Warning for Glaring?

[mopar60]

I was watching a 7/8 boys game and observed this sitch and wanted your input.

Midway through game and Team A makes a 3. I did not see / hear the team B coache's reaction at this point but a minute later during a stop in play the official who called the three starts walking to the B coach saying to "stop it right now" BC says "what, I didn't say anything" R says
"I know but you have been glaring at me and I don't like it, so stop it right now, you coach your team and we'll do the officiating!"

I believe the coach felt the shooter had foot in the line and should have been a 2.

I am probably not giving enough complete info for a cut and dried call here but I am wondering if a coach is doing nothing more than staring at you do you push the issue or let it go?

Can you use it in a sentence please.

[Boiler14]

99.9% of the time I don't see him. I'm reffing the game not looking at the coaches. If you say something to an upset coach, most likely things will ignite and you will end up with the T. A pet peeve of mind is officials who initiate the conversations with coaches and then before it is done a T is called. Doesn't happen much in school ball, but at AAU level it is a possibility.

My opinion: Don't start up a dialogue just because you don't like the way he is looking at you. You should be looking at the game. Even during a dead ball don't look over. The coach is probably looking for a reaction out of the official...best thing is to ignore it.

[drothamel]

I agree partially with the Boilermaker. I think that most of the time, you can just ignore the coach. He isn't saying anything, so it is probably not a good idea to initiate something. Goes along the same lines as the whole, "statements do not require a response" deal that is described by the NFHS. The only exception to this, that I see, is a situation where a coach is making it obvious what he is doing. For example- during a time-out the coach is outside of his huddle obviously glaring at the officials. With regard to this situation, I had a veteran official tell me that one option is to respond in kind, use no words, and simply put the whistle in your mouth. Or, for a different approach, direct the coach to return to his huddle. I think that glaring can be handled much like other guestures that coaches tend to make.

[bradfordwilkins]

On a similar note, glaring from a player can be particularly annoying and distracting and also requires a warning.

I had a player last night, every time he went flying through the lane (with no contact that I saw if I didn't blow the whistle) would come up the floor with his hands in a "What?" stance staring me down. I continued up the floor, following the play rather than intiate a staring contest with him. Somehwere in the second half he decided he'd push it a little bit and ran right in front of my path running backwards while glaring at me. I warned him right there that was enough. He stopped but had he not, the next time he got in my way intentionally to stare at me would've likely been a Whack.

[Snake~eyes]

If he doesn't want to coach and he just glares at me then I have no problem with that, atleast he ain't yellin at me.

[JRutledge]

The great thing I love about 3 Person this year is when we call a foul we stand right next to the coaches. They do not say a word or try many antics when you are in their face.

I would not warn anyone for staring. That is just silly if you ask me. I would just look back at them and move on.

Peace

[icallfouls]

99.9% of the time you don't see him, you are refing the game?

Part of the job in being a referee is about game management and being aware of the coach is part of game management. Coaches deserve more attention than that. Suppose a coach goes ballistic. How often is this an all of a sudden situation? Watch a game tape, most of the time it is because of a sequence of events that has caused the coach to erupt. More game/coach management: coach calling out defensive and offensive sets, press situations, fouling with the intent to stop the clock, calling time-outs, requests to officials to protect shooters, etc. Staring can fall under this area, especially if coach is standing at half court glaring at you and everyone in the gym knows he is showing you up. So, if you are telling me that this all happens 0.1% of the time, then you are part of a different game.

I agree that comments don't necessarily require a reply, but if the comment is along the lines of "you're terrible" or "you've got to help your partner," then I disagree completely.

As far as staring back at a coach and putting your whistle in your mouth to send a message, the call you get from your assignor (and the video tape that they receive) will wonder why you were baiting/trying to intimidate the coach.

Maybe I read too much into the comments made here.

[RollTide]

an NCAA Div I official friend of mine gave me this bit of advice. Any time a coach is being a smartazz, if at any time during the game, you retaliate by being a smartazz, you've just lost your right to issue him/her a technical.

If this happens, you need to inform your partner(s) of the situation to let them know they will need to be the ones assessing any technicals on the said coach.


[Edited by RollTide on Mar 4th, 2005 at 01:45 PM]

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by icallfouls
As far as staring back at a coach and putting your whistle in your mouth to send a message, the call you get from your assignor (and the video tape that they receive) will wonder why you were baiting/trying to intimidate the coach.

