Interaction with crowd

[Indianaref]

Being a new official I would like to get some feed back from some some of the more seasoned refs. I was doing my second game last night(4th grade boys), when in the first quarter, A1 shoots the ball from near the baseline and hits the back of the backboard. I whistle we are going the other way. A couple possessions later, B1 hits the side of his backboard, of course no whistle. One particular father sitting near the division line rants and raves that I am only calling it one way, I don't pay any attention to him the rest of the quarter while I concentrate on the game. I'm the ref, so just prior to the start of second quarter, while waiting for my partner to rouse up the teams, I decide (in a pleasant way)to give him a quick rules lesson. Naturally, he replies he saw it different, I just let it go from there. My question to you is should I have even tried reached out to communicate with him or just let it go? I will say I did not hear a word out of him for the rest of the game. At the end of the game I was happy because I did get a lot of people telling me that we did a good job. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.

[cmathews]

It just depends on the situation and it changes from one to the other....A general rule is no, but there are some people based on their personalities that can get away with interacting with the crowd. The thing to keep in mind though is this, you are usually dealing with (team) biased individuals with little to no rules knowledge, which in turn makes for some strange observations from the peanut gallery to say the least

[Back In The Saddle]

You can generally lump interactions with fans into two categories. There are those situations where the answer to the question of whether to talk to fans is definitely No. On the other hand, there are those times when the answer is Hell No! Knowing the difference is important

[Jway44]

Leave the crowd alone. They are the least of your worries out there on the court. Just handle players and coaches and you will be fine. I think my signature says it all.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by Jway44

Leave the crowd alone. They are the least of your worries out there on the court. Just handle players and coaches and you will be fine. I think my signature says it all.

Your signature line should say "crowd's stupdity" though, not crowds stupidity.

[SWMOzebra]

I guess it depends on why you're officiating 4th grade. As I started to officiate, I used the rec leagues of younger kids to work on my mechanics, floor positioning, "game management," etc. My goal was to build skills and get into the habit of doing things the way the local association wants them done in a jr high or high school game. Since virtually every official I've met has counseled me to refrain from speaking with the fans, I made it a habit not to talk to the fans in rec league play. If your goal is the same, getting court time to help you develop your own skills, I would definitely suggest NOT speaking to the fans.

Now, if you're working this age group to help kids develop their skills or a different reason...then I guess go with what your instinct tells you. Not all, but many, parents (oh, and coaches) of younger kids lack a basic understanding of the rules. In particular, BC violations, hand-checking, intentional fouls, and the like don't seem to register with them. Short of conducting a weekly seminar, you'll be hard pressed to help them understand why what you called was the correct call.

[JRutledge]

If the conversation is confrontational in nature I would say do not interact with any fans. If there is something funny or they are directly getting involved with players (not necessarily in a bad way), then I have no problem with some interaction.

Peace

[Adam]

I might apologize to the dad for costing his son a college scholarship, but that's about it in a 4th grade game when the Dad is whining like this.

Learn from it. You could show him a replay and the rulebook, and it's not going to have any affect.

As Rut says, though, there's nothing wrong with some lighhearted interaction if the atmosphere is conducive.

[Indianaref]

Thanks to all. The general consensus is not to, and I won't. This level is definitely a stepping stone, and if I am going to make mistakes, I rather it be at this level. By the way, this forum has been absolutely awesome.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Indianaref

At the end of the game I was happy because I did get a lot of people telling me that we did a good job.

So, if they had said that you did a lousy job, you would have been sad?

If you're going to believe them when they tell you that you're great, it stands to reason that you have to believe them when they tell you that you suck.

Ignore fans. Our latest memo from the state: Don't even make eye contact with them.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Our latest memo from the state: Don't even make eye contact with them.

Wow. Seems a little extreme.

[Time2Ref]

You could decide to do things differant depending on what level of game you are officiating.

I once asked a veteran official, my partner at a JV game, a question concerning off court procedures. I don't remember the exact question, but I will never forget his answer. He asked me, "Why would you do it differant than the Varsity officials? You should do everything as if you were a professional, because you are a professional".

Also, in the Officials Manual, page 8 (Prerequistes for Good
Officiating): 18. Cardinal Principles: The following items are specific goals and personal attributes that every good official will strive to attain and accepted procedures which should be followed:
...
j. Do not fratenize with coaches or fans before or during the game.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

Wow. Seems a little extreme.

Not really. I haven't lost anything in the stands. I can be aware of idiots who might do something stupid without turning and looking into their eyes.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

you have to believe them when they tell you that you suck.

hmm....

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

hmm....

Yep! If they said "You stink!" you'd think "dumbass fan." You might even say it!

What makes them anymore intelligent when they compliment you?