Hello All,

Freshman/JV Girls up in the Pocono Mountains, PA. Freshman game went well. Rough play in the begining, but stopped after a few whistles. JV game however, did not go too well. They started rough and ended rough. Both teams were in the bonus at the end of the first period. Now, I don't want to be there all night and run too far into the Varsity game. What do I do??? I kept telling the girls, "hands off", "let her go", "easy ladies" and everything I could think of. Both coaches were complaining that someone is gonna get hurt. I agreed!!!

What would you guys/gals do? How would you handle such a physical game? Both varsity officials said we did a great job. I felt we lost control and couldn't help it. I know there is something different we could've done. But what???

Thanks....

DAC

Blow the whistle. They'll either adjust or foul out. If you're consistent, either tight or loose, they'll adjust.

I agree. Blow the whistle. I had a similar game. Both teams were in double bonus halfway through the second quarter. At halftime we decided either the coaches will get on their players to clean it up, or we would have mass foul outs.

Evidently the coaches got through to them. 7 fouls total the second half.

My post Last Week
 

Hey I had those two games last week out here in California. We ended up calling about 50 fouls in each game. We ran late about 45 minutes. it was just not a whole lotta fun. Some schools are just gonna be that way. At the time I thought what could I have done differently , now I realize that particular program wan't going to be talked out of any fouls. So we tweeted , it was ugly,not fun and long.

But we got in, got it done and got out of there. (stole that from someone here)

Sounds like you did a pretty good job. Blow your whistle and be consistant. You said that both coaches told you that someone was going to get hurt, and that you agreed. If it is getting to that point you might want to pull both sides together on the free throw line or during a time out and demand that they clean it up. If the fouls are that blatant and hard, call an intentional maybe a T and that should straighten things up. Sounds like you did okay to me though.

I talk a lot more to the post players in the last couple of years. I tell them during the pregame to be listening. While I'm yelling hands off, if I say it more than once, and they don't get their hands off, I call the foul. I have noticed, in my limited college experience, that players at that level will acknowledge what you say and keep doing what they were doing until you call the foul. After you get them for a foul or two, however, they do get their hands off.