After reading some of these posts about whacking people, throw her out and all the other comments it just seems that you all have a lot of T's. I just find this really uncommon. I at most might give 3 T's a year. Most of them are probably on players for unsportsmanlike things such as taunting or swearing at an opponent. You all seem to have many T's and give them frequently. Do you think that T's are given more often in different parts of the country. I hail from PA and I seldom give a T and neither does my chapter in whole (we have some that give the pretty easy). I was just curious. (But again I did start early this year, already had 1)

I do not know if they are given more or if they are given less in my part of the country. I do know the officials that are giving Ts out all the time are usually not the most respected officials. I think a lot of officials feel that is the way they show their authority. I have at times gone years without giving a T. I have this year given a T for a player bouncing the ball in frustration. Usually I have a word with a player or a coach and the complaining or the comments and behavior stops. I have always said that most Ts are the fault of the officials. We allow things to continue and continue and continue and then we stick them when things have long been out of hand.

Peace

I don't think you can make a blanket statement. Some years I have more technicals than others and I don't really keep track from year to year.

For me and alot of guys I work with, it depends on the level of play. I tend to assess more T's in lower level games. It seems that each official has certain behaviors that is their trigger point. I know I went through one season early on where I was a little trigger-happy. As my knowledge of the game, experience, and managment skill have developed, I seem to have to give a T less often. So far this year, the only coach that was even flirting with one was last night in a JV girls game. He was down 20 in the second half so I gave my explanation and walked away. He was continuing to say things that usually warranted a T, but it just would have made an already ugly, poorly played girls game a lot worse. I just stayed away from him for the rest of the night as much as possible.

You bring up some valid points, IMO.

But, you do have to remember...there are many officials that post here from around the country...so you are seeing a sampling of different situations from many officials. How many T's do you think are given, around the country, on any given Friday or Saturday night during the BBall season? So, while it may seem like everyone here is T happy...I believe most officials here are just giving their opinion on what they would do if a given situation occured during their game. Many of the officials here probably wouldn't have to worry about it...because the situations might not have escalated to the point of giving a T. (Game Management, presence, credibility, etc.)

Having said that...I just threw out a freaking 7th grade coach the other day for Pete's sake. This was only my 2nd coach ejection in about 17 years of officiating. So either I was having a bad game management day...or he was having a bad "recognizing the situation he was in" day...or a combination of the two...or niether at all, who knows? IMO, it's a feel we get as officials if a T should be issued.

Another example...last night our 3 person crew had a H.S. Varsity coach that probably could/should have been whacked. He had been well behaved for most of the game...but, late in the game his frustration over being behind came out in a not so positive manner. I didn't think he quite crossed the line...but, after the game the AD told us he thought we were going to "take care of his boy" and "we should have went ahead and done it". This tells me we might not have "taken care of business" in the AD's opinion...but, it also might suggest that the AD wants us to "take care of business" so he doesn't have to...or so he will have some ammunition when he goes to discipline him for his behavior. Who knows? Just another learning experience to add to a growing number of learning experiences in this field.

Rut, I take allowance to some of your comments. I approach the game ready to enforce all infractions which may occur during the course of the game. I personally, do not see a need to talk anyone out of anything. IMO, officials who are giving out T's are correcting behavior that other officials let go (like talking people out of things). Thus, causing them to be labeled.You are correct in stating, we allow things to continue and continue until it is out of control. Tolerance levels, are different for each official what you may let go others may not. IMO, if the situation warrants a T's you can bet you sweet a** they will receive one.

This in my opinion is where the "HOMER" official concept come into play. I will continue to hire so and so because they will talk me out of anything.

As many of you know, I am on the other side of thing this year. Coaching instead of officiating. When I was officiating and definetly now as a coach, I see trigger-happy officials. There are too many officials who would rather T you up than explain a call. I received my first T as a coach a few nights ago. All I did was question a call. Official called over the back on an inbound lob pass, I questioned in a calm manner saying my player is 2 feet taller, no contact was made. It was a very quick whistle and undeserved T. As an official everyone knows you are incharge of the game...No need to hand out T's to show it.

IMO -

the tolerance of some officials is higher than others. I have a pretty high tolerance and maybe gave out one T last year and none so far this year. As you grow, coaches will know their limits and boundries.

