Girls Middle School 7th grade varsity. Both the varsity and the JV had been playing great games. My partner had issued a technical during the JV game which silenced the coach and let the girls play. We were most of the way through the varsity game when the following happened. The head coach of the home team had been jabbering when the following happened: (My report)

<i>During the varsity game I ejected the head coach.

Earlier in the game he had made a comment about a noncall, “What were you looking at? Come on!” I gave him a technical based on rule 10-4-1a and 10-4-1e.

With that he lost the use of the coaching box for the rest of the game (10-5-4 note 1) and is restricted to the bench as in rule 10-4-4. Shortly after the technical foul was administered, he was still using the coaching box. My partner gave him a warning about not using the coaching box.

A short time later I was in the area when he was again using the coaching box. I gave him a second technical for violation of rule 10-4-4. Before he left he made a show of being ejected and calling in the other coach. He could easily have received another technical for violating rule 10-4-1f, inciting undesirable crowd reactions by his body language. (He put his hands over his head in a gesture that said I was overreacting.)

The vice-principal came on to the court asking if we couldn’t just give him a warning. I explained that he had violated a rule and had to pay the penalty just as the students do for violation of school rules.</i>

The home team lost by one point. The difference was the made free throws of the technicals. Outside, after the game, one of the players let me know that he hadn't done anything and I was a terrible ref.

He lost that game for his players.

Rita

What the heck is 7th grade varsity?

Anyway, that vice principal has NO business on or near the court, much less talking to you about anything. Get him out of there.

Also, you can't look at it as though the technical shots cost the game. Not unless those were the only points scored. And even if it was, that's the fault of the coach.

If you're in a tough game like that, you might want to wait until people clear out to leave, instead of chancing meeting players in the parking lot or wherever.

Well u gotta do what u gotta do, buisness is buisness. Nice job noting that statement by the player, some kinda action needs to be taken on him, thats un called for. The game is over, move on.

Wow, your report is very technical (no pun intended) with the way you list the rules to support your calling.

My report would not list rules, I would just describe the events. It is simply a list of events that occured, it seems more like you are trying to defend your calls with the way you wrote it

Don't you think rules should be listed? I thought they should be.

The part about the player wasn't in the report. I only ran into her because I had to go back into the gym for something.

Rita

[Edited by Rita C on Mar 14th, 2006 at 12:38 AM]

If the person reading the report is an official, he'll know the rules. If not, the numbers won't mean anything to him anyway. Either way, just the facts should be adequate. "I tossed the coach for acting like a jackass."
You could word it a bit more subtly if you like.

I thought your reference of the rules was good, Rita. If I had been faced with the same situation, then I would have been hitting the rule book after the game to verify that things had been, or had not been, handled correctly. Good post-game research, I think!! It is always, imo, good to reference the rules - saves people like me time, anyway!

Plus, even when you know you've done the right thing, it has to be reassuring to see it there in black and white. Especially when it's all happening for the first time. I remember when I started coaching, I used to go through cartons of 3 x 5 cards going over the same plays before I taught them to the kids. I don't really do that anymore but it was good for the confidence.

honestly
 

if thats what happened my opinion is that first Technical is a bad one -- unless he screamed it or there was something else it just sounds like he was asking you what you were looking at -- a simple not that or i didnt see sufficent contact for an advantage gained.

As for the second one -- if he gets up for a brief second to coach and sits right back down (once again this isnt HS) -- i would tend to let that go with just a reminder what the penalty is to him. But the second T would not have happened without the first and I dont think those comments warrented a T and Rita it seems like you are being to literal with the rules and you should use more judgement -- because coaches say and do a lot that would result in a T and if we went by the letter of the law most head coaches would be ejected by the end of the first quarter.

just my 2c

Re: honestly
 

:(
I couldn't disagree more. 7th grade game? Coach jabbering all game long? The way I read it, the comment was probably made so the entire gym could hear it, showing the official up in front of everyone. I wouldn't think twice about calling that first T. Even if it wasn't, it sure looks like it qualifies as an ABS T.
The second T was also just as good, although your partner should have probably called that one. Without that, though, you had the guts to call it. Good job.
While you probably could have justified a third T, you probably were better off avoiding it if possible. As long as he's leaving, albeit slowly, let him go.

Sounds to me like you handled the situation well.

The behavior of the kid after the game doesn't surprise me, because the players on a team often take on the personality of their coach. And if the coach is very disrespectful to the officials, then the players will be too.

I'd also be sure to tell my assigner about the behavior of the vice principal. That needs to be addressed.

The report was written for my assignor and any other powers-that-be in the association.

The attitude of the association is similar to that of Snaqwells. There will be a letter written to the school addressing the issue. Basically saying, we as an association look to what could possibly be done differently to avoid a similar situation in the future, we hope the coach and the principal will do the same.

Rita

One thing that you might want to incorporate into your game.

I've had a couple of situations where following an ejection the coach was making a show.

If there is any hesitation whatsoever, ask the timer to start a 1 minute countdown and if the coach hasn't vacated the court by that time than you're deeming him to be making a travesty of the game and forfeit the game.

It'll get him out quickly and easily with no problems.

Re: honestly
 

I don't know about this, deecee. In my area, they want us to be pretty strict with the jh stuff, and a little less rigid with the JV and Var high schools. If there were more T's in the first and second quarters, maybe the coaches would back off a little. It's very frustrating to have a 7th grade coach, who clearly has no clue, ragging on and on about the calls and no-calls. And it does no one any good. Players need to learn to respect appropariate authority. If coach isn't setting the example, kids don't learn it.

Rita, that coach did lose the game for his kids, but not in the way you mean it. He lost the game by not helping them play their best. If he'd been coaching the players instead of the refs, they'd have learned some basketball and played well enough to win. Instead, he is teaching them that they don't have to take responsibilities for their own weaknesses. That kind of coaching should never be acceptable.

Plenty of chances
 

Your partner and you gave that coach plenty of chances to stay in the game, HE chose to hit the showers early.

The report, a little technical IMO. All that rules reference make you look a little over officious, again IMO.