Maybe I read too much into the comments made here.

How is putting the whistle in your mouth and looking at a coach baiting them? If anything that is telling them "enough." If the coach is trying to intimidate you by staring at you, I do not call it intimidation to look at a coach or put the whistle in your mouth. After all that is what we do with the whistle in the first place right?

Peace

[Boiler14]

99.9% of the time you don't see him, you are refing the game?

Part of the job in being a referee is about game management and being aware of the coach is part of game management. Coaches deserve more attention than that. Suppose a coach goes ballistic. How often is this an all of a sudden situation? Watch a game tape, most of the time it is because of a sequence of events that has caused the coach to erupt. More game/coach management: coach calling out defensive and offensive sets, press situations, fouling with the intent to stop the clock, calling time-outs, requests to officials to protect shooters, etc. Staring can fall under this area, especially if coach is standing at half court glaring at you and everyone in the gym knows he is showing you up. So, if you are telling me that this all happens 0.1% of the time, then you are part of a different game.

I agree that comments don't necessarily require a reply, but if the comment is along the lines of "you're terrible" or "you've got to help your partner," then I disagree completely.

As far as staring back at a coach and putting your whistle in your mouth to send a message, the call you get from your assignor (and the video tape that they receive) will wonder why you were baiting/trying to intimidate the coach.

Maybe I read too much into the comments made here.
__________________________________________________ _________

You are 100% right...you did read too much into the comments here.

Where did I say I wasn't aware of a "coach calling out defensive and offensive sets, press situations, fouling with the intent to stop the clock, calling time-outs, requests to officials to protect shooters, etc."

I can hear him. I can more than likely sense he is staring or notice it out of peripheral vision. If he at the bench when I'm reporting a foul, I "notice" him if he is staring but I will not look back at him for doing just that.

As far as "coaches deserve more attention than that" I beg to differ. I coached basketball from elementary to freshmen. I reffed for 18 years. A coach deserves some things but not if they want to play a staring contest with an official. That is for little kids which is why I ignore. Little kids like those types of games and it kills them when you don't participate with them.

[icallfouls]

The nice thing about 3 whistle mechanics is that we get to be in front the coaches. If the coach has decided to glare at me, we will get the chance to address it (usually immediately). I have no doubt that glaring back and putting a whistle in my mouth will do more harm than good, when a simple statement to the coach would suffice and more than likely diffuse the situation.

[Boiler14]

True...3 man usually takes away the potential stare that my occur in 2 man games.

However, I say that during a timeout when a coach is staring at you or trying to push your buttons, putting the whistle in your mouth is your way of saying "enough" without the need to go verbally say it. I've seen this happens several times and it is usually during timeouts.

[ChrisSportsFan]

Originally posted by icallfouls
The nice thing about 3 whistle mechanics is that we get to be in front the coaches. If the coach has decided to glare at me, we will get the chance to address it (usually immediately). I have no doubt that glaring back and putting a whistle in my mouth will do more harm than good, when a simple statement to the coach would suffice and more than likely diffuse the situation.

Correct, coaches are like a volcano which needs to release some of that pressure from time to time so he doesn't blow up. I like it when I can get to the coach right away to let him know what I saw and then they're usually fine.
Coach: "That looked like a 3, was his toe on the line?"
Me: "No Coach, his heel was."

Notice, this coach is not a couch...LOL

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by icallfouls
The nice thing about 3 whistle mechanics is that we get to be in front the coaches. If the coach has decided to glare at me, we will get the chance to address it (usually immediately). I have no doubt that glaring back and putting a whistle in my mouth will do more harm than good, when a simple statement to the coach would suffice and more than likely diffuse the situation.

Tommy O'Neil once told me (and others at his camp) that it is the responsibility of the coach to handle his emotions, not the official's responsibility. If a coach wants to give non-verbal communication, you have the right to do the same. Just like if they say something to you, you have the right to respond. If they do not like what you have to say, it is up to them to be professional. If simply putting the whistle in your mouth makes a coach upset, then he has bigger issues than should be expected. This is also coming from a person that has not given one coach T this year. I do not give Ts to coaches at all very much. But when they make a comment or behave in a certain way, I have a right to respond or answer their questions. Sometimes I say nothing. But it is not my job to placate the coach. I have had coaches ask very direct questions, and then get upset when you answer their direct question. It is the job of the official to make him happy.

Peace

[gordon30307]

Until he says something I've got nothing.