Here is the thing, you have a right to your opinion and I have a right to my opinion. I want to give Ts that everyone can see (not always possible). I do not want to give Ts when no one understands them. If you feel the only way to correct behavior is by giving a T that is your right to feel that way, but remember when you give one and you could have said a little word first, it will not be I that can say later, "I told the coach before......" If you have a reputation for giving Ts all the time, then the when you give a T to someone, instead of the behavior being questioned, your actions or ability becomes questioned.

Look I had a game earlier in the year where a coach yelled at each of my partners and me across the court about calls. The first opportunity I had to talk to this coach he went nuts. He did not curse, he did not get personal and really he was not being anything but loud. After what I said to him, he did not say another word the rest of the game. He got the message and the behavior stopped without a single T. Now maybe he knew I meant business and stopped. In my opinion I won. Now if you feel that giving a T would have solved a problem then do that. I just know that it was not a big deal in my game, giving a T might have made it a bigger deal.

Once again, the officials that have a reputation for giving Ts are usually not the ones picked for the bigger and better games where the pressure is on in my experience.

Peace

I don't think that you can make a statistical evaluation based on the posts on this board. You need to remember that the vast majority of situations that get brought up here probably involve extreme behavior - which is why a heavy percentage are of the "whack em" resolution. For every one of those there are most likely hundreds that are averted through good game management.

Are there officials with too quick a trigger that call too many T's? Sure there are - just as there are as many or more officials that don't call one when it really needs to be.

The bottom line is a T is just another type of foul predicated on the behavior of the participants. By practicing good game management, establishing good communication ground rules with the coaches and proactive officiating, we can minimize the number of situations where a T can occur, but we won't eliminate them.

And sometimes it's just your turn in the bucket....... Last season I assessed a total of 5 technicals, four of them flagrant - that's more flagrants than I have assessed in total in my entire previous officiating career.

In my first game this year, a kid hammered the shooter, picking up his 4th personal early in the 4th Qtr. After the first FT he was subbed out, and as he approached the team bench kicked a chair so hard it flew 10 feet & hit the wall, earning him an immediate T (foul #5 so he's now DQ'd and can't come back in) and the HC an indirect and loss of the coaching box. I didn't really have a choice, as there's no way you can let that kind of behavior go. By contrast, in the 10+ games I've done since, I haven't had a situation even get close.

I guess what I'm trying to say in a round about way is don't make statistical judgements based on the situations you see posted here - they simply aren't representative.

[Edited by TimTaylor on Dec 13th, 2005 at 03:26 PM]

While I had the reputation of being trigger happy over the years I have cooled down and given less T's over the last several years. I have discovered that a properly placed word or sentence can difuse a situation, the stop sign with a coach telling them you have reached the limit can limit the need to issue the T.
Having said that - I do still issue the T - but they call themselves - I would prefer that everyone in the Gym saw or heard the reason, but it doesn't always happen that way.

Last night in a blow out an eigth grader got beat to the rebound by a player in the second block who scored off the rebound and as he grabbed the ball he looked at me and said "he f@#&$$%g pushed me" WHACK yes I had to explain it to the coach he understood, it wasn't a popular call but it was right.

Or the coach in a Catholic league that jumped up and yelled Jesus Christ -Whack see you bye - every body heard that it is a zero tolerance league - popular, no - right, yes.
Will it cost me in that league because other officials do not make that call - could be - but since that is the mandate set down by the league I will enforce it. The assignor will not punish me for it and in this league the assignors, officials, and reviewers vote not the coaches and AD's which IMO is the way it should be.
I think the reason too many officials let coaches/players get away with things they would punnish their kids for, is they reffing for votes from the very people they are out their to control.
anything seem wrong with that philosophy?

What you are not including is we are stating opinions on specific situations. Situations that happened to other officials, we were not there.

So an official says this is what this coach/player did, what would you do?

We are stating an opinion on that specific act, rarely with enough context to judge what preventive measures could have been used earlier.

My partner and I have issued two T's in 16 games, 1 coach, 1 player and it was the same game.

I think we had 3 all of last season and I recall 1 the season before that, and I have said, "I'd whack em," in every thread so far on the subject.

Kind of blows up the theory that we are all T happy.:D

There is a fine line between giving a T too fast and not enforcing proper bench decorum. T's are pretty subjective.

