Barking Assistant
 

Boy’s V game, early in the first half (play halves in MN).
Block-Charge situation, no-brainer, its a charge on A1.
Ball is inbounded and I pass by the bench and the team A assistant coach is barking “No Way, No Way!!!”
Shortly, I am the lead and covering off ball and A3 bats the ball away from dribbler B1 near half court and in front of A’s bench, away from the side line of my partner. B1 recovers the ball and the assistant starts barking that B1 was out of bounds (may have or have not been OOB, I had action in the lane, and partner could not tell). The assistant then looks at me and barks “That is the third thing you have missed already!”
I call a foul on A4, not in the bonus so the ball is OOB on the baseline. I tell my partner to hold for a minute. I approach the assistant and tell him “If you are going to bark at every situation tonight, this is going to be a long night for you, so I would suggest that you watch your mouth.”
It usually takes a lot to get under my skin, but I was really annoyed and felt I needed to say something, even if nothing he said warranted a T. He never said another word the rest of the night.

What do you think, should I have ignored him, or would you have said something to him?

The first time I hear an assistant coach reffing or complaining, I just go to the head coach and say, "Coach, we'll be happy to answer questions you may have when we have time. Please control your assistants as that privilege does not extend to them." After that, whacko.

WHy tell him it's going to be a LONG night? I'd tell the HEAD Coach that it's going to be a very SHORT night, and let him take care of it from there, cause if I have to, then it's gonna hurt both the ASSistant and the head coach.

See the blue.

I have a couple of tricks for this. I either go right to the head coach or tell the head coach he needs to control their bench or address the assistants with the head coach able to hear you. I never deal with the comments from assistant coaches directly but deal with the behavior. Even if their concern is a legitimate concern I will not take open disagreement from assistant coaches. I usually say something directly to the assistants that goes like this, "Guys, he has earned the right to talk to me (while pointing or referring directly to the head coach), you have not." They get the message or the head coach in many cases has told the assistants to "Shut up...." I have even had HCs apologize and insist they have taken care of the "problem" later in the game.

Peace

I understand the approach. However, there is no latitude for an assistant(s). I hear it the HC hears it too. Penalize!

This may be the most professional comment I've seen on how to address the situation. :)

I like to keep it short & to the point. At first comment from AC, a calm, respectful "Coach, you need to keep your bench under control" to the HC at first opportunity. Next comment from AC gets a T.

Don't communicate with the assistants.
I had a similar situation about two weeks back.
First chance I had I told the HEAD coach that his assistant is about to lose the coach's box for you.

"You're right, coach. And the first was the technical on you. But don't worry, I'll get that called right now."

If he asks what the second thing was, tell him it's his second technical.

I think the main lesson I get out of all these responses, is what you do might not work for someone else and vice versa. I also think a lot of what you say is based on your personal presence when you talk and the tone of voice and even the situations. There are situations where I am a hard *** when it comes to assistants and there are other situations where I hardly raise my voice. I think it just depends on what coach you are dealing with and the actions of the assistants. I think we can all pretty much agree that assistants are not to be getting out of hand and are mostly to be seen and not heard. Even that last statement does not always apply.

Peace

That's one of those situations like my buddy had last year. He pepped the asst. and said that one's for you - immediately popped him again and said that one's for me!

Of course, as I said in another thread, I also LOVE the "Sorry Robin, I only talk to Batman".

I probably wouldn't have warned him - if he barked at me like that - I'd have popped him. No excuse for that crap. That's one area where I don't have much patience.

The best place for those snappy lines is right here on the board. I'd never use one on the court. I like the line about the privilege of explanation not extending to assistants.

I agree. Tell the head coach to control your bench. Right before the break we went down to a little 1A school we hadn't worked before (we go back tomorrow). The assistant coach was from the same small town I am and has known me all my life, although I would imagine in his eyes I'm still a 10 year old kid (He is a little less than 10 years older). The first call I made, I rotate table side and he starts complaing. I look at him...then look at the head coach and say, "Coach, I just want to remind you that the head coach is the only person on the bench that will be addressing us this evening." When I turned back a minute later the assistant was laughing and I had to give him a grin. He just thought he could work me because he knew me I think.

