head coach
 

Is it legal for a head basketball coach to state he will be sitting prior to tip-off and his asst. will be acting as head coach thus standing and coaching his team.

I would say no. Unless that assistant comes out for the pregame conference w/ the captains, i would say the assistant can't stand at all.

The priviledge of using the coaching box extends to ONLY the head coach.

I don't care who is puported to be the head coach, ... but they can only have one in normal circumstances.

Years ago, a coach came to me before a game and (quietly) stated that he had lost his voice and that his assistant would be using the coaching box and acting as head coach.

The one who stands is also the only one who can request a time-out or go to the table for a correctable error, and the individual that I am going to penalize with indirect Ts and a direct if a substitute for a DQ'd player isn't made in time.

In short, whoever stands will be treated as the Head Coach.

I am leaning towards saying it's legal. I don't think somebody's official title matters as much as their "title for this particular game". As long as both we and they acknowledge who is the lone person we're dealing with. If the real head coach is aware that he/she's giving up the privileges that normally come with being head coach, and that they'll be treated as any other assistant, then I say let it be.

However, I can see individual schools or various state school athletic associations having a big problem with this for liability reasons.

Is this something that really happened, or just a hypothetical?

I'm in total agreement with Nevada - I have no problem if the "regular" HC is going to sit and a regular AC is going to stand - but now that AC is the HC for this game. That means the regular HC can't address officials, can't stand to coach, can't call TOs, etc. It also means the regular AC will be treated as the HC for indirect Ts, keeping control of his bench, etc.

head coach
 

Happend a week ago and we will have the same team tonight.We allowed it and have been trying to make sure it was correct. The conf. play-offs start and he might ask again......

My sitch happened in a first round state tournament game. :cool:

I would have no problem if the "known" head coach decides to be the asst. for that game. I would add that if they feel they need to switch roles this game, those roles apply for the entire game.

I had a game a few weeks ago where the head coach came up to me before the game, shook my hand, and told he had been sick and shouldn't even be there that night, but he couldn't just sit at home, so his asst. would be doing the coaching tonight and he would be the asst. for that game. (I then went and washed my hands before the game started.)

It was funny to watch how the game played out - I saw the asst. (who was handling head coaching duties) yell out some instructions while sitting down, then realize he could stand up, and stood up after he was finished yelling. Of course, later in the game when it was close, the real head coach stood up to yell some instructions. As I was running by, I told him, "Careful, coach...". He looked at me, then realized what I was saying, and said, "Sorry...habit."

Ha! In my sitch the head coach stood very briefly a coupla times. At a dead ball I walked over and asked the sitting most-times head-coach.

"Now, help me out here. Who is the Head coach tonight?
Sheepishly, he pointed and answered, "He is. Sorry...."

:)

Thanks Guys For The Input!!!!!!!!!!!

There is absolutely no such rule, and it irritates me when people continually make such a statement. I guess that I would have to classify this as a pet peeve of mine.

This really comes down to people skills. I'm not asking that any official allow an AC to behave in an unsporting manner, but there is certainly nothing wrong with one politely asking a question or for a clarification or a ruling.

Please don't be one of those officials who treats the ACs as subhuman. They have a way of becoming HCs some day and your relationship with them will be a lot better if you have been respectful of them in the past.

Just ensure that both individuals are clear on how you are handling it before the game begins. Be polite, but firm in your explanation to them and it should go well.

Thanks, Nevada. I actually agree 100% with what you posted - my posting certainly wasn't very clear. I don't let AC's ask about calls during live ball action, and they certainly have way less rope with me to argue anything.

I'll interact with anyone during a dead ball to answer a professional question.

I'll be more clear with my wording from now on.

Assistant coaches are not the head coach. And basically they are by rule similar to any other bench personnel which includes players, trainers or scorekeepers. And usually the problem that most officials have with ACs, it is not because they are asking questions professionally. Usually that is when the AC is yelling at the official along with the HC. That is not acceptable to me and many other officials and to have that kind of interaction with an AC.

Peace

And how do you determine whom that person is?

A. The coach that attends the pregame conference.

B. Most scorebooks have a spot for the coach's name which is usually filled in.

A. Here in Hampton Roads we don't greet the coaches until the 2:00 mark. We go to their respective benches. If it is a team we have never seen before how are we to know which guy/gal is the HC? Me personally, I ask "Who's the boss tonight?" If an AC steps up and says "I am", I wouldn't know any different.

B. I've never notice a coach's name in the book.

Assistant coaches usually know less than the head coach, so yes they have less rope with me as well.

Funny story about an assistant coach:

Player picks up his 3rd foul AC tells HC .
HC: "Why didn't you tell me when he got his second, you were supposed to..."
AC:" well you were talkin to the.."
HC:"OH who carese shut up and sit down."

I had to chuckle.

There is no rules support for what you suggest. Maybe that is a local requirement, but not something everyone adheres to I am sure. The head coach is the head coach. They are the only one that gets the privilege of standing up in the coaching box or doing other things that the rules allow.

Peace

But how do you know who that person is? Are you going to call the ADs of both schools ahead of time to ask?

Which is my point exactly. The HC is the person who presents him/herself as such when the crew comes over for pre-game greeting. Whether or not that is the actual title of that person may or may not be known to me.

The person that acts as the head coach is the head coach. I am not calling anyone to figure out who that is. In our state the HC has to attend the pre-game meeting, but if they HC does not attend, that is not disqualifying them as the HC. All we are supposed to do is write up the coach (which honestly almost never happens). But it is not our job to declare this person or to have a signed contract with their name on it. The rules allow the HC to do certain things and when that person acts in that capacity that is the HC as far as I am concerned (if I do not already know).

Peace

So let us say the school hired head coach does not come to the meeting for any reason (they are sick, they are dealing with an injury, they were talking to their wife about having a baby). You are going to require that person to stay seated the entire game? You cannot be serious.

Peace

Personally, I won't conduct the meeting without that person present. If we have to wait, then we wait. Otherwise, the team can change who is the Head coach.

BTW what you speak of with the meeting is in fact the NFHS soccer rule and my area enforces it.

This is what I said: who presents him/herself as such when the crew comes over for pre-game greeting. If someone on the staff says "HC had to step out, he/she will be right back" then common sense kicks in. At least in this part of the country.

Ask "who is the head coach?".

Go with the person that raises his/her hand.

It ain't rocket science.

Our state sent out a memo last season dealing with this very issue. It's very clear, and all the coaches were reminded of it at the new rules meeting at the beginning of this season. In short, coaches are not allowed to miss the coaches/captains meeting to discuss having a baby with their wife. :D

Or ask one of the players during warmups (this advice only valid in games where the player is not likely to answer "my daddy" or "Billy's mommy") Just about *anything* can turn into rocket science on the interwebs. :rolleyes