Boys freshman game tonight out of league versus the local reform school (no kidding). After a foul and everyone is lined up one kid from the reform school says to one of his teammates "If we get fouled again I'm comin out swingin". He said this loud enough for me to hear at which point I get in his face and tell him if anything even remotely happens like that that he will be gone without hesitation. He would not look at me and acted like he was not hearing what I was saying.

My question here is should I have issued a T upon hearing the comment or did I handle it appropriately? The comment was made to his teammate and not an opposing player (not that that should matter). How have others handled similar frustration based comments?

This was a real close game with the reformers winning by one on a last minute shot and the playing had been pretty clean for freshman so I am not really sure where his comments were coming from anyway.

That is a difficult situation. Like you my first inclination would be to T the player up immediately. But having said that, here is what I would have done: I would have escorted the player to his bench and told the coach exactly what the player said. I would have then told the coach that he has a problem that he needs to correct immediately and if this player or anyother player from his team comes out swinging that at the least he (coach) will be receiving a direct technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. And make sure he understands that the conservation that you are having with him is a one-way conversation. But above all be professional and courteous.

Sad to say Mark, but I agree with your comments here.
I have reffed at a "reform school". Go to the gate, sign
in & get escorted to the gym, and after you go in they lock
the door behind you. I was actually 5 minutes late to one
game because there was trouble and they couldn't spare the
man to take me to the gym. Working these games was like
getting a Ph.D. in game management & control, I learned the
procedure for fighting because before every game we had to
go over it. Never needed it. In this case go to the coach.
He knows that a fight for these kids can have a lifetime of
consequences. To say that these kids are volatile is an
understatement. I'm not sure I would have dragged the kid
with me, but I certainly would have told the kid what I
heard and what I was going to tell his coach. I would not
threaten the coach with a T. Just tell him what was said
and get the kid out.

c,
I will typically go the the player, whether I know him, or not, and say,"You are to good an athlete to act like that."
In fact I did just that in a very similar sitch a few weeks ago. It disarmed the player and everything went fine.
mick

I actually had a very unfortunate event happen to me two weeks ago. Rec game. They bus two teams in. Game is rough and sloppy but my partner and I have it under control. White team down by 10 with a minute less. They shoot and red team has 2 players with perfect rebounding position. White player comes in hard and displaces both. Easy call. Tweet. White player goes ballistic, "That's no f!cking foul!" Tries to chest up to me. Repeats "That's no f!cking foul!" I move around player just as his coach grabs him. Report the foul. Call a flagrant T with ejection. Coach seems to have him under control. Seconds later, red steals the ball and goes in for a dunk. White blocks hard and red dunker comes down on his head. Now all he!! breaks loose. Red wants to fight white but red coach stops them. White is sent out of gym into hallway. Later they jump the score keeper and threaten to shoot my partner. Police called and they're finally arrested for disturbing the peace. Turns out the police sarge says he knows all of them. They're in a gang and always in trouble. Needless to say, no more rec games for a while.

I thought you said you had a problem in the game? What was it? :D

I think the problem is he's not sure if he'll be invited
to the next choir practice, seeing as how the Monsignor
pulled a gun on him during the game. :)

I actually know a guy who's a cop in real life and had to
display his weapon in a not-so-subtle-manner to get out
of one of these situations. Not fun.

I had a similar situation last night, boys Varsity. A1 comes to me during a free throw and says the other team is throwing elbows. Would I please watch for it? I said I haven't seen any, but I'll watch. The kid then says, "If you see us throwing back, it's just retaliation, you know?" Now what kind of a stupid thing to say is that? I just repeated to him that I would watch for it.

Later in the game, about 6 minutes left, A1 gets tangled with B1 and both go to the floor. B1 was falling and dragged A1 down, too. A1 gives him a shove and I come out with a double foul.

The players get up, B1 is walking away, and before I can report the double foul, A1 runs and punches B1 in the back of the head!! He's restrained by his coach, but is obviously DQ'd.

I still feel lousy about the whole thing. First time I've ever ejected a player for throwing a punch. Horrible feeling. I should have stayed between them longer, I think.

Chuck

Sounds like you handled it fine to me. Others have offered good suggestions. Do what works.

"I would have then told the coach that he has a problem that he needs to correct immediately and if this player or anyother player from his team comes out swinging that at the least he (coach) will be receiving a direct technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct." (quote from earlier post)


I am wondering what the rule basis is for telling the coach that you will call a direct T on him if the player who threatened to swing actually does later in the game - as was suggested earlier in this post??? Telling the coach he has a situation with a player that needs to be handled is a great way to deal with it, as well as talking directly to the player, but how can you then T the coach if that player does something stupid on the court later in the game???

cmckenna, I think this is a T for taunting. He said it to his teammate but he was saying it to everyone. But, this is a reform school, and i don't have experence in this area so i will have to go with what Mark said on the one.