How not to enforce Bench Decorum

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TimTaylor

I agree JR. I think part of the problem is that these lower level games are often officiated by newer, less experienced officials that not only haven't yet developed their game management skills, but on top of that are real hesitant to call the dreaded "technical foul". Couple that with coaches that are in many cases parent volunteers that often have little or no real rules knowledge or formal training, so they emulate what they think coaching is...often what they've seen on TV. They get away with something once & figure it's OK.

A technical foul isn't anything special, it's just another kind of foul....and we need to calmly and dispassionately call them when they are deserved.

Part of the problem here is that we're at the end of the AAU season, and the coach looked at me like I was an idiot when I informed him of the rule. Apparently, it hadn't been enforced correctly all season.

BTW, we did hit them with the Ts (three of them). I think, however, that if we had dealt with it a little more quickly and decisively, we probably could have got by with just one. I'll never know for sure, though.