Help, My Hardest Call to Make .......

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by zebraman
If the head coach asks a legit question and I have time, I'll answer.

Yup. It's good to have a few stock phrases for explaining on the run, when it's appropriate.

Coach (who's said very little throughout the game): What did she do, ref?
Me: She got her on the arm.

Coach: How is that a block?
Me: She didn't have legal guarding position.

It's also good to know the rules well enough that if a coach asks a legit question during a TO, you can describe the rule.

"She can't plow through a legal screen, coach. She's got to at least try to stop." "The five second rule applies only when the dribbler is closely guarded, which means there's a defender within six feet."

I've found that a good way to tell whether the coach is asking a legit question is to say, "I'll get you the rule reference." Or, "Do you have a copy of the newest rule book? Study Rule 10, the section on contact." These statements also send the unspoken message that I know what I'm talking about, because I've been studying. Not a bad thing for a coach to hear.