We have some guys in our local association who give out T's like they are Christmas candy. We have other guys who put up with way too much abuse from coaches and refuse to give a T.

I hope to be somewhere in the middle, but during a season where I work almost every night of the week, there are times when I second-guess myself after the game both ways. There have been games where I drove home wishing I had given a warranted T and other times when I felt that maybe I was a bit quick on the trigger. I'm fortunate to be working varsity level games where 95% of our coaches worry more about the game than the officials. In general, coaches at the lower levels haven't learned as well to "just coach" and let us ref.

Being a good communicator and noticing when frustration is STARTING to developer rather than when it blows over helps. Sometimes we don't get that luxury.

I have given only one T this year and it was to support my partner when he made a good call and an assistant coach slammed a clipboard to the ground.

Z

I know of an individual that gave about 16 Ts in 10 games or so. He worked on a crew and he was the only person giving the Ts for the most part. I would call that T happy. This official was approached about his conduct.

I know a lower level official (veteran) that every time he tells a story about working basketball, the story includes a Technical Foul incident. Every time he works a game he Ts someone (or it seems that way). Every time I have worked after him he talks about how he T'd the coach and a player during the same game. I would consider that T happy as well. He is giving Ts for stuff that would not even elicit a response from many officials.

Peace

Just because a thread about T's shows up doesn't mean a lot of T's are given out. I give about 1-2 a season and that's it. I use the "stop sign" a lot and that works most of the time.

Lot easier to type 'Whack",, "Slammo", "TTTTT" in this forum than to call one when working a game in a crowded gym.

I think the debate and conversation is good. It is a subjective call on many occasions. What's enough for me might not be for you.

Granted a Coach T isn't the hardest call to make but no doubt this call has the most lingering effects on any time remaining in the game.

No doubt the number of verbal and written claims to an aggressive T far outnumber the actual ones that are given.

I think a lot of people come here with their situations that a T was given because they are looking for reinforcement. I feel that if an official is a worth while official they want to know what they could have done differently to avoid giving a T. Most Techs are called to make the game better and that is what they are designed to do. If they are warranted they are a tool to help the game.

As a coach I appreciate an official who will talk to me when it is clear we have a difference of opinion regarding a situation on the court, eventhough this is not required.

***

One of the posters above referred to a incident when a player on the bench kicked a chair in disgust. I think a justified T the way he/she described, but how do you determine when a player is upset with themselves and when they are upset with the refs when the actions aren't really directed at anyone? Does it matter? If they simply slam the chair with their fist is that less punishable/ignorable?

I have conflicting feelings on this: a) As a coach I demand my players respect every call and never question the officials - I tell them that is my job, but b)I like it when my players show a little emotion on the court. Where do you draw the line?

Thanks

YOu consider it your job to question the officials? Are you kidding me?

I have made many mistakes as a coach. Sometimes the official does too. In the rarest of times I side with my players and feel there is a question to be asked, then yes it is my job over my players. I wait until the time is right, but I do like to understand calls where I don't know why it was called that way. Is that so wrong?

I think I've had 4 or 5 techs in 10 years of coaching, only one was for an event in which I lost control of myself. The rest were calculatted and intentional.

[Edited by ATXCoach on Dec 13th, 2005 at 07:53 PM]

Most experienced officials know the difference between a player being frustrated at themselves or when they're pissed off at us.

Having said that, some actions are gonna earn 'em a "T", no matter what. This includes:
- kicking chairs.
- hammering the scoring table.
- pulling their shirt out and covering their face.
- bouncing the ball hard after the play is over so that the ball goes higher than their head.
- tossing the ball down court or out-of-bounds.
- any profanity/obscenity that can be be heard by the crowd.

Those are all pretty much automatic "T"s with most officials, Coach.

{Grammar Nazi ON)

No - you've given fewer T's

(Grammar Nazi OFF)


Not really sure where I am on the scale. I gave out a ton while working intramurals, but chalked it up to the nature of the beast. Just starting my "real" basketball season, so we'll see how I am this year.

