Dumbness - players, coaches and spectators

[Oz Referee]

What's the dumbest comment that you've had a player, coach or spectator yell out to you?

Mine is probably the following exchange that I had with a player:

Player screams for foul on the shot.
"He got you on the hand" I said
"But hands part of the ball" replied the player.

This was followed by deadly silence by me, s dumb look and "well duh...what are you whinging about?"


On the other side of the coin, my brother was playing in a team I was an assitant for. He drove to the bucket, got an elbow to the head that resulted in a cut above the eye (which needed 6 stitches). The call by the referee?

"Offensive - you headbutted his elbow"

I kid you not!

[dblref]

About 2 years ago, I was doing G-13 AAU. The ball was put into play after a made basket and we headed upcourt. I was the trail and had a clear 10-second count going. One of the coaches (up by 20-odd points) kept yelling 3 seconds!! 3 seconds!! I told the coach this only happened in the front court and he said "the first 3 seconds of a 10 second count also applied in the backcourt". I just about fell on the floor laughing my A** off!

[Mark Padgett]

This wasn't the funniest by any means, but it probably was the saddest. Many years ago, in a boy's sixth grade rec league game, a player was on a clean breakaway. The defensive player caught up with him just as he started his gather. The defender took both fists and punched the guy in the back right between the shoulder blades. The blow sent him flying face first into the pad at the end of the court. The kid was almost knocked unconscious. Of course, I called the flagrant and threw the defender out. I also was going to recommend expulsion from the league to the Board.

His coach came up to me and asked me if I COULDN'T JUST GIVE HIM A WARNING!!! His reasoning was that the "poor" kid had a tough childhood.

My answer was quick and to the point. "No."

[rockyroad]

Boys HS Varsity game...two players from same team going for rebound...player 1 jumps and is coming down as player 2 is going up...chin of player 1 lands on head of player 2 coming up...both players go to floor - 1 absolutely unconscious, and 2 pretty much that way...blood from chin everywhere. I hit whistle, stop game, get trainers and coaches out there...paramedic comes out of stand to help out...I tell coach that both players are done for the night unless they get checked out by a doctor...his response: "Why? They're on the same team!!" It was such a stupid statement that I just shook my head and walked off...about 10 min. later, as we are finally getting ready to play, the coach told me "I understand what you were saying - I was just really concerned and not thinking clearly." I told him "I'm glad coach, you had me worried for a while."

[rainmaker]

I'm trying to decide which of the stupid coach comments from tonight's game is the worst.....

Okay, I've got it now. His kid gets called for a foul. Kid mouths off at my partner, and gets a T. I start to clear the lane. The shooter steps away from the lane, and says, "Eric's supposed to shoot the T" I say (loud enough for the whole gym to hear -- and all the players and fans did hear me), "No, in high school ball we shoot the fouls in order, so the foul on the shot is thrown first. Then the T." So he steps back in and shoots and makes them both. Then "Eric" steps in and shoots and makes both T shots. I round up the ball and start to take to half court (to get my partner away from the coach). This dumb coach runs out on the floor and says, "Wait a minute, first you give them too many shots and now you're giving them the ball?"

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by rainmaker
This dumb coach runs out on the floor and says, "Wait a minute, first you give them too many shots and now you're giving them the ball?"

Sounds like it was time to give them two more shots - and give them the ball one more time!

Maybe you should have pulled a "Dave" and told the coach it's rule 14, article 21b, section R, subsection 54.2, note 451, line 6a and that he should look it up if he didn't believe you.

[Oz Referee]

Originally posted by rockyroad
Boys HS Varsity game...two players from same team going for rebound...player 1 jumps and is coming down as player 2 is going up...chin of player 1 lands on head of player 2 coming up...both players go to floor - 1 absolutely unconscious, and 2 pretty much that way...blood from chin everywhere. I hit whistle, stop game, get trainers and coaches out there...paramedic comes out of stand to help out...I tell coach that both players are done for the night unless they get checked out by a doctor...his response: "Why? They're on the same team!!" It was such a stupid statement that I just shook my head and walked off...about 10 min. later, as we are finally getting ready to play, the coach told me "I understand what you were saying - I was just really concerned and not thinking clearly." I told him "I'm glad coach, you had me worried for a while."