Oh yeah, by the way, if an assistant continues to complain, you shouldn't remind them it will be a long night, it will be a short one for them.:D

I keep away from them too. They're usually unprofessional, and they also usually just piss people off. You're just inviting a response when you use a wiseazz remark. And if the response is also wiseazz, you've now got a real decision to make, don't you.

Assistant coaches are a pain in the backside, but why would you enflame the situation by goading one into a second T?

Whack. I don't put up with this crap. Next-to-zero tolerance for assistant coaches.

I'd have all communication throught he HC only.

I don't think this is a proper way to handle the situation. You confronted the AC unnecessarily and with condescending verbiage.

I would have stored the "No Way" comment and prepared myself to deal with a subsequent comment with either a comment to the HC or a T to the AC if vastly overboard.

Dude, I'm stealing this. Thanks, man.

Example (I can give a good example from my own experience for almost any mistake there is!): I read on this board that if a coach asks something like, "How can you call that a foul?" or "Why would she just throw the ball out of bounds if there wasn't a foul?" an official could say, "That's a coaching issue." It really didn't sound that smart-azz to me, in fact I thought it sounded pretty reasonable (first mistake!). Next game, I had the perfect opportunity to use that one, and I yanked it out of the bag. Talk about backfire! There were some dads of players (from the coach's school!), who were real jerks and were razzing the girls and the team as a whole. When they heard me say that, they started giving him heck. He was furious at me the rest of the game, and although I never had to T him, the game just went into the crapper.

The only smart-azz remark that I've used successfully, but still rarely, is to say to a player who wants to comment on my officiating (and I always say it quietly), " If you want to change shirts, you can finish reffing, and I"ll play for you, but your coach definitely doesn't want me on your team!" The girl will usually smile, if I do, and shut up. But I only use it about once a year.

I agree. The snappy comebacks do little to improve the situation. I know, I've tried them.

I hear things on this board, I hear things in the assoc. meeting and think, "That's a good one, I'll have to remember that one". They didn't work for me. Maybe it's just my personality.

One that I did get away with was the following:
GJV, visiting team is getting blown out of the water. Partner is calling fouls everywhere. Home team coach is a jerk. Tableside, as trail, play is going the other way. As I pass the visiting coach, I hear him say something to the effect of "We've got 11 fouls, the other team only has 4". I look at him as I run by and say, "Coach, tell your girls to stop fouling so much".

He looks like he wants to say something, then his face gets this confused look, and he shrugs his shoulders, by then, I'm down the floor.

Yeah, I say leave the smart azz comments to Saturday recreational coaches (who know nothing of the game) and keep the Varsity level officiating as professional as possible. If you work enough games you will know most of the HC from past seasons, so you know each ones demeanor and how they will communicate with you. Usually just a "Coach, can you please take care of your bench for me?" will be enough to take care of it. If it continues, go ahead with the T. That is the only way to stop it if the HC refuses to do so. He is the one that will loose the most because there will be no coaching box for him to stand in, so usually just a warning to him will get the point across.

if an assistant asks me a question and in a respectable manner during lets say a break in action I will answer and work with him (this happens very rarely). However if I ever need to discipline an AC -- before a T for example -- I do this through the HC and make sure the AC hears as well.

My dealings with AC's are only the positive kind -- if it needs to get negative it will channel through the HC. If the AC is one word from a T usually to the HC I say "Your assistant is about to cost you 2 points, possession and your freedom to stand." or "Reign him in coach he's about to cost you." Which one I use depends on how much time i have in front of the HC.

The second T relieves the pain :D

I love the Batman line...
Try this one: After a complaint from the ***. Coach i say in voice loud enough for the whole bench to hear, "who is the head coach here?" That usually prompts some action from the HC and quiets the AC. Sometimes it gets the HC really pissed at the Asst Coach. He He He.

Here's the scoop. You're in the 1st half and you got this type of stuff coming at you. The 1st half or 1st quarter is the perfect time to deal with it, because if you don't, it's really going to be a problem in the 2nd half of the game. This type of talk from ANY coach is unacceptable to me. My flag goes up on the first comment. When I get the 2nd one, and it's like that comment! That's a automatic technical to me and coach is benched. You don't have to say anything to anybody but the table, technical on AC, HC must now remain seated, get back to the game. You don't give the AC coach no long stare or anything after that. You just take care of business and I guarantee you they will remember that lession forever. You'll get nothing but respect everytime you work there.