For the record, in football I had 7 (give or take) USC flags this season. Two were ejections for fighting, one was on a player for taunting (in the same game that had the 2 ejections), 1 was a chain crew/coaching staff ejection, and 3 were against actual coaches. All of the coaching USC's were in Youth football . . .

me, trigger happy to issue an T...
 

no way, not me. tonight's JV boys game. Team B down by 15, 6 minutes to go and the crowd is now fillng in for the varsity game which follows. i call a foul on A1. B1 is going to the line for 2 shots. i'm T. Team B's assistant is standing giving instuctions to B2. before the ball is at the disposal of B1 for the 1st of 2 shots. i tell the assistant to have a sit. he just looks at me. i, once again, tell him to have a seat. he does and says, "get your head in the game then" to me. of course the gym is dead quiet by now. WHACK!

me trigger happy. no way! that was the easiest call i had all night. didn't want to give him the T, especially since Team B down and really didn't have a chance to win the game. but, he made the call for me! WHACK!!!



[Edited by JohnBark on Dec 14th, 2005 at 09:43 AM]

I'll agree with the folks who say that it varies from season to season or game to game. Last year, I was a T-magnet in the first third of the season and even posted some of the situations on the forum. This year, through 10 games or so, I have 2 T's; both for hanging on the rim. One was a missed dunk and swing. The second was a 2-hand alley-oop dunk. After the dunk, the kid hung with one hand, turned around and pointed to his point guard with his other hand to say "nice pass".

I give very few T's to coaches, even in my T-magnet seasons. They're usually for trash-talk or players complaining.

Referee Article
 

This month's issue of Referee Magazine, there is an article called, "What Lead Officials Do Better than the Rest." The article interviewed Joe Crawford from the NBA and Ed Hochuli from the NFL. The article talks about how easy it is to give a T or throw a flag. They article said it takes much more skill to understand the emotion of the game and talk to players through a situation, then take action if need be. Hochuli said it takes guts to walk away when players get emotional. I personally think there are officials that go looking for Ts and confrontation. This is why they call Ts in many situations where other officials might address the situations in another way.

Peace

I had a crappy T last night. Girl's Varsity. Decent level of play. First three minutes of the game. Team A inbounding on side line right by scorer's table. Team B player, defending the throw in, jumps at least 8 inches out of bounds, towards the thrower. I stop play, issue a delay warning against Team A. Bounce the ball to A for throw-in. B player...second jump is out of bounds, in the thrower's face...right after her coach had told her to get back. I called the T. Just as a review for all, it counts as a Team Technical,..goes against team foul count, but not assessed to a player (my partners said it should count towards player...we told both coaches we would confirm at half time, and adjust if necessary).

At a break, my partners said that's one T you probably should ignore, and I said...you know...that is a crummy way to get a T, and if it was on the far side of the court, I might have been a little more patient, but being right in front of the scorer's table, with both coaches having a clear view of the delay warning, and the subsequent violation, how could I maintain any credibility if I let it slide.

I do have to mention, however, not one defender for either team got in a thrower's face after that.

I stop play, issue a delay warning against Team A.***

Typo...of course, Team B got the warning

Had same situation last week. My player reached over and slapped the ball. By the book - T without warning.

No objections from crew or bench.

It is a "crappy way" to get a T but .... its in the rule book. I've felt it was always "misplaced" by calling it a delay of game.

Seems its a rule looking for a home.

Can't agree with that philosophy either. That ain't a crappy "T" at all imo. If the defender gained any kind of an advantage on the first throw-in by goin OOB, then a warning is the proper and righteous call. If the defender subsequently completely ignores your warning and does it again, then that defender deserves the "T" for just being plain (or plane) stoopid. She just basically said "Screw you, ref. I'm gonna do what I want". It doesn't matter what side of the court it happened on either. Whether a coach can see a call should never, ever be a factor in whether that call should be made or not.

Your partners are just looking for a reason <b>not</b> to call a "T" imo. That's wrong.

No problem with that T Frank, but just a quick question. Before giving the ball to team A for the throw-in after the warning, did you specifically address player B1? I know you went to the table and gave a warning, but it sounds like B1 doesn't have the rule knowledge that we like varsity players to have. I think if you had said, "hey #32, you can't break this plane. If you do it again it will be a technical foul and the other team will get two free throws," it may have prevented it.

Z

Another technique I find effective is listening and takling to the coach -- until he demonstrates that despite my good faith effort he has no interest in talking and listening. I mean, REALLY stand there and listen and then look him in the eye and talk to him. Use his first name and treat him like a human being. Encourage him to use your first name by making sure he gets it at the pregame. My partner(s) and I never walk on the floor without knowing the coaches' first names.

