Explaining non calls out of your primary to coaches.
 

How do you guys handle coaches who are complaining about no calls that aren't in your primary? I don't want to ignore the coaches, but I also am not going to throw my partner under the bus.

Just looking for some help on how to handle this situation that comes up frequently.

"Coach, I was officiating the 4 guys on this side of the floor. I'm not looking over there."

"Coach, if there's a foul in that area, my partner will get it."

Coach, my partner will be over here in the minute you can ask them what they saw.

If you thought there was a foul: "You have a valid point, coach, I should have helped and didn't. My bad." "Hey, we just didn't get that one, myself included, and we heard you."

If you don't think there was a foul or are not sure, "He had a better look than you or I so i'm not sure." or "Yes, there was contact, we just didn't call a foul there."

BkTBallRef has good ones, too, another is "Gee, Coach, I really have no clue because I don't watch the ball all the time, right?"

Hope these help.

Hate this one. I would recommend never using this.

This is giving the coach permission to say to your partner next time he's close, "Hey, your partner says you missed one over there, what the hell are you guys watching?!?"

A simple, "He's got a much better angle, coach," or, "I was officiating these players here. You can ask him when he's over here, coach," work very well.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Coaches don't need permission. They're going to say what they want to anyway. Nothing wrong with admitting a mistake.

Maybe, but Oracle's advice will result in tire treads on your partner's uniform.

"Coach, my partner had a better angle than I did, you'll have to ask him next time you get a chance."

It also lets the coach know what you think of his particular angle.

Nothing wrong with admitting my mistake. I've done it plenty. But you're going to have to admit yours, it's not my place to.

The only time I'd say something like was stated above would be something in a "gray area" that I should have gotten because my partner couldn't see it. And then it would be, "Coach, I should have gone to get that because I'm sure my partner couldn't see it. I'll look for it next time."

Oh, and you're right about coaches not needing permission, but I'm not going to give them additional ammo for their guns.

I agree that admitting to your own mistakes is ok"my bad""sorry was watching off ball" or what ever but as a team don't we need to back each other on the floor?
If not my primary area and I didn't get a good look I will leave to my partners judgement -thats not to say that a-at the next stoppage I wouldn't ask what happened or b-if it was a foul that the whole stadium not just the coach saw then I would be possibly looking at a "help out" call.We still have a responsibility to the game and players to ensure good outcomes.

As an evaluator I will drop marks for calls out of area or that came from ball watching but give praise for help outs that managed the game and helped the officiating team

I am only going to talk to a coach when the ball is clearly dead or when I have a real opportunity. I am not talking to a coach about a play during live ball for the most part.

If the call was clearly not in my area or I did not get a good look at it, I will ask the coach to ask the official that was in the best position to make the call. And I will tell them I cannot comment on something I was not looking at or tell them what I was focused on.

Also I just explain what I saw if I feel the coach really is asking, not just commenting. For example I will not respond if a coach says, "That has got to be a foul."

I will admit that I have gone back and forth as to what I actually do and I have learned some things work and others do not work. And most of all how you deal with coaches is very personal and can change from one game to another.

Peace

Yup, I hear you. I was talking to a varsity boys coach on Saturday night while coming up as the trail and all of a sudden one of his defenders slid over and blocked the point guard coming up the floor. I had to grab for my whistle, shove it in my mouth, and call the foul.

I should've waited for the dead ball to chat.

Everyone has their own style. Remember, I'd only use that IF there was substantial contact and believe something probably should have been called. When that happens, we are all responsible. And that does happen at every level. Sometimes we have no explanation just like players miss wide-open layins. It's OK to admit it.

I don't like to say "he had a better angle/look" or "you'll have to ask him", because on substantial contact, WE need to have some whistle. I feel that those kinds of remarks can be construed as "he missed it and I'm not getting involved". I'd rather remain completely silent on those occasions than go there. I don't feel comfortable with that; it feels like a U2 move. But I do understand that many do this, and I have no issue with it. It's not wrong.

You can make the argument that the coach will then go after the guy. My experience has been that when I make a statement like that, it ends there, because the coach knows he was heard, and it is acknowledged that WE just didn't have a whistle. Cannot do it more than once or twice in a game, but if more than that is missed, you just have to be aggressive out of your area and take care of business, or go silent.

And how would you know if that happened out of your area? :confused: