Hey all...first time I've ever posted on here so go easy.

Doing AAU games last night, 1st of 4 middle school level. Smooth game, absolutely no problems. Get to under 30 seconds in the 4th, Team A down 1. Team B has possession and running out the clock, Team A Coach is now yelling from the bench "Foul! Foul! Foul!." I'm the lead table side, ball rotates down into my corner. A24 comes to B1 and two hand shoves B1 in the back, no play on the ball. I immediately signal an intentional...go to the table and signal again, both coaches from Team A go crazy..."how can that be an intentional foul" and what not. Coach does not even let me explain the call, so after about him screaming for about 10 seconds, I stop sign him. He continues, I put the whistle in my mouth and he gets the hint to shut up.

After the FTs for the foul, Coach A calls time out. As I go to administer the throw in underneath, A31, before I even administer the throw in, is holding B2 by the jersey..and when I say holding, I mean he's got a fist full of jersey and not hiding it..basically his arm is fully extended grabbing the jersey. I walk up to him, tell him to let go of the jersey, and then administer the throw in. As soon as I hand the ball to the inbounder, B2 breaks for the ball and A31, again fully extended, grabs B2 by the back numbers and pulls him backwards. I immediately come up with another intentional. Team A Coaches go completely ballistic on this one, and the head coach meets me about halfway to the table on the floor..he got out "What the HE**" WHACK! Here comes the asst. behind him and he gets nose to nose with me before I even know what happens..so I pin him. Now mind you, I haven't even gotten to the table yet. I tell them both to get back to the bench..they refuse and the asst. is still nose to nose. I gave him about 5 more seconds and one more "get back to the bench." I go to walk away and the asst. follows me..enough is enough and I toss him. But I immediately realized that now the head coach is done too (1 direct, plus 2 indirects)..no more coaches, game over. BTW, head coach followed the asst when I tossed the asst., and either one of them would have warranted the ejection.

As my partner and I go to where we have our bags (AAU games..no locker rooms), the asst. continues to berate me. Calling me a punk a$$ kid who doesn't know the rules because an intentional foul is only when there is intent to hurt and that the penalty for an intentional foul is not 2 shots and the ball, but should have been a 1-on-1 instead, I cost his team the game, yada yada yada. I just sat on the bleachers calm as can be and fought a fool with silence.

Of course I didn't want to end the game like that, especially in such a close and well-played game. Anyone see anything that I could have done differently? Sorry so long guys..like I said...1st post! Oh and finally..I still haven't gotten to the table to report the original intentional.

Don't you just love AAU ball. That makes for a long day when that's the first game on the court. Just a couple of things I do that you might think about. Could you have T'd up a coach the first time they complained? This might have set the tone for the game a little earlier and gotten rid of some of the ugliness. With most of those coaches, the more leash you give them, the more they are going to want to take. The second thing is a small one, but you should have reported the fouls in the order that they occured, so if you did get to report the T's, the intentional should have been reported first. Lastly, where was game mangagement and your partner during this ugliness?

WOW!
 

Sorry you had to endure that...but get used to it with some of these AAU coaches. Whack early...and whack often...if they aren't going to listen to you!

I might have heaved the head coach the minute he came out onto the court after the second intentional foul. After I did this, I would have looked at the assistant and told him to not even think about it or the game would be over. I would have gotten game management and told them to escort the head coach out...and when he returned, could he please sit behind this particular team's bench for the remainder of the game.

Hey monfanz, not a bad bit of work for a "punk a$$ kid"!

:)

Nice Job. You showed more restraint than I ever would! If I was going to fault you for anything based on your description it would be for having too much restraint. Hang in there. I particularly like the comment of Fighting a Fool with silence. A tactic I need to work on but, dang that Irish Temper always gets in the way :D

I agree! From the description your calls were correct and you handled yourself professionally.

To reinforce what Junker & Indy said, at this & other levels of rec ball, I keep coaches on a very short leash right from the beginning. Be fair but firm - warn at the first transgression, but penalize immediately if they again step over the line. Catch it early and you greatly minimize the potential for problems later in the game.

Hopefully you followed up with a written report to your assignor or whoever runs the league of both coaches behavior, and in particular the comments of the a$$istant....people with that attitude & obvious lack of knowledge of the game have no business coaching youth sports.

Sounds like you did what you could given your situation. Nice whacking. Good 1st post also.

Call me whacky but my sentiments exactly - especially in AAU ball.....whack early, set the bar low and keep on whacking. Encourage all your fellow refs to do the same and by the second round of the tourney you will be pleasantly surprised at how smooth things will become. Many coaches at this level simply do not know the rules and need to be disciplined. Some coaches will respond positively and become better at what they do because you had them toe the line.

Others, well let's just say that some guys don't have the ability to grasp the concepts of the game and need to be whacked so often that they will get fired, quit, or never make it to halftime in any game the do attempt to coach.

Thanks for the reinforcement...I went home last night feeling like crap because I didn't let the kids decide the game. As far as a short leash, I normally have one, especially in non-varsity games. But like I said before, up until the 1st intentional foul, there was not a problem from anyone! The explosions were completely unexpected.

Junker, as far as reporting the fouls in proper order..I still haven't had the chance to report anything. Like I said, the Ts happened before I could even get to the table to report the intentional..I never got to the table. When the ejection and subsequent forfeiture happened, my partner and I just got off the court.

That's what I kind of figured. I was just doing a little nit picking to help you out in the future. It sounds like you did a nice job with a tough situation. Iagree with everyone that in rec ball, set sportsmanship expectations early. When I'm working a court for a long time, as you were, I often go looking for a T in the first game (something I don't do during the "regular" season). Usually other coaches and players are there watching so they will know that sportsmanship will be enforced. A short pregame with the coaches also helps. Go to go have a parent-teacher conference.

The problem with Rec, adult and AAU is that there is no accountability. Some tournaments do penalize Coaches for Tees etc. It mignt not have done any good but perhaps if your partner played the role of "good cop" you may have gotten the situation under control. Under the circumstances that you described it sound like you had no choice but to do what you did. I've never given out a Tee all of my Tees have been earned by the "perps".

Keep in Mind
 

Just remember that as much as officials want to let the players decide the game, sometimes coaches don't allow that to happen.

Do not think for one minute that it was you that did not let the players decide the game. It was the coaches in this case that did not let, or should I say decided the game for his players.

Great Job if all was as you explain!!!!

Nice job, you did very well. When I first read the title of this thread, I thought someone else got cake after their game. :D I was getting a little jealous before I read the thread! ;)

Quote:
The asst. continues to berate me. Calling me a punk a$$ kid who doesn't know the rules.

Who commited intentional fouls. The players you called them on. Who acted mature? You did. Who knew the rules? You did. Who has a voice? You do. Who doesn't have a voice? Assistant coach. Who was an idiot? Both coaches. Who acted like punks? Both coaches. Who has had these problems with AAU ball? Everybody who has ever officiated it! You did a good job and followed a univeral law that all of us would do well to follow -- never argue with an idiot! Good poise on your part. Be proud of yourself

[Edited by refnrev on Mar 10th, 2005 at 12:19 PM]