NCAA takes timeout on coaches' tantrums

[grunewar]

"This season, referees will start enforcing a bench decorum policy that won't allow coaches to use profanity, abusive language or excessive gestures to display annoyance with officials. Whether they're in or out of the coaching box, if coaches violate the policy, they can be assessed a technical foul with no warning."

Entire article is at:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...us-cover_N.htm

[Scrapper1]

This is an email that I posted a few weeks ago. I received it from my college (D3) commissioner.

NCAA/10/01/07/MAP
DIVISION I MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
BENCH DECORUM: STRENGTHENED ENFORCEMENT

For the 2007-08 season, every stakeholder group involved in NCAA Basketball, including the
WBCA and NABC, has made a unified commitment to see substantial improvement in the
enforcement of appropriate bench decorum. This was unanimously affirmed by the Collegiate
Commissioners Association October 1, 2007.
Throughout the season, the following rules and guidelines shall direct officials and coaches in
the administration of bench decorum:
1. Head coaches and other bench personnel who engage in the following unsporting actions, in
or out of the coaching box, are in violation of the bench decorum rules and should be
assessed, without warning, a direct technical foul (Excerpted from the NCAA Men's and
Women's Basketball Rule Book: Rule 10-4.1, Appendix III; Officiating Guidelines):
a. Disrespectfully addressing an official (i.e., questioning the integrity of an official,
voicing displeasure about officiating through continuous verbal remarks).
b. Attempting to influence an official ?s decision (i.e.,physically charging toward an
official).
c. Using profanity or language that is abusive, vulgar or obscene (i.e., directed
toward an official, opponents or anyone).
d. Taunting or baiting an opponent.
e. Objecting to an official's decision by rising from the bench or using gestures (i.e.,
excessively demonstrating officiating signals [e.g., traveling, holding, verticality]
or excessively demonstrating by use of gestures or actions that indicate
displeasure with officiating).
f. Inciting undesirable crowd reactions.
g. Entering the playing court unless done with permission of an official to attend to
an injured player.

2. The rule states that the head coach shall remain in his/her team's coaching box.A coach is
outside the coaching box when he or she is clearly and completely outside of the prescribed
coaching box.

3. By rule, a coach may legally leave the coaching box during play only under the following
conditions: to prevent a fight from escalating, to point out a scoring or timing mistake, to
request a timeout to ascertain whether a correctable error needs to be rectified or to seek
information from the official scorer or timer during a timeout or an intermission.
However, if a head coach is found to be outside the coaching box appropriately
communicating with officials, coaching his/her team, engaged in miscellaneous legal activity
or minor conduct infractions a single warning shall be issued. Subsequent infractions will
result in a direct technical foul.

4. The head coach is responsible for the conduct and behavior of all bench personnel.
NOTE: Game officials will be responsible to enforce the aforementioned guidelines throughout
the season; consistency in doing so will affect conference and/or NCAA championship selection and assignments.

[RushmoreRef]

This will only be effective if the "vets" of the group follow it.

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by grunewar

"This season, referees will start enforcing a bench decorum policy that won't allow coaches to use profanity, abusive language or excessive gestures to display annoyance with officials. Whether they're in or out of the coaching box, if coaches violate the policy, they can be assessed a technical foul with no warning."

Entire article is at:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...us-cover_N.htm

So interesting, yet not surprising, that some coaches say they will comply and others are basically saying, "screw you." (Bobby Knight, what a surprise). As someone who refs low level college ball, I will be watching carefully to see if the big dawgs in officiating will demand better behavior from the big dogs in coaching.

[ChrisSportsFan]

""For me, if it's not broke, don't fix it," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl says. "I don't think it's broke. That said, if it's a point of emphasis, I'll have to adjust to it.""
Of course this coach doesn't see it as broke, he's the one doing the ranting.

"Krzyzewski says he doesn't plan to change his ways, at least for now.
"I'm not going to pay any attention to it," he says. "I'll be who I am, and if I'm doing something wrong, I'll be punished and I'll change."
Sounds like a coach who's heard it before and wants to wait and see how it's enforced.

I think most coaches will start the year off really well and just like alot of other situations, wait and see how it's called before the start expanding their boundries/language. Our Commish has made it clear that he will support us 100% so long as we do it right and maintain our professionalism.

[All_Heart]

Last March in a letter to The Washington Post, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic High School Principal Daniel McMahon complained about coaches' stomping and swearing. He pointed out some coaches' tirades are directed at players, and he questioned coaches' professionalism.

"Are these guys educators?" McMahon says by telephone. "If they are, they have an obligation to set an example."

McMahon wrote that if he "yelled and cursed at my students in class, under the guise of motivating them, I would be fired."

I agree that behavior is out of control and it sets a bad example for players and for coaches at all levels. Your local 6th grade coach watches Pearl on Friday and thinks it's okay to behave that way on Saturday during a 6th grade game.

I imagine that alot worse is taking place on the football field.

[Mark Padgett]

Put your heads down and your hand over your heart. A moment of silence please for the rule that will end Bobby Knight's career.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Put your heads down and your hand over your heart. A moment of silence please for the rule that will end Bobby Knight's career.

Let's hope not. He's too entertaining!!

[jer166]

'bout time! We'll see.

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

Let's hope not. He's too entertaining!!

He's a horse's *** but I agree that he is an entertaining one:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Ukj6Qi5W_k