Lower level coaches haven't learned how to communicate with officials.....and many lower level officials haven't learned how to communicate with coaches.

The combination usually yields one of two scenarios when I'm sitting in the stands (watching before the varsity game):

(1) The officials take an enormous amount of crap and nothing is done -- a few weeks ago I saw a coach come out to the three point line and ream out a newer official for almost the entire timeout. I wanted to hide, it was so bad.

(2) Whack-a-thon.

Frankly, at the lower levels, I'd rather see (2) than (1). And at the upper levels, most coaches know that the behavior I described above would result in a quick T, so they don't act that way.

I worked 1 JV game last season as a last minute favor, and about five minutes in I ended up giving a coach a one-sided conversation about my expectations regarding his behavior.

No technical, although I would've been justified, but I just didn't think he understood how to act as a head coach because no official prior had laid down their expectations.

I used his name, talked to him like an adult, but let him know that screaming out every travel, every foul, etc., that he thought we missed simply wouldn't be tolerated. He stopped immediately. He thanked me after the game, which he lost.

Not that I don't call technicals.....because I certainly do, but I don't relish them the way I (unfortunately) did 15 or so years ago.

--Rich

A coach kicks a chair (not really anywhere but just kicks it)- his teams getting the crap kicked out of them. Should I have wacked him? I just looked at him with that "You ok?" look.... and he quickly fixed the chair and apologized.

I will say this.
Since I've graduated to calling varsity games on a regular basis I find my sweet trigger has gotten harder to fire. I'm more apt to listen to a coach at all levels, and I'm more apt to tell a coach I dont particular care for the fact he's yelling every five seconds about something (at the sub-varsity level)

Had a JV team playing a Varsity team. The JV coach was constantly complaining. I finally asked him
"Has the other coach been yelling at us the whole time?"
"No sir."
"Did your varsity coach yell at us the whole game?"
"No sir."
"Why are you constnatly yelling at us?"
"I'm not used to being a Varsity type situation"
"well can we work on that?"
"sure man, i didnt even notice it."


Course it didnt help when my partner told him that he wasnt going to get a certain call because this was a varsity game.

Sometime you just have to wonder.

I give an occasional T for various things, as required by the rules. In many cases, I will try to talk to the person and get them to settle before a T becomes necessary, but some situations just warrant it.

I had a coach a few weeks ago that, when I told him very clearly that I was tired of listening to him complain about stuff and question every call or no-call... I said "Coach... That's ENOUGH!" - he said "No, it's not." - hmmm - wrong answer. That got a T. He was fine after that.

I've found that in most cases, if I draw a line in the sand very clearly, I don't feel in any way bad about assessing the T if the coach or player chooses to cross it.

Newby Perspective
 

I have been doing this 2 years. I work the Frosh/JV circuit. I have sat and watched lots,lots of other officials at all levels. Including DI up close and personal.
Generally speaking my perception is the higher the level the less persistent the behavior is. I am not saying Varsity coaches don't act up but it is not as persistent as the lower levels. So when i started out giving a T was a big deal for me. Now I don't give them the coaches earn them. I am all for working with and communicating with the coaches but THEY have to give me something to work with.
I don't get much of the personal or profane but LOTS of the persistent stuff. At the levels I work my perception is most of these coaches are clueless. So they blame me for that missed travel call in the 1st Qtr that caused them to fall behind by 35 at halftime. I would love to practice my communication skills but you gotta give me something to work with. So instead I get to practice

1. I'm looking for it coach
2. I heard you coach
3. That's it coach
4. STOP sign
5. T

And my ratings went through the roof when i gave out more T's. Coincidence I dunno.

I like JRutledge's approach here. The good official stays in control of the game. Technical fouls are part of an arsenal, not the sole weapon.

The occasional theatrical coach should be defused before he can cost his team the game. This is more in keeping with the role of an official to be an enabler more than an enforcer.

A few officials (actually most of them) that do college D1, D2 and D3 have told me that the T is their last option. Also they might average 1 T every 2 years. I seem to notice that the officials that have been doing high level games and I mean beyond HS for the most part have very FEW T's to their name and they work with the coaches rather than against them. These guys probably have at least 5-6 years minimum at the college level and they keep getting good games because they get along with the coaches and they work with them.

