Coaches yelling at each other

[Mike O]

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?

[Todd VandenAkker]

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.

[Mark Padgett]

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.