I guess it was my turn.
 

Last night I had what could only be described as a howler monkey.

Varsity girls. Visiting team goes down 12-0 in the first few minutes. Every call or non-call was accomanied by loud disagreement by the visiting team head coach. Within the first 4 minutes, my partner and I each had gone over to the bench and told the coach to knock it off (not in those words, of course). My partner talked to him twice, matter of fact. He didn't coach his team at all during the quarter, but had not done anything that clearly warranted a technical after my partner's second visit.

After the first quarter, I saw the coach staring in my direction. Working 2-person, so I was on the block opposite his bench. I didn't pay attention to him. After the first horn, my team was already out, so I went to the division line to start the quarter. At this point, the coach shouted across the court, "It's 4 to 0," with four fingers on one hand and a fist on the other held above his head with a voice that projected quite a bit.

So there you have it, my first technical in over a calendar year. He didn't get it on that, it was cumulative.

And that was the end of the coach loudly officiating for the rest of the game. Of course, he didn't exactly return to coaching, either, preferring to sit there and do nothing at all while his team lost by 30.

Oh, I forgot halftime. At halftime, the coach turned as he was walking out and said, "12 to 4. You need to give us a break." It was so pathetic I couldn't bring myself to run him.

It's amazing the number of people who think you should even up the fouls rather than consider that the home team is 10-1 and just quite a bit better than the visiting team.

Don't you just love it when a team is in need of direction and guidance and all they get is a "coach" who wants to second guess every decision you make during a game?

I must really be due for one of them...I haven't had one in a very long time.

I had TWO this week alone.

First one . . . coach is calling EVERY play down the court. Not being ugly, just annoying. About 3-4 minutes into the first quarter he wants a foul call and doesn't get it. Ball turns over and we get a quick foul. I report and coach start griping. Me, "Coach, that's enough. Let us officiate the game." (Accompanied by the stop sign.) He was fine after that.

Second one . . . coach sits almost the entire game. He barks at us loudly 4-5 times during the game about travelling, fouls, etc. Nothing extreme. His team goes up by 15 and he becomes quiet as a church mouse, THEN . . . the opponent start chipping away. 2-3 minutes later we have a 5-point game with about 1:20 left in the game. The opponent has a long pass down court and their players gets it, does a SWEET move that brings the defensive player WAY out of position. One dribble and to the basket. SCORE. 3-point game. Coach comes unglued SCREAMING about a supposed travel (kid NEVER moved his pivot foot). Scoring team calls time-out. I turn to coach and say, "Coach, you are warned. Please do not address the floor in that manner again." (Accompanied by the stop sign.) Coach starts to glare, so I walk away. When he turns to talk to his team, I report the TO, let my partner know the coach has been warned, and away we go. (Note: His team won by 7.)

And yes, I do think the stop sign is an effective tool if not used to excess and used at the appropriate time. Of course, I know some will disagree, but it works for me.

Where was this, Rich? Obviously it wasn't at BT. Was this your Saturday game?

Our game at Clinton (Fri.) was a "barnburner" at the end. Favored team had a 13 point lead into the fourth quarter. All of a sudden they went colder than the ice showers Friday nite. Clinton player who hasn't had much success with her 3-pointer all season.....found it to convert 3Xs off consecutive Edgerton turnovers. (ie: Game tied after regulation). OT had Clinton outscore Edgerton 7-4 to upset Edgerton. (Many E fans left midway thru the 3rd quarter thinking their team had the game in the bag.....only to find out in the Saturday morning papers the outcome. It was a fun game to work! :D

Davism #4:

"Coach, let's trade places. You come out here and officiate the game, and I'll sit on the bench and act like a jackass." :cool:

It was north of Madison. Email me and I'll be more specific.

BT girls showed a lot of heart Friday night. They decided to come out and play in the second half and, quite frankly, blew BF out.

BT is 3-0 in games I worked there this season, including 2 of the girls' 3 wins.

I was told this a while ago but have learned to come close to perfecting this technique. I made a decision this year based on some hairy situations last year that I was not going to address comments like this, but address the behavior first instead. This has worked out like a charm for me this year. I have gotten into fewer debates about calls and I have been able to communicate to coaches much better where they listen instead of answer the foul count questions or some ridiculous statement. That might not have helped at all in this situation, but it has helped me in the way I deal with most situations.

So if a coach is yelling across the court, I address that instead of their specific talk about calls or foul counts. Now that might not do anything in this specific situation because of what the gym atmosphere, previous actions by that coach and when they say or do what they do.

Now I have no problem with the technical based on what you described. My only question is why was he not addressed earlier with his attempts at officiating?

Peace

I went back and checked, even though it's meaningless. Home teams have won about 77% of my non-neutral site games this year.

We did, Jeff. We each talked to him about him officiating instead of coaching. You can lead a horse to water, ....

If that is what you did and he did not listen, that is his fault for not taking the warning. There is only so much you can do to then you have to pull the trigger. Some coaches never seem to learn.

I guess what I do not understand is why a coach would get so upset over a 4-0 count? That could turn very quickly. I guess this is why I will never completely understand coaches and why they get upset about things.

Peace

You talked to him too much and then basically let him continue. It isn't about your turn or how many technicals someone earns. It should be about doing the right thing for the game. Do you think you accomplished that?

This has nothing to do with officiating the situation but if I am this schools AD i am looking at this and remembering it when it comes to contract time. His kids needed help and he wasn't there for them.

Are you talking about the coach's contract or the officials' contract? Can you explain what you mean?

Absolutely.

Each official talked to him. Had nothing to do with it being my turn or each one of us talking a turn. I talked to him after a call and my partner did the same, just happened that way. The rope was quite short after that.

My opinion only: You can't just toss out a technical at the varsity level without give a coach an opportunity to realize he's acting like a jackass. I'm used to working with coaches with whom normal adult conversation is possible, though, so his behavior WAS a bit surprising.

For me, it was just the right amount of talking and the technical came out at the right time and the game got better (at least from this standpoint)afterwards.

Howler monkeys are not part of my normal experience as I only work at the varsity level and only get one or two a season, so maybe I am a bit slower than some would've been on this board. That I'll accept.

The coaches contract.