Q from 1st Year: Coaches who call you by name...
 

I coach a CYO team (5th grade boys) and we almost always get youth referees (local high school players mostly).

I always introduce myself to the referees before the game, and learn their names. Anyways, last game I wanted to question a call and called out, "Katie he was pushed!"

A dad who was working the table (he was pretty knowledgeable actually) said, "You can't call her by name!"

I hadn't really thought about it before.

Does anyone have any issues with being called by name?

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When I am reffing, I always, always, always refer to coaches by "Coach". I haven't really encountered a coach who called me by name. So, again, any issues with that?

It's Annoying
 

We cover so many schools in our area that coaches don't really know our names. I had one the other night who must have done some "Win Friends and Influence people" course work.

it was like having my little brother following me around all night. :eek:

Mike he's ....
"Mike thats....

By halftime my partner was even getting in on the act.:mad:

Mike we're shooting 2

Mike we're putting in over here.

My partner thought it was funny. i didn't.:(

My first "real" game, one of the coaches kept calling me by name. I found it incredibly distracting, but not being sure what protocal was, I never did anything about it. Later I asked our commissioner if it was to be expected. He said, no most coaches didn't do that, but it was also right of me not to whack the guy.

I think if I were you, I'd stick to "ref". You don't want the other coach to think there's something funny going on.

Call me Mick.
If you want my attention, I'm more likely to recognize my name than any other sound.

Exactly. Especially if you want a time out and I'm focused on the play. My name gets my attention. Ref, stripes, Mr. Referee, Hey dumbass...none of those is quite as effective.

I introduce myself and my partner by our first names only at the coaches/captains meeting. I call my partner by name during the game. Some coaches call me by name, most just call me Ref. I feel that the informality created by allowing them to call me by name leads to better communication. YMMV.

I could not care less if coaches call me by name. As long as they are mainly talking directly to me I do not get bent out of shape over this. When they start calling my name all over the court, that is when this could be a problem. Not so much because I hate them to use my name, but more because they should not be yelling at me or any of my partners.

Peace

I don't particularly like it when the coaches call me "John". I know there is no doubt who they are talking to. But, there's nothing we can do about it and, in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal. In our state our association is contracted directly by the schools so we will see the same coaches multiple times a year. Also, as a board member I would often have off court contact with the coaches to work payments and schedule changes, etc, so I tend to know them. Since the entire state works this way, visiting coaches know that home coaches know most of the officials who work in their gyms.

The question I have is, do any of you as officials, address the coaches you work for by their first names? Do you do this only if you know both coach's names?

This question gets thrown around from time to time.

I get the coaches names off the Internet (wishoops.net has all the state's teams and schedules and coach names) and I introduce myself that way. Hi Bill, nice to see you.

Before the game, if I'm the U (or U1) I'll ensure the coaches are ready to go: Bill, ready? John, ready?

When I get a timeout request from one coach, I'll turn to the other coach with: "Mike, it's a 30."

I would find it insulting TO be called "coach" if I was a varsity coach and I gave you my name before the game started! I'll remember your names, you can't remember mine?

I call the coaches by their names and most of the players by theirs. I also don't have a problem with these people calling me by mine. My father gave it to me and I'm proud of it.

In my area it is quite common for the officials and coaches to address each other by name.

Agreed............ had a Soph boys game a few weeks ago and have had the same coach a few times who remembers my name. As you referenced, he will yell my name across court to whine about a play, which I don't care for. I received a DVD of the game to see what I looked like( not bad, thank you)
and despite a nice crowd and a loud gym I can hear him yelling my name a few times along with "my guy got hammered."

I had him again this weekend and as I'm running by him, he asks my partner's name..........I give it to him, and two seconds later......"Steve, Steve, he got hammered across court."

Not a big fan of this.

I'm happy to say the DVD said otherwise.

Just my two cents............ I'd never call players, especially, by their first names as a habit. There is that distance I believe an official should have in officiating a game, with a focus of remaining impartial. Any perception thereof could lead to problems real or otherwise.

I tend to call players by their numbers if I need to gain their attention. I also mostly address coaches as coach especially if in earshot of his/her players.

This is not etched in stone and of course, but it has served me well.

Virtually every coach (over 100 of them) in our local kids rec league knows my name. I really don't mind at that level if they call me by name. It's a friendly league. In other games, if a coach asks me my name, I tell him - it's "Sir". :rolleyes:

... With Love
 

It happens sometimes, especially when you see a coach twice a year. I had a coach this year, who used my name the whole time, but he's a proffesional and a class act nd it never went south of that.

"John, can I get a 30?"

I always call a coach, Coach or sir.

See post #17.

http://forum.officiating.com/showthread.php?t=39889