What should I say to a coach who is telling a player from the other team what he should and should not be doing? Heavy emphasis on the "should not" part of the question. I just stepped in and said, "Coach, if you see a problem, you need to talk to me, not him." But I wonder if I should have been more emphatic? Is there a penalty here? What are the boundaries?

(P.S. This game ended up being forfeited due to increasing out-of-control play. Although we didn't know that when this coaching incident happened.)

I have had this situation and I said just about the same thing to the coach. Depending what he actually says to the player, you could bang him with unsportsmanslike conduct. I think a warning of some kind is necessary first.

I have never had a game end on unsportsmanlike conduct. DO we even want to knowwhat happened?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Brian Watson
I have never had a game end on unsportsmanlike conduct. DO we even want to knowwhat happened? [/QUOTE

I do :)

I have called a game when the players thought we were playing football. A total of 3 Techs in two minutes and a lot more fouls! My partner and I have had enough, so we called it.

Juulie, what happened in your game?

It was incredible to me, because this was at a tournament, Kind of a big, important tournament, but this particular game didn't count in the pool play, nor in the bracket, nor in anything else. The one team was supposed to play a certain opponent, who never showed up, so they got a forfeit, but still wanted to run a little. So the organizer found a team that was sitting out, and asked if they just wanted to scrimmage a little. It started really late, and the refs were supposed to have a meeting at noon, but if we played two 20 minute running halves we wouldn't make it so both coaches, all the refs, and the organizer all agreed it would be two fifteeen minute running halves, with no stop time at the end and a three-minute half time.. As you can see, it was not a game with any stakes at all.

But these guys acted as if it was the state championship without the restrictions. It was incredibly physical, with both teams in the double bonus by seven minutes in for both halves. There was an incredibly awful flagrant foul in the first half, which was the first one I'd seen so bad. Remember when I had questions? I don't anymore!! We sat a couple of kids down in the first half, since fouling out wasn't in the picture at this tournament. Then with about five minutes to go, a player walked across the floor and just slammed an opponent against the wall. I should have been the one to call it, but I was so busy watching the in-bound play that my peripheral was wallpapered. Even so the center (3-whistle) was out of position and didn't see it either. But incredibly, the aggressor waited for the victim to get up and then did it again. This time the center saw it, I still didn't. I'm not sure how many players saw what happed the first time, but the second one cleared both benches and that was it...

Amazingly, these teams played eacher other in the A-bracket championship game of the tournament and had an incredibly beautiful basketball game. No T's, no pushing, no language. just lots of fabulous basketball, score with in five all the way through with the lead changing at least 8 times.

I'm not mentioning any names here but these teams are both state champions in their respective states, and many of these players had played each other before in other settings.

scrimmage?
 

This is a prime example why I will not work a "scrimmage". If a team forfeits and the other team wants to run a little, looks like it will be shirts vs skins.

Juulie, nice gesture on your part, but be careful in these types of situations. When there is no importance to the game, players seem to think it is a free-for-all. Not sure about you guys, but I can find something better to do for an hour.

Re: scrimmage?
 

I agree with you Dave. As many games as we do during tourneys, a break feels like a God-send...

This wasn't a "gesture" by the refs. We wanted a break!! The organizers set it all up without consulting us, and just dumped us in there. Since it was camp for us, we didn't have a lot of choice. And it was a "valuable learning experience." But I wish I would never need to apply the lessons I learned...

rainmaker:

Looks like you had your hands full! My association has instructued me to never do a game that is not a previously scheduled game (i.e., one team forfeits and a "scrimmage" takes place), even in a tournament setting. In most of our rec leagues, the rule is 3 "T"'s on a team (for any reason), and the game terminates.

Sorry Juulie, that sucks. Mabye your organizer can chalk this one up to a lessoned learned for them! :)