Men's Rec Leagues

[Chess Ref]

I have a similar deal in my area. Open gym-real crowded and competive. Nary a problem. Right across the parking lot we have a park real crowded competive and talk about a mess. i have personally seen guns pulled, twice, one guy tried to beat another guy with a tree limb. My wife says I can't play at the park with the other boys after the last gun pulling incident. So I go to the gym now......

[tomegun]

Unfortunately, this is part of our society now. People resort to pulling a gun or starting a fight because they lose a game or someone gets the best of them on the court. I have played with and against guys who would either get the exact shot they wanted or call a foul regardless of whether they really got fouled. The game is just in a bad place right now IMO. Sure the athletes are better than ever, but the skill, pride (in defense mainly) and responsibility are lacking. The end result is the USA has the best individual players in the world, but can't win an international tournament.

[bigdogrunnin]

I have called Men's Rec. League games for about 4-5 years now, and they are the biggest group of complainers I have EVER been associated with. Rarely do they know the rules (but they will argue to their last breath otherwise), and they almost never know the correct application/administration of those rules. However, in the years that I have called those games, I have had only one instance where I found myself in a precarious situation . . .

The man was being incredibly loud and obnoxious, but not to the point where I wasn't going to let him play. Once he started playing, he became worse, and was out of control on the court. I whistled him for 2 fouls, then my partner got him for one, then we had a PC foul. He blew up over the PC foul and started yelling at me, then he got a "T." We shot the tech, he came out, and all was "sort of" well again. He came back and played a little more, got called for his 5th foul and was done for the night. On his way out, he yells at me, and calls me a "f-ing, punk-a** referee," and tells me I am a, "sorry m-f!" Of course this is on his way out the door. I asked one of his teammates if he was planning on coming back and he said no, so I left it at that. Guess what happened . . . YEP, he comes back about 5 minutes later. I tell him he can't be in the gym any more. He stays. I tell the league administrator he can't be in the gym, and that I won't finish the game while the player is there. The player gets upset and RUNS after me, cursing and swearing. I stood where I was, not moving, but reminding him (CALMLY) that he could not be in the gym, and that he had to leave. One of his teammates gets him and tries to take him outside . . . after 5 minutes of those two fighting, and several players getting in front of me (to keep this disgruntled player from getting to me) they finally get him to the door. Game cancelled with a score of 62-59 and 2:35 on the clock. Good game too. Cops called, the player left and is now banned from the league and the property.

That is the ONLY incident I have ever had at a Men's Rec. League. EVER! It was bad, but in the dozens and dozens of games I have called for them, one bad apple cannot force me to judge the entire bunch. Most can be ornery during a game, but that is competition. They don't have to be disrespectful or discourteous, but for the most part, these people are decent everyday people.

I would say that you should run the game just like you would a HS or College game, and expect the players to adhere to the same standards. If they don't, they can leave. I ALWAYS use Rec League games to improve my mechanics and my game management. Yeah, I like the extra money, and the opportunity to get into "game shape," but I believe it is more important to use that time to improve my skills. However, if you aren't enjoying doing those games, let someone else take them, you can do other things to get in shape. Just my take.

[Dan_ref]

Good story Big Dawg.

A few years ago a coach went apesh1t on me during an AAU game. I went to my bag & took out my cell phone which happens to have a video camera in it. That calmed him down quite a bit.

[tomegun]

Big Dawg, great example of using rec games to grow. It sounds like you had the mentality that it wasn't personal, but he had to go. You used the systematic approach to remove a bad apple from a game.

[bigdogrunnin]

Thanks guys. I will admit, it was incredibly difficult to stand there and REMAIN CALM. But after the fact, I recognized, that should anything have come of it, I am the first one that will have to defend myself. Besides, it really was a GREAT game. I didn't want to let one bad apple ruin it all, and then . . . in the end he did. Just another story in the book of officiating. Can't wait for our season to start though . . .

[Ref_ Fred]

Big Dawn, similar story happened to me but with softball about 7 years ago. When I was dabbling with what sport to officiate, which eventually brought me to basketball? I must say that we as adults when it comes to competition are the biggest babies ever. A good double play ball, second baseman bobbled the ball and threw to first, second was safe, first was out. Well it was like it was the end of the world. The guy came after me. Ready to throw fists. I was lucky enough to have had many years of self defense and he knew by my readiness. After the game he thought he would try again and proceeded to chase me with a bat. That was a scary moment, I think he caught his senses and stopped. Needless to say I said never again to do softball. Typically slow pitch softball you are a one man show and a man on his island alone. No partners to look for or to watch your back. Even when I do High school ball, it's never the kids but the parents, who think their kid is the next MJ or Sue Bird.. Not....