I had the HC say something similiar to me yesterday late in the 2nd half of a college game, crunch time. He had been a saint up to that point. My response is going to be a little different now. That comment got his communication priviledge removed from me, in other words, he's now on ignore. I'm going to focus down on this close game. I get another comment like that, he gets the stop sign. Third negative comment, technical.

One more thing, imo. If you're getting that type of comments directed at you in the beginnig of the game. Somebody didn't take care of business in there last game, and it's carrying over. My point here is you don't have to say anything to either coach. If they're going to talk to you like that, “That is the third thing you have missed already!” in the beginning of the game. I'll give you the first one, maybe even the 2nd one to be sure what I heard the 1st time is what I thought I heard, because I can't believe that. Third one, automatic. You don't have to say "JACK!" to any coach. You're being a nice guy if you do, and I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just telling you, I'm not going there. Flip side of this, if the AC and/or HC is being respectful to me. I'll go out my way for them.

There has been alot of fine comments about how to deal with the AC thru the HC. I work thru the HC as well. As said earlier, the AC has not earned the right to voice his opinion. If there are words by the AC relative to what I am calling/not calling, at a time I can be in front of the HC I will say in a tone that can only be heard by the HC, 'Coach, don't let this man get you in trouble.' Most HC's are appreciative that I have spoken with them in a manner that gives them respect without having to say a word to the AC in front of him and/or the bench as well as it allows the HC to take care of the 'problem'. Aside, the next time the AC wants to get verbal with me, the HC knows the hammer will be droppin'. The HC will know maybe he should of taken care of business when the opportunity presented itself.

I'm sure they are. Don't get me wrong, whatever works for you. Anytime you can prevent accessing a technical, I think you should use it. However, there is behavior that I consider wayyyyy out of bounds, and to me, it doesn't matter which coach it's coming from. I think that for the moment, these guys forget who they are talking too and I have no problem whatsoever reminding them where those boundaries are. I'm simply not going to have a coach speak to me in the 1st quarter like it is the 4th quarter. I'm also not giving a coach a warning in the 1st quarter. I'll give him a T and he can take that for his warning.

The reason I like to call a T here is that it sets the stage for the rest of the game. You send notice to "both" benches you're not having that today. Now we can all focus on what we are there to do. Players play, coaches coach and referee's referee the game. Referee's don't tell coaches how to coach, coaches don't tell referee's how to ref. Now that that's clear, the game afterwards is a breeze, and they also learned that I have a quick trigger, don't get mad, emotionless style of offciating. Works for me...

Amen brother....

barking assistant
 

In Texas, we do not put up with bench "stuff". We warn the Head Coach to control the bench as it is his/her responsiblity. I have never said a single word to an assistant during any game. Please reply to this as I am new on this site and I do not know if my comments reach you or others -Ron.

Ron -- when you use the "Quote" button, whatever you say reaches the whole world! In fact, anything you type into a text box on this site goes out onto the board, unless you're specifically in the Private Messages section.

So, welcome to the board!! Also, did you get my e-mail? Nevada found that case play that I missed, since I didn't turn the page before. Hope you got your question answered.

As this thread shows, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Whatever works for you is the key. All we are sharing are our personal experiences. I know what I do is not going to work for everyone mainly because you do not look like me; you do not have may not use the same tone of voice or body language to get a point across.

Peace

Except he's in Texas.

Things are different in Texas, y'all.

:)

If you ever spent time in Texas, you would know that to be true. ;)

Peace

I have and I do!

:)

Me too. Headed back to San Antonio again in mid May - #1 child is graduating from college.

I say, "I'm not missing 4 in a row". Whack him and tell the head coach he has to sit the rest of the game becuase of his assistant.

Mregor

Reminds me of a line from baseball:

Coach/Manager: That's two you've missed today.
Umpire: You won't be around to count to four.
Coach/Manager: Huh?