I need some advise on how to handle two coaches that start screaming and yelling at each other. I was calling a close game the other night. The visiting coach questioned a student running the clock about the score. The home coach became irrate and began screaming at the visiting coach. The visiting coach then began screaming back at the home coach. I saw this and stopped the game. I pulled both coaches in and told them they were setting a graet example for their players. Would anyone have handled this situation differently?

I believe I would have done the same thing: bring them together, say "What's going on?" then without allowing much additional venting suggest that they confine their talking to the players and officials, when appropriate. I would add that further unsporting dialog between the two of them would be penalized as such. Good job of communicating with them before jumping to a "T" right off the bat. With the screaming, it could have been penalized right away, but I think preventative officiating is the better way to go if it's a viable option at the moment.

Ironically, we just discussed this at our association meeting last week. The general concensus was to do just what you did, with the addition of telling them that if they have a problem with the scorers, they should direct their remarks at the officials about it, not at each other.

Unsportsmanlike conduct is just that - no matter who it's directed at. Coaches yelling at each other is not much different than trash talking.