Sorry Coach/player , I missed that one....

[coachgbert]

As a coach I would never expect the ref to say he missed a call. I've only had the experience of a ref tell me he missed a call was a couple weeks ago in a post season 7th grade league where my daughter plays. It's a great league, no pressure, the kids improvise and play like it's a pick up game.
The only time I had a ref tell me he missed a call was when my daughter (um, bit of a brag here, can't help it...) was fouled on a left handed lay-up in traffic, after busting a 3 person trap and looking a lot like Lebron at the time. The refs ran by and told me that she missed it because she was fouled, but it happened so fast and they were watching her play, and sorry but she is so fun to watch.... They were so awed by her all I could do was smile. She's one of those tiny, spit fire point guards, infinitley coachable and all about the game; lives, breathes and sleeps it. She averages 25 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds (but whose counting right?). The ref did call another foul shortly after where she went for a fast break layup and was shoved pretty hard in the air. She was flying head first to the concrete block wall when out of nowhere came a man in stripes and caught her, set her down and called the foul. He never said a word to me or her. My hero.

Call some, miss some. In my neck of the woods, rec ball grades 3-8, it all works out in the end.

Coach G.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by coachgbert
The only time I had a ref tell me he missed a call was when my daughter (um, bit of a brag here, can't help it...) was fouled on a left handed lay-up in traffic, after busting a 3 person trap and looking a lot like Lebron at the time. The refs ran by and told me that she missed it because she was fouled, but it happened so fast and they were watching her play, and sorry but she is so fun to watch.... They were so awed by her all I could do was smile.

I've heard of "working the ref," but this sounds like the obverse: Working the Coach. Maybe I should ask for lessons!

[WeekendRef]

This is why I added the note that I have done this only 3 times in roughly 300 games . I have never gone out of my way to openly proclaim that I blew the call (I won't say that I will never do that either) .
In all 3 circumstances I have been approached about a particular call... 1 clean block called a foul because I anticipated the foul (I know ....I am learning to let the play develop) 1 no call when the player was fouled ....I just froze for some reason even though my brain registered the foul and I forget the other one but it may have been a non intentional call on a layup (Not quite sure) .
Each time the Coach/player has approached me during a break well after the play and asked me politely what I saw and instead of just making sommething up I simply said that I had missed that call or something to that effect .

[M&M Guy]

From my experience, the coach/player has appreciated the honesty. I had one time where I was the new lead on a breakaway, and was in a bad position to see the swipe at the ball. I called the foul, and could see from the reaction of the player I probably blew it. Soon afterward, there was a timeout, and I checked with my partner. He told me from his angle, it looked like a clean block. So, as the players were coming out of the huddle, I said, "Hey, #23, come here a second. Do you know why you get 5 fouls a game? That's one per quarter for the ones you commit, and an extra for the one the ref misses." She smiled, gave me a wink, and said "Thanks!"

I think most players/coaches appreciate it if we're working hard and occasionally admit to an obvious blunder. We are human, right. (Well, at least most of us. )That said, I also agree it is something that can only be used sparingly. You are there to provide control and leadership to some extent, and you don't want to undermine it by continually admitting mistakes. Plus, there is a time and place for it. Yelling across the floor, "Sorry coach, musta missed that one!" won't work.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by M&M Guy
From my experience, the coach/player has appreciated the honesty. I had one time where I was the new lead on a breakaway, and was in a bad position to see the swipe at the ball. I called the foul, and could see from the reaction of the player I probably blew it.

I have to disagree with one of your points. Just because a player reacted a certain way does not mean you blew the call. Players react all the time when they obviously committed a foul. Sometimes they react because they feel it was not them that fouled and their teammate did the deed.

Peace

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by JRutledge

I have to disagree with one of your points. Just because a player reacted a certain way does not mean you blew the call. Players react all the time when they obviously committed a foul. Sometimes they react because they feel it was not them that fouled and their teammate did the deed.

Peace

Oh, I do agree with that. I've seen WAY too much of the "but I didn't do it" look. But in certain situations you can tell a genuine reaction from a normal "whine". In this case, it was late in the game, we had no problems from any of the players or coaches, and this player had been in the whole game. I could tell something was different. Nothing was said or done during the ensuing free throws, so I checked with my partner during a timeout soon after. Obviously, I could've avoided the entire thing by being in better position to make the call. But, in this case, I knew something was wrong, and I wanted to get confirmation before admitting it to the player. Plus, in this case, I didn't REALLY admit it, but she understood what I was getting at.

[Dewey1]

I have told a coach that I have missed one. It happened this year. Player A travelled and I did not call it. I went down the floor and was C in front of the coach. I said coach "You are correct. I missed it." It made a huge difference. I don't think he had ever heard a ref say "you are correct".

He simply nodded and said thanks. The game went on without incident.

I believe that it is a good thing to do. Saying I am wrong doesn't concern me. But how often I have to say it might. If there are thing happening every game that I need to admit I missed then that it the problem not the actual saying of it.

[Back In The Saddle]

I have heard a couple of brand name D-1 officials talk about this. They've said that if you're going to survive you've got to be able to tell coaches three things:

1. I missed it coach
2. I'm not sure, coach, but I think we got it right
3. We got it right, coach. Check the film.

I'm sure the real magic is in knowing when and how to say it.

I've had pretty good success with the occassional "If that's how it happened, then I missed it."