Would be curious to see some responses to how you'd handle the following situation:

At end of 1st quarter and with no prior incidents involving the Coach, as the 2 officials quickly meet at the center circle before going to their appropriate positions, the Coach is suddenly in the center circle with the officials. He is quite calm and wants to point out something he feels the other team is doing that he would like to have watched.

How would you handle and would you handle differently if the Coach paying us the visit is:

1) Head Coach
2) Asst. Coach

Thanks

Just start walking towards his bench, he'll follow you.

When you reach his bench end the conversation with "OK coach, I hear you."

Turn & walk away.

With no prior incidents? I would walk the coach back over to the bench and instruct him while walking that if he needs to speak to us, he can communicate with us through his captain.

I agree with you and Dan - walk him back to the bench, and perhaps mention the coach's box (if applicable).

I do not really agree with the comment about him needing to speak through his captain. At every level, from MS through college, coaches complain the most that referees do not answer their questions or communicate with them. That's why we have the table-side mechanic, so we are in position to answer a coach's questions if need be. Maybe that's why the coach was out there in the first place - he had been trying to get the official's attention and this was the only way they could do it. If a coach is asking questions in a calm way, I'll talk to them all day. If they start getting sarcastic and grumpy (like some members of this forum), I'll nod my head, tell them that's enough, walk away, give them the "stop sign", T, whatever is necessary. But don't tell a coach you're not going to talk to him - that will make him crabbier quicker.

I believe you should always listen. Than, reply I will watch it on both ends coach.

I think you hit the nail on the head THICKSKIN. Walk him back to the bench. Let him know that you will keep his notion in mind and that he should communicate through his captain.

Be careful with the "I'll watch it on both ends" comments. I suggest, I'll watch for it" as a better answer. Mentioning "both ends" may be taken as a slap at the coach.

Listen, acknowledge, and move on. We don't need to say anything that might antagonize a coach or player. They know we're watching both ends. If we see the infraction they were complaining about, and it happens to be against their team, they have no basis to complain.

Unless it's an assistant. I don't talk to assistants, except to tell them that I won't talk to them. "Coach, have your head coach bring it to my attention. Thanks."

Did you forget the "puking on his shoes first" part?

It's in the manual someplace

It's right after the section about staring at his pants.

It's true, it's true....

(I know he wouldn't lie.)

Dan_ref - very nice. It's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to argue with silence. Simply walk away and he will definitely follow. No need to tell him why along the way. Once off the floor, then you can say what you need to....clean and effective - very nice game management.

There's no argument in the situation. Just let the coach know that you heard him (or atleast pretend). Most coaches just want to be heard. Here is a good example of this situation.

Not trying to pick on you, but why should the coach only communicate through the captain?

Don't forget to compliment him on his fishnets.

"Coach you can't come out here to talk but if we go back over to your bench I'd love to talk to you about your concern." (As we're walking back to his bench)

And when we get there and mostly squared away

"Coach, I know you had good intentions but next time you need us just let us know. We'll come to you. It doesn't look good for you to come see us. Thanks for working with us on that."

If the coach has been a problem. I aint listening to a word he/she has to say until both feet are planted behind that line.

1. I would ask the HC to walk back to his bench, and we'll gladly come over when we're done out quarter-time check. I would talk to my P briefly before doing quarter-time stuff, to see what he thinks the concern might be, and how we'll answer it.

2. Ditto, but I am telling the AC that I need to speak to the HC only about the concerns.

Thanks for all of the responses. Of course, I was just asking this for a friend, this never happened to me......

Actually, my (our) response was closest to what Ace described, with the somewhat regrettable twist that the coach was offended at me walking him back to the bench prior to having a conversation with him so I said "Coach, I gave you a break by not giving you a T, now what's your question?" This probably nudged the line of me being confrontational with the Coach, but live and learn. I talked with him at half and I think all was well. There have been very few games where we've heard LESS from coaches than what we heard in that game.

The reason I asked added the "asst. coach" bit was because during the next game (varsity), the Coach from our game was now an asst. coach. I stayed and watched the first quarter.......you guessed it, he was in the center circle with the crew at the end of the first quarter.