I had a similar incident a few years ago. It was a State League Mens Division 1 game (2 levels down from pro). Team was down by 2 coming up to the end of half time. The star player was screaming for the ball, instead a bench player dribbles full court, and throws up a three point attempt. The "star" was quite upset at his team mate, threw a bit of foul language at him and then threw a punch at him on the way to the bench. I immediately ejected him for fighting. His coaches comment: How can that be a foul? They're on the same team.
When I explained that it was still fighting, all the coach could say was BUT they're on the same team! It should be up to me.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Sounds like it was time to give them two more shots - and give them the ball one more time!

Maybe you should have pulled a "Dave" and told the coach it's rule 14, article 21b, section R, subsection 54.2, note 451, line 6a and that he should look it up if he didn't believe you.

I've used that kind of response several times and it often works, but this time I did something different, and -- may I brag just a little here -- this time my something different worked great! This coach had been chewing on our tails the whole game. For some reason, I hadn't T'd him yet although we discussed it at halftime. Like I said, the incident described above was in the middle of the third quarter. After he came out and yelled as listed above, I went over and got right in his face and said, "Coach, coach, coach" (it took three times to get him to stop yelling) "We are playing by HS rules here, not NBA. In high school rules, we shoot the fouls in the order they occurred. The foul on the shot was first so the original shooter shot twice, then the technical, and their number 23 shot twice. That is all according to the rule book. In HS rules, a technical gets two shots AND the ball, that's right, two shots and the ball so now we are giving the ball to yellow." I didn't look away even after all that. He looked up at me, and said, "Well it sounds like you have this under control!" and never said another word the rest of the game, although he did motion travelling several times. For some reason, he decided that maybe I wasn't such an idiot, and he submitted! I could get used to this!

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by rainmaker
although he did motion travelling several times.

Wow! Did you just remind me of a vintage "Dave". We had a coach a few years ago that did the same thing. He kept making the traveling motion over and over. Finally, Dave went over to him and said, "No, coach. If you're going out for cheerleading, the move is like this..." Dave then made the traveling motion followed by throwing one hand up, then traveling then the other hand up, then traveling then the other hand up - like kids on American Bandstand used to do in the old days. He did this two or three times.

Of course, I thought it was hilarious. Also of course, the coach didn't get it.

[Mark Dexter]

Heated boys' varsity game, and an assistant coach (frustrated with the lack of fouls called) shouts: "Hey ref, put the pea in your whistle!"

Needless to say, it was a Fox40.

[JeffRef]

Originally posted by Mark Dexter
Heated boys' varsity game, and an assistant coach (frustrated with the lack of fouls called) shouts: "Hey ref, put the pea in your whistle!"

Needless to say, it was a Fox40.

I hope you put air in it for his comment!!!

[Mike Burns]

This happened recently during a Mens league game.
I'm at T and the ball handler is just crossing half court. B1 runs from the 3-pt line and attempts to steal the ball, but ends up giving a shoulder to the head of A. Of course I call the foul.
Then for whatever reason dumb people do the things they do, he starts ranting and raving about the call.
T time anyone?
As team A is shooting the Techs, B1 comes over and points to blood on his bicep and says, "LOOK, HE BIT ME!!!".
I say calmly "Well then you are going to have to leave the game until you get that cleaned up."
B1, "WELL, WHAT ABOUT HIM BITTING ME?!?!?"
I said, "How about this. You keep your arm out of his mouth and then he won't bite you."

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by JeffRef

I hope you put air in it for his comment!!!

Unfortunately no - I was on the table crew I think.

[Dan_ref]

How about this one for dumbest. A1 is holding the ball,
feet straddling the mid-court line. Some pressure, he's
moving a bit to find a player open to pass to but no
back court violation. Coach B is yelling for a back court
(what else?). Later on I find myself standing next to him
so he asks how could I miss that back court. I tell him
A1's pivot foot remained in the backcourt so he was OK
since he never came over. Coach B then says "His foot?
What's his feet got to do with it? It's a backcourt when
he breaks the plane with the ball." The play moved to the
other end so I didn't have a chance to tell him how stupid
that sounded.

[BktBallRef]

Mark, are you trying to catch up on a month of missed posts?