Did a prep league playoff game last night. Great game went into overtime. Overtime was almost running time. Game tied in the last seconds, A1 takes a shot as time is about to expire. B1 hits A1's forearm before the release of the shot, shot misses badly and both players go to the floor. I have a foul (from the Trail) on B1. Horn sounds.

Coach B comes all the way to the 3-point arc opposite his bench to yell at me. Partner T's him up (b/c I am making sure players untangle).

Team A has 4 chances to win the game with no time on the clock.

To make matters worse A2 comes to the line (apparently thinking the T will be shot first). B's bench is yelling that we have the wrong shooter. We get A1 to the line and he hits the first FT. Game over.

Coach B follows us to the locker room, telling me I'm gutless and asking my partner why he got T'd up.

I've been doing this 12 years now and I've never been in a game at any level where a player won the game from the line with no time on the clock. Just sharing.

Outstanding!

Chuck, good call. A foul is a foul is a foul. IMO, you had alot of guts to make that call with time running out. Coach should have spent his energy telling his player that wasn't a smart foul.

Chuck,

Gutless is *not* making a proper call at the end of the game because it might be contoversial. Gutless is also crying to an official over why they received (an obviously deserved) T, rather than taking the loss like a man. (Apologies to women coaches. ;))

It's a shame there are situations like this that you feel bad about a game because of something that happens at the end. But, if in your mind it was the proper call, and it was a call that should've been made at the beginning of the game as well, then hold your head up. After all, this is why we're paid the big bucks!

Hey, funny this should come up. I had the exact same situation in a district playoff game about 3 weeks ago. And the coach for team B also got T'd up for screaming at me that I was gutless. The only difference was that team A missed all of the free throws. Team B pulled it out in the second over time. Needless to say, the team A coach thought I was the best guy in the world until his team missed 4 free throws and ends up losing. It was the most bizarre ending I have ever officiated.

Eesh.

I hope you had a talk with your assignor about this, Chuck.

Had the same thing this year. A1 in A's back court throws up a "hail Mary" with time expiring and game tied. Gets clobbered by B1 at release and horn blows. Trail makes call and A1 gets three tosses. B coach spends time "coaching" B1 on not fouling a back court "hail Mary". A1 drains 1st toss, game over. Best part was trail made right call and B1 coach did the right thing.

No question a T. I really don't understand why coaches do this. I mean, yes, I know they are upset their kid fouled (or in their eyes didn't foul), but what purpose does coming onto the floor serve other than making an a*s out of yourself. Do they really believe you are going to change your call?

Hey Chuck,

What teams??? I had 2 Mass. prep schools over the weekend and both coaches were over the top. I got to sit one of the HC becasue of his ASSsistant.

Loomis Chaffey @ Williston. Williston was the winning team.

So that he'll realize I can't handle his games? :D

He probably already knew that.

Might as well call him, let him know what's up.

Ahhhh.... I have had plenty of fun with Loomis. Got accused of something pretty nasty by one of their parents a couple years back....

My partner (he was R) called him immediately after the game. I was kidding around, but you're right obviously. He's probably going to get a call from somebody, so he might as well know what we saw.

This is a contradiction of terms. ;)

BTW - if a coach calls you "gutless", tell him that based on his pants size, you certainly can't call him the same. :p