Not my game, I was lingering to watch the Championship of a successuful JV Tourney. Street cloths sitting in stands behind scorer's table.

Amazing what a ref learns just watching and listening.

The game developed into a "blow-out". Dominant team had a great trap press that led to easy layups. Loosing coach getting tense.

The coach's started bicking towards one another. It got more and more hostile. Winning team late in 3rd qtr up by 26 and still in full court press. The "barbs" back and fourth caught the R and U1 attention but they took no action. They worked the game.

I witnessed/heard insults, threats (we'll see you again..."), questions of sportsmanship, character for most of the second half between the coach's.

Question: Is interaction between both coach's within a referee's domain? Whats the call? Is this a "reported" issue?

Weird.

Absolutely within an official's domain.
We are there to MANAGE the game. If two coaches are going at it...I wouldn't say that was good game mangagement to allow the coaches to "taunt" each other.

POE...good sportsmanship! Coaches are not exempt from this.
Use your people skills and get these guys to knock it off.
If they want to continue, you can suggest we try the Assistant Coaches sportsmanship skills. :)

What could we do?

Blow the whistle.
Go to each coach separately. (Getting them together may degenerate the degenerates.)
Ask each to desist the discussion. (Use the same words and do not editorialize. Remain neutral.)
Re-start the game.
Whack the next coach that refuses your request.

mick

I've had 2 coaches start talking like this and then one flicked him the bird that I just happen to see. Automatic T and that helped to settle things down. During this game we also had 3 mothers in the stands screaming and supposedly they flicked off the opposing players (15yr girls). Very sad! :(

What if it was two players? You going to let them bicker at eachother the entire game.

WHACK

Simultaneous T's - does not affect the game except, hopefully, to send a clear message to both bonehead coaches - and possibly any players who are starting to slip in the sportsmanship department.

I saw this same thing in a summer league game. One of the officials, a respected varsity official, handled it in a way I thought appropriate. He walked to a spot between the two coaches and told them to knock it off. Neither did. So in a voice loud enough to be herd by all, he told both if they didn't knock it off they would be coaching their teams from the parking lot. Both coaches got the message. .

I'm with you Mick.... as usual.

Right on target canuck!

Coaches are there to coach their team. No way would I ever allow coaches to bicker across the table. I would go with the T's (no warning) to make sure they got the message that their behavior was inappropriate.

I would not interrupt the game simply to make a warning statement about any continued inappropriate behavior (which would most likely lead to having to stop the game again to enforce my threat to do so the first time around). Let alone 2 warnings! As an official, I try not to bring attention to myself as it is. Why would I stand there and make some statement for all to hear? Sounds like a threat that does not need to be made, just dole out the T's.

I see officials get themselves in hot water by trying to yell back at a coach, offer stern warnings for something, give a wisecrack response to a wisecrack comment, or issue commands to the coach with a raised voice or in a colorful manner. You have the tool available ( T ), you are properly trained to use it so BE PROFESSIONAL and avoid the bait ( WHACK ).

In my earlier post, I failed to say that the warning came during a dead ball where the official was reporting a foul at the table.

Robmoz, I agree with you that we shouldn't stop play to give out warnings to coaches. However, theres nothing NON- PROFFESIONAL about given a warning. I do it all the time. Early in a game I often tell players to get out of the key, watch the hand checking (oops, illegal use of the hands) and so forth. I even go so far as to tell the defender on a inbounds play not to break the plane. These are all acceptable warnings, why not warnings to coaches to keep their mouths shut? If it doesn't work, I can still pull out the T and whack them.

As you mentioned, I agree that there are many "warnings" offered during the course of play which are quite acceptable. In regards to my professionalism comment, I am referring to the jawing that occurs between some officials and coaches. Like I said "...trying to yell back at a coach, offer stern warnings for something, give a wisecrack response to a wisecrack comment, or issue commands to the coach with a raised voice or in a colorful manner. To warn a coach to keep his mouth shut, well, if that is ok in your book then more power to ya brother.

If you worked for me and operated that way, we would certainly have a discussion about your style of interaction with coaches.

Fair enough. I liked your post. If you assigned my games, I would welcome the discussion. No matter if I agreed or disagreed with your point of view, I would do it your way. After all, you would be my boss (so to speak).

However, we are all different. Because of that, I think there are many ways to handle the same situation. What works for one personality might not work for another. Thanks for your feedback.