups every now and then...not sure what part of the country you're in, but it doesn't sound like a very fun place to be an official.

I agree Rock
 

In some situations it can be an asset to have a fan or two "on your side." We all know there are some tough gyms to work in every area.

I had a game a few years back in a pretty tough gym during a good rivalry match up. It was easy to tell that the crowd was into it. Just before tip off I hear, nice hair ref (I am folically impaired). I replied, "yeah, like I haven't heard that one before." The small group of football players from where the comment came got a pretty good laugh out of it.

Later when the game was still in doubt and big call didn't go their way, the rest of the crowd was getting on my partner, the group of football players took up for him. Not sure if my little comment mattered that much, but it might have bought us the benefit of the doubt.

I would think anything that makes people think you're human is a good thing, because you will get that benefit of the doubt sometimes.

I mean, they know you're a human being, but it doesn't hurt to remind them of that from time to time. I think people appreciate that.

Re: I agree Rock
 

The "benefit of the doubt" from whom - the crowd? Who cares? Officiating isn't a popularity contest. Every time I make a call and someone in the crowd boos, I just figure there's another ignorant person in the gym (besides the obvious ones, that is).

Just repeat my motto in my signature below over and over to yourself until it sinks in.

I might not call a foul if the ball when off the player that possibly fouled. But I never just give the back to a team just because I decided not to call a foul. To me that is just taking things too far.

Plus - it's against the rules.