As I have worked with different partners, I've seen a growing trend. More and more officials are going to the head coach and saying, "If you have any questions, concerns, want to discuss anything, etc... my name is ____ and I will be willing to listen and talk with you." My last partner did this and at one point during the game, he spent a full minute talking with a coach while the players and myself waited at the free throw line to shoot the back end of a one and one. The discussion had nothing to do with the play that put the player on the line, he wanted to discuss something that happened a few minutes earlier.

During the captian/coaches meeting, I introduce myself and if I'm the R introduce my partner. I then go one with the meeting. Never do I say I will talk, listen, or whatever. I've had no problems with coaches this season. In fact,
I'm surprised by what little they have to say. I know I don't please them all the time. I'm not the best official out there, though I try to be.

I want to know what you do and how it works for you.

I say : "Hello Coach, My name is Ron, Here's your coaching box, (expecially for the visiting Team), and let me know right away if you want a 30 second timeout so we can let the other team know right away. Have fun tonight!"

We follow the "aloha" rule. Tell them hello and goodbye.

Suggesting / introducing debate and conversation as the game unfolds is not in your best interest.

When I'm the R and talking to the coaches, I go, identify who the head coach is, tell him/her how I expect him to be the only one standing, the only one that may address the officials if done so in a respectful manner, how he's the only one that can call time outs from the bench and to give us a clear indication of a 30 or 60 second time out. Then I ask him if his team is properly equipped, and if he's got any questions. Then I invite him to the captains conference, and move onto the other teams coach, or back to my warmup position.

If I am the R, when I'm checking the book I take it over to both coaches to check and I say "Hello coach, does this look right to you?"..."Ok coach thanks." Then I sign the book and tell my other two members of my crew that I'm ready for the captins. Coaches come over as well. I do my pregame. Then I go back with my crew to our warm-up spots. After each teams line ups are announced our crew goes over to the coach shakes his/her hand and we tell them good luck. And that is the last time I come into direct contact with either coach.

[Edited by tjones1 on Dec 24th, 2004 at 12:38 PM]

It's been my experience that coaches understand you better if you speak to them only in words of one syllable or less.

From my experience the coaches have more on their mind than conversation prior to the game.

Why so concerned about the coaching box? The lines are there and they know what the lines are for.

I was introduced to this idea a couple of months ago. I figured I'd give it a try and see how it went. I was working at the same place most nights (a place with eight floors that runs leagues year-round). In other words, I had a controlled environment in which to experiment.

I noticed that games in which I approached the coaches this way usually went better. They get a lot of younger HS officials there, and officials without adequate training. The atmosphere is a lot less formal, so you rarely have captains' meetings or meet the coaches, even for HS teams.

I think it surprised these coaches to hear that I would be willing to talk to them. At the very least, I rarely had a coach get on me about a call. My partner, on the other hand, would often catch crap for calls from the very same coaches. Perhaps I need to start taking my partners over there with me when I introduce myself. :)

The jury is still out for me in high school games. There I do it in the captains/coaches meeting. The only "bad" experience I've had with it is that I had some "familiarity" issues with one coach that I had had three times in three weeks. And I think I was trying too hard to be obliging in that case. I'm going to keep doing it in HS games and see how it goes.

Exactly what I am thinking when I meet coaches or captains in the pre-game.

I try never to cover things that they already know, they have other things to think about. I usually cover crew members names, legally equipped, good luck, that's about it.
If coaches boxes or lines, or anything else is weird about the court, they may ask a question, and I will answer.

JMHO, but they don't need to be reminded about much of anything since they probably have had a bunch of games already and know the drill.

Barb

Because it's emphasized in our state (Ron also works in Washington). If you don't mention it, many coaches might think you don't care what they do or how far they roam (which with some officials is correct). By mentioning it, you are telling them that you are aware of it and that you will be watching for it. That's good preventative officiating.

Z

No it is not. Why not just enforce the rule? Mentioning it does nothing but raise undo attention to something that you might not be paying that close attention to. To me it is just like saying "We will address hand checking and play the game with your feet and not your hands." Now you put everyone on notice and when you do not call it as they see it, you just opened yourself up for another issue they can complain about.

Peace

"Hello Coach, (name), Good luck."

I don't mind if a coach asks questions or for a clarification during a natural break in play or while I am in front of him during play, but it should not delay the game nor take away my focus from the play.
In your case, your partner is being a fool and delaying the administration of the game. If the coach needs that much of an explanation, he should be charged with a time-out and then can use that time to discuss it.

Nope, I don't see it that way.

