Rec league starts tomorrow

[just another ref]

Our local 9-12 year old league starts tomorrow. As always, we have some brand new coaches and some that have been involved for several years. Last year, in the middle of the season, after listening to various amounts of advice from several different sources, I posted the following on the bulletin board.


MESSAGE TO ALL COACHES


I have spoken with some of you recently about conduct while coaching. This is to clarify the guidelines that are involved. We are playing under National Federation of State High School Associations rules. Rule 10-4
deals with the conduct of bench personnel. This means everyone seated
on the team bench including the head coach. The rule reads, in part:
Bench personnel shall not: a. disrespectfully address an official.
b. attempt to influence an official’s decision.

Penalty: Two free throws plus ball for a division-line throw-in. (technical foul)

Note: The second technical foul results in disqualification and ejection.


There is no provision in the rule book for a warning in this rule. In other words, by the letter of the law, the first time a coach yells out a call, the result can legitimately be a technical foul. The second time, this offender is out the door.

A large amount of slack is normally given on this rule, just as it given on many other rules in this league. Let us each do his/her own job, whether it be to coach or to officiate, as we work together toward a common goal, a successful program for our children. This becomes even more important as we enter the tournament, where emotions tend to run even higher. Thank you for your attention to this issue.



Not one coach had one word to say about it. I don't know how many actually read it. I just thought of it as a "Just so we understand each other......" kind of message. My question to those of you with experience in this kind of operation: Would it be a good idea to post a version of this message again? Does it sound too stiff? Do the people that need it the worst, think "this doesn't mean me"?

Your opinions here please.