Officials as players

[justacoach]

Originally Posted by ChrisSportsFan

I do not advise them asking about a judgment call. However, I have no problem with them telling me something like: "could you watch their screens? I'm not sure they are staying set" or "my post player said #54 is holding his jersey during post play, could you please take a look at it?"
Others have also stated that if he is spending any energy worrying about the officials, he is not going to be the player his team needs him to be.

My Son has also started officiating and this is the exact advice I gave him. I believe being an official has helped him be a better player and vis-a-versa.

Great to hear about your son embarking on his officiating career. I get immense satisfaction partnering with my boys and watching from the stands while they manage a fast paced, pressure cooker game. I hope you are able to experience this unique pleasure soon and often.

I concur that judgement calls are off limits but many times an explanation given in response to a respectful question may provide for a teaching opportunity.

When my younger son was 10, he was called for a block. When he asked the ref what happened he was told he didn't give the dribbler a step and, even though he had good position that he was leaning backward and did not justify a charge.

My son's response was short and sweet 4---23---3

This official has since progressed to earn his Varsity stripes and we rehash that incident every time we meet. He refers to my son as his personal rules guru.

By the same token, my sons know the pat response to

Originally Posted by ChrisSportsFan

"could you watch their screens? I'm not sure they are staying set" or "my post player said #54 is holding his jersey during post play, could you please take a look at it?"

If they are going to engage in a tete-a-tete with a game official, it would probably be more in the vein of "Can the screener have his legs spread tthhiiiisssss wide?" or "Can you follow the airborne shooter til he lands safely?"
It would seem these are more salient comments and may lead to a better called game.

[Ref in PA]

I have said this before ... your sons are stuck the refs and their rules knowledge for the entire game. The rules knowledge of the refs will not improve during the game and may not improve before the next game. Understanding that fact will help them cope with any misapplication of any rule. If there is blatant misapplication of a rule, some refs might listen to a respectful question, but most I know will not. Your sons are going to have to read the personality of the refs on the game to know if they can be approached or not with a question.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by justacoach

When my younger son was 10, he was called for a block. When he asked the ref what happened he was told he didn't give the dribbler a step and, even though he had good position that he was leaning backward and did not justify a charge.

My son's response was short and sweet 4---23---3

Nobody likes a smart a$$. I would never encourage my child or congratulate her in a situation like this. I would ask her why she was engaging in a rules discussion during a game with an official. During a game, you aren't going to get the officials to change how they call a game or cause them to have a rules epiphany.

I work nothing but varsity ball these days and, to be honest, I can't remember who the captains are 5 minutes after the meeting. It's why I circle the captains' numbers in the book, just in case I need them later. In 20+ years, I've never gone back and looked for those numbers, but I have them, if needed.

I treat all players with the same respect they show me. They are welcome to talk to me anytime, but like I told the "captain" who wanted to whine about a block/charge and after I told him that we'll decide, not him, said, "but I'm a captain" -- being a captain doesn't give you a special right to whine and complain when you don't like a call.