I see it as telling a coach that you are going to be more worried about the coaching box than the rest of the rules in the book.

Do you tell the players about hacking, pushing, blocking, etc? Does that mean you aren't watching for it?

If the coach is out of the box, give a quiet word to get him back in the box. Then take care of business, if necessary.

I know that some states have points of emphasis, but I don't feel it's necessary for coaches to be told about them before each game.

In the areas I lived, saying something like this before a game would paint you as being over-officious and having your mind and your eyes off the court watching for a coach having his toe out of the box.

--Rich

I don't really need to justify what I say or why I say it to a head coach.......Sometimes I'll tell the assistant coaches your job is to keep the head coach in the box. Of course always with a smile on my face..........I always handle my little meeting in a positive none advisarial way.
Beside if I show them where the lines are many times they are more concerned about being in the box then yelling at us...


One time in a state tournament I knew we had a coach that was very vocal (had watched him for a couple of days) I told him in our little meeting that I was hard of hearing and if he was yelling at us I probably wouldn't hear him and told him if he wanted a T/O he needed to be very visible........Didn't hear a peep out of him the entire game...........So was I wrong...........Don't think so.

I never said you had to justify anything. I just know it's not my style. I say hi, good luck, ask the required apparel/sportsmanship questions, and move on.

Happy holidays.

--Rich

Like I said before, it's emphasized in our state. From personal experience, it has become obvious to me that many coaches will abuse the coaching box if they think that the crew is unaware of it. Some officials are only able to ref what happens between the endlines and sidelines. Others are able to also be aware of clocks, where the coaches are and all other aspects of officiating. The old statement of "I don't care where the coaches are so long as they aren't yelling at me" just doesn't fly in this state. IMHO, around here it's just used by officials who haven't yet learned how to stay aware of the coaching box during the game. When the coaches know that you are "coaching box aware" even before the game starts, it curbs their roaming out of the box.

In this state, you are expected to officiate the coaches box and watch it closely. You aren't raising undo attention to something that you might not be paying that close attention to because you are <b> expected </b>to pay very close attention to it.

Z

My question is, are you required to say this to the coach before the game? If not, it really isn't needed since there are POEs every year. We aren't going to mention all the POEs before a game so why talk about the box?

Ron, I wouldn't give the assistant the time of day to tell them what their job is. You just opened up dialogue with the assistant coach. I wouldn't do that. Also, the best coaches that I've come across don't want cute/smart remarks. They want someone that is fair, not someone with funny one-liners. Fair to the point where they know you will T them up if they deserve it.

JMHO

No, we aren't required to say anything to the coach about the box. It's just that coaching box management is hugely stressed in this state and mentioning it in the pregame conference usually helps out. That's all. Don't do it if you don't like it. It works for me and apparently for Ron too.

I always go shake hands with the assistant coaches before the game and greet them with a smile. They are people too.

Z

Now that's just plain heresy.

Where did I say I wouldn't shake their hands or greet them with a smile? What I said I won't do is open up dialogue with them and tell them what their job is for the game.

I introduce myself, shake hands and say, "Good luck." Nuff said. If they have questions, they know where to find me.

I guess I just don't understand what you mean when you say you won't open a dialogue with an assistant coach. Not only do I shake hands with them, but I introduce myself with a smile. Is that opening a dialogue? Also, if they have legitimate questions during a game and I have time, I'll answer them. I won't allow them to officiate or question calls, but I'll certainly address a nice question from an assistant coach if it's possible during the game.

Z

When meeting with the coaches, we need to be pleasant and brief. I can't see any reason for more than a quick "hi" and/or "good luck". It doesn't take a big smile and a conversation to give the impression that you are professional and approachable.

When I say open dialogue with an assistant I mean tell him what his job is or something more than a friendly greeting. If an assistant coach has a question he can ask the head coach to ask me. I guess if an assistant asks me where the ball is going to be put into play I will answer so I do answer their questions. And, wait ...... yep, that is about it! This is HS games. In college games I will talk to assistants more because they can help you out a lot more. The thing is during a college game they are often busy doing the job of an assistant so they don't have time to ask the officials a lot of questions. :D Of course all of this is flexible depending a lot of things but generally I don't say much to assistants during a game. I do greet them with a handshake and a smile. I don't always introduce myself because some of them already know my name. Heck, you probably know my name. I'm one of the most famous Toms ever :D !

That's good one famous Tom!
I also believe in introducing myself to the asst. coaches. For someday they will be a head coach at that school or another one and I want to have cordial relations with them. Treating people with respect never hurts.