Advise for Rookie Ref

[ksbballref]

Hi All,
Just found the site and find it to be a great forum. I've been a ref for 15 years, was inactive for a few, but now am back for the third year doing a full schedule of JV/Freshman/JH games.

The question is this -- Had a rookie official who is a junior college student (just getting started, but knows all the rules 'cause he played in HS) come up to me during half time of a game. I was just there attending the game, but he started to ask questions about certain calls he had made. I'm sitting with several other people who also know I'm an official and who were complaining about several of these calls (I'm keeping quiet and have already moved twice to get away from the crowd who is yelling). I tell him ref the game, we'll talk later if he wants.

Have any of you had this experience, and should I do anything different as a spectator?

Thanks

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by ksbballref
Had a rookie official who is a junior college student (just getting started, but knows all the rules 'cause he played in HS)

Uh-huh. Okayyyyy. . .

I tell him ref the game, we'll talk later if he wants.

Have any of you had this experience, and should I do anything different as a spectator?

If he really wanted your input, you could've walked with him to the locker room (or wherever he was resting during halftime) and had the conversation there, away from the fans. If it just wasn't possible to get away from the fans, then I think your answer was appropriate.

[ksbballref]

I should clarify that the kid is in a referee class and is actually licensed to officiate games, but is still in his first year. The episode happened at the end of the half time, so there wasn't time to step aside to give advice. The real problem though is that the parents yelling were right about most of the calls, the ref was wrong, and there I was just trying to bite my tongue and stay quiet.

I do agree with the other thread about parents though. The games would be much more enjoyable if parents didn't think they had to be so "helpful" to the kids, the coaches and the refs.