I need help here zebras. 1st year ref. 18 games under the belt. Learning curve going along nicely. i have video of myself, reading the forum daily, watching other refs,and most of the time actually enjoying myself.About 10% of the coaches officiate the game. I am talking about EVERY call. I believe the term is hollar monkeys. They are relentless and loud. These are games played in quiet gyms and these coaches are obnoxious. I am asking for guidance on the procedure to get them to coach rather than officiate.. Mike

"Coach, if you continue to try to officiate, I'll have to penalize it."

Then follow through.

Unless you like listening to it all game, there is no other way.

"Coach, I have heard you. I'll do the reffing, you do the coaching, and we can all have a good time. Thanks for your help." He keeps chirping, bang him.

Since it is your first year say what you are comfortable saying to let him know you don't want his/her help. Your communication should not bait the coach into more communication that you do not want. What was pointed out last summer by a NBA official is the fact that some officials do not know what to say to coaches. We have all been there and on certain nights are still there. If this "chatter" becomes distracting it is obviously taking away from your concentration which could be disastrous to your success. A "please stop coach" or a T should help eliminate this distraction. A T should be used to make the game better and if you don't have enough experience with coaches to do or say otherwise you should use one (or two!) so you can focus on play-calling. Over time you will block out a lot of the nonsense and get comfortable enough to look a coach in the eyes and say the right thing. What is said depends on too many things to post but you will know.

You will hear older officials say that the T is a cure-all for a lot of issues, but I was uncomfortable issuing T's my first year. And yes, I was uncomfortable putting coaches in their place for fear that they would expose my naivity.

Here's how I dealt/deal with it. Unless the coaches actions are totally objectionable, I allow it. Even if it distracts me, I allow it because I want to get better. I use it to make me mentally tougher and stronger.

Also, practice what you'll say in front of the mirror. I know, you will feel very foolish, but you will quickly learn what you feel comfortable saying and not so comfortable saying.

Last bit of advcie: be yourself.

Official Davism for this: "Coach, let's trade places. You come out here and officiate and I'll go to the bench and act like a jackass."

"Coach, although I can't force you to stop calling the game from the bench I must inform you that if you persist I will assess a technical foul directly to you which will result in you loosing your coaching box priveldges. Do you really want that??"

Something along those lines works well. But if you warn the coach be sure to follow through with the penalty. Also, catch this early in the game. If you've let him get away with it for 3 and a half quarters then the 4th quarter really isn't the best place to start penalizing him.

How about a 3 step approach, starting early that's short and sweet.

"Coach I hear you."

"That's enough coach."

Whack

If they don't understand after the technical, they've got some problems to deal with. This isn't to say you do this if the coach asks reasonable questions or offers constructive commentary, but only if he keeps chirping. Some guys won't stop until they get the T, particularly if it's the first time they've seen you.

I'm with SMEngmann :)

It informs the coach you hear him....it let's him know you don't appreciate it....then it penalizes because he hasn't a clue! :rolleyes:

The process maintains your professionalism too!

Good luck....

wl

I don't like to threaten coaches, just stop sign em and tell them "that's enough coach" after that just whack em.

I don' tlike the line "I ref, you coach" - easy comeback "I will when you start"

Whenever you've heard enough: Stop sign him/her "Coach I've heard enough". If it continues, you have no other choice but to whack him/her.

A simple "Coach,I've heard enough" and a stop sign should work, if not whack him.

The only problem here is that some officials are hesitant to issue the T, for many reasons, even after the stop sign. Some coaches also want to know where the line is and if you give the stop sign, you should only give it once, and then penalize. Coaches don't respect constant warnings, they see it as a sign of weakness and take advantage of it to the point of continually pushing you.

All too common a problem: 1)Stop sign, 2) That's all, 3) I won't hear any more of it, 4)Stay in your box, then 5)well I'm not gonna T him now, there's only a couple minutes left and it won't serve a purpose... You've just given the coach a free pass with this philosophy, and it just perpetuates the behavior. If you're gonna warn, you better be able to actually penalize.

In my pregame speech. "Coaches, everyone legally and properly equipped? Good. OK, we want good sportsmanship all night and that starts on the bench. Coaches, can we count on you to shoe good sportsmanship?"..... I've never had a coach say no.
If (s)he's a holler monkey, stop sign. If (s)he then run the sign - whack! I don't give a lot of T's but when one is needed it's part of the game. Nothing personal. No apologies.

You will? :confused: A "good" T will help your game, but there is no cure-all. It's constant work and personal skills.

"Coach, it may seem like it, but I don't need your help tonight. If you have a question for me, I'd be happy to try and answer it as long as you are professional about it. Otherwise, please coach your team."

Another couple bits
 

I would be willing to challenge anyone to blast out a 30-50 word response to a chirping coach.

How can you possibly be officiating during a live ball, paying attention to the action, and say that much to a coach?

Two to three words is about all I can say as I run by.

That's enough. (shake your head NO or give the zip your lips sign)
I heard you.
Sit down. (point to his seat)
Stop. (give the stop sign)
I'll get it. (give an okay sign)
You're right. (shake your head Yes)
Missed it. Sorry.

These other two, three, four sentence dissertations may be appropriate for a discussion but would be impossible to spit out during the second or two as you do your work in front of him. They might be possible during a dead ball, however, some of these dissertations are confrontational. So, don't expect to make them and then walk off; the coach is going to respond. Now the only escape is to suck up his response, or give the T that you probably should have already given.

Hand signals are good because they may be picked up on the game tape... your voice likely will not be heard on the tape.

I tend to feel that if the T is impending, I want everyone to know - not just the coach. I want everyone to understand that the T is deserved and that I'm not just sensitive or quick with the trigger. The coach earned this penalty - I warned him, I physically showed him (and everyone else) a stop sign, and he did not heed my request to behave.

Re: Another couple bits
 

Or maybe add one more little word--<i>"STFU"</i>. :D

Re: Re: Another couple bits
 

Can't forget <i>"RTFM"</i> either.

Re: Another couple bits
 

I don't want that showing up on tape. I feel like Buckwheat when I do the "okay sign".

Re: Another couple bits
 

Do you really do this?

I just don't see any use for telling the coach to sit down or having cute one-liners. Normal communication seems to work for me. A cute/smart remark can open up a whole new can or worms IMHO.

We talked about this at length last night
 

at our unit meeting.

A coach actually called our assignor to complain that he was being belligerant and wanted a T and the officials wouldn't give him one. We spent a lot of time talking about how the officials aren't giving T's to coaches. We are too intimidated.

We reviewed section 5 (?) that says the coach can only stand up to do three things (I believe). Basically they can call a time out or celebrate a play, then they are supposed to sit down.

Now practically, we let them stand if they are coaching. But my partners and I pre-game the three step rule outlined above: 1) coach I hear you; 2) coach, please stop officiating (with stop sign); 3) whack.

Do this ealy in the game when they start setting a pattern of chirping. Generally you know by the second period the personality of the coach and can respond accordingly.

My partner or I have only T'd two coaches in my 2.5 years of high school ball, but generally the coaches around here are pretty well behaved.