One guy told me at camp -- "Give a coach a long enough rope to hang himself where when he's done everyone in the gym knows exactly what and why." (not exact but almost)

Couple years ago a coach might have gotten a T from me for saying "that was a $hi..ty call" -- now thats just his way of expressing his opinion. Of course his delivery would be taken into account -- did he scream it across the gym or say it to me as i was running by.

I think we all have our ways of expressing the message. We could do it civilized or we could do it by punishment. Every situation will, could and can be treated differently. It all depends on the reciepiant. What may work one game may not an other game. I haven't given out a T in 3 full seasons. Like RUT said, that magic word could stop the craziness on the coaches/players behalf.

BUT we officials don't give out a lot of T's.

That last part would get a T from me. And I don't think I'll change my opinion on that as time goes on. It is inappropriate language for a coach to use toward an official under any circumstances.

In today's world we have been far too lax in addressing inappropriate language. Remember, the HS or lower game is an extention of the classroom by definition. It is DEFINITELY not acceptable for a student to use that language. Coaches should be held to a higher standard anyway, as they are adults, and much more responsible for their choices and actions.

I can't seem to make this call without the coach insisting it's supposed to be a warning first. <<shrug>>

Wow... a coach that even knows there's supposed to be a warning for something, even if they think its for the wrong thing? I'm impressed :)

Actually, I find that every coach thinks there should be a warning in this sitch; mostly b/c they don't want the T.

Every coach is different, and every official is different. On both sides of the lines, people have different tolerance levels, and different abilities to communitcate. For me, I prefer to try and work with the coaches as much as I can, and let them know where the line is. I let them know once they have gotten close to the line, and I make sure to let them know once they have crossed it.

I think that one thing many officials are not aware of is how their communication with one coach may affect the other coach in a game. You can't go talking to team A's coach every time down the floor and not expect the team B's coach to get a bit paranoid about it. Then, because the official is getting tired to hearing from team A's coach, his tolerance level is reached, and he whacks team B's coach as soon as he says something.

Body language, consistency within a crew, table mechanics, etc. All of these things contribute to the atmosphere within a game. You can either use them to create an atmosphere of control, or you can really mess things up. It is extremely important to be aware of how all of your actions are perceived by coaches and players. More awareness on the part of an official will often lead to less situations that require T's.

What? What the hell is a "sweet trigger"? If I'm your assignor or partner and you have a pet name for calling a tech, I would be nervous.

He's talking about his own personal tolerance level, not a technical foul.

Why would you be nervous anyway if someone had a pet name for a "T"? :confused:

This weekend I found myself working with a well respected veteran official from my chapter at a local tournament. Before our games started we were chatting and I mentioned that my focus this summer was managing coaches and avoiding T’s. He told me he felt that was one of his strengths and suggested I let him handle most of the interaction with the coaches during our first 3 game set and take mental notes…then we would talk during our break and change roles during the second 3 game set.

The first thing I noticed was he spoke softly and slowly when addressing the coaches. Whenever a coached questioned a call, the most popular responses were “I saw it differently coach.” “Looked different from my angle” “I hear you coach” and “We’ll watch for it.” One coached asked a question during play and he said “I’ll get with you next dead ball coach.” Another asked a question about a call after he reported so he just moved toward the division line, kept facing the lane and gave a quick answer.

During our break, we talked about what he had done. I tried the same tools he used, even though I knew his demeanor may have been the key. I was surprised at how well they calmed the coaches down. I had used the same phrases in the past with less success. I really think it was the softer voice and slower cadence. It is hard for a coach to escalate things when you are quite and calm.

As an aside, during our break I also asked him if he had any feedback about my work…mentioning that I was really aiming to convince the assignment secretary to give me more varsity. We had already covered camps…I’m going to two where the assignment secretary will be present to watch our chapter guys in attendance. He said that he felt I would have a lot better schedule this year…My game calling had improved…my mechanics were improving…my weight lose was really showing and, as a result, I moved better on the floor. Since I felt good about the review that may have played a part in how things went with the coaches…self confidence goes a long way.

Originally Posted by ace
"Since I've graduated to calling varsity games on a regular basis I find my sweet trigger has gotten harder to fire."

Is he? I really didn't know what he was referring to; "sweet trigger" sounded like a nickname for a gun, like "Old Betsy" or the "Peacemaker" or something else goofy like that. And "to fire" demonstrates an action on his part...to fire his T gun?? Plus it sounds like since moving up to varsity perhaps he's a bit intimidated..."I find my sweet trigger has gotten harder to fire". Does that mean it's easier to "fire" away at a lower level coach? That varsity coaches won't tolerate the firing? Again, I don't know...what does he mean? I think only Ace can answer that.

As for the nervousness, anytime a person in a position of authority (e.g., a sports official) feels a need to draw attention to him or herself with something like a cute nickname, it makes me wonder either about his/her motives or sense of security. If you officiate to be noticed, you're much more likely to make questionable or iffy calls. Quick or excessive T's, looking for obscure calls to demonstrate a superior knowledge of the rules, theatrical or demonstrative mechanics on a routine basis (i.e., when not necessary to sell a call), creation of cool personna, etc...those characteristics in a partner make me nervous.

A good example from when I called in Florida a few years ago. There was a father-son combo who worked in our association. The father was a mediocre official at best, but he loved being the center of attention. He would probably average 15-20 T's in a normal 20 game HS varsity season. After calling a T he would be very self-righteous, proclaiming that he didn't want to call the T, but he really had no choice. Yet I can't recall a single T that he called that needed to be called. Coaches hated to have him call their games, and partners hated working with him. He had to be noticed. He was a very insecure man.

His son, 19 years old at the time, had the potential to be a very good official, except that he looked to his father as a role model. When the son could be kept away from the dad for a few weeks at a time, he would listen to more grounded officials and begin to develop good habits. But one game with dad (or one other similar official in the assoc) and all the good habits would evaporate. There was one small town that had produced 5 state champions in about a 10-12 year period. Very good, very knowledgeable, very vocal fans...I loved calling there. For some reason, the son was assigned 4-5 games there over about a 3-week period. The fans there would ride him mercilessly because he made too many hard-to-understand calls and drew attention to himself. Toward the end of the 3-week run I had a game with him there. I was talking with him before our game and he said he had developed a cheering section there, that they really liked him. He needed approval and to be liked above all else...just like his dad in the long run. He made me nervous because I never knew what he was going to do.

What does have to do with "sweet trigger"? Sounds to me like he may be a guy who needs to be seen and recognized as something special. Just makes me nervous.

You're doing a heckuva lot of <b>assuming</b> something without talking to or knowing someone.

Personally, that makes <b>me</b> nervous.

You're right, I am doing a lot of assuming. But if Ace would express himself clearly to start with, or clarify what he means after the fact, then I wouldn't have to. I still don't know what he means by "firing his sweet trigger". I'm not trying to be a jerk, but when words in a forum are the only way we have to get to know or understand someone, then we need to be clear. Having to figure out what someone means (in any venue) makes me uneasy, which in turn would make me nervous if I would have to trust and have confidence in him as a partner. Forum members give Chuck good-natured (I think) grief about being the spelling-nazi, but perfect spelling in a forum such as this is really of little importance as long as the idea is understood.

You asked me why that would make me nervous and I tried to give a complete, thorough answer. And be honest, if you had a partner who had some of the characteristics I previously described (and I agree that I'm wrong to imply Ace has any of those characteristics), wouldn't that make you a little nervous?

And looking back to my original post on this subject, I probably should have just asked Ace for clarification and kept my editorial comment to myself. But that would hardly have been in the spirit of this forum, would it? :)

Corndog,

Lighten up man. Whatever he calls it, we all have a right to take some light points of view of this or any number of things. Who cares what he calls it?

Peace

Nazi? I'm your friendly neighborhood Mr. Spelling Guy. "Guy", not "nazi". You're confusing me with the Seinfeld character. If you combined us, though, you'd have the Spelling Soup Nazi. I would be supreme arbiter over every bowl of Campbell's Alphabet Soup!! Five-year-olds everywhere would fear me!!! "Kat?!? No Alphabet Soup for you!! Come back, one year!!"

Unfortunately, you've been caught on tape:
http://www.forumspile.com/Spelling-DictionaryNazi.gif

Isn't that you on the far end?

You're right...still just wondering what he means.

Nope. That's Ron Jeremy.

Ron Jeremy is a Nazi?

I always thought he was a Republican.

Aamof I thought that he originally posed for the Republican elephant symbol; well, the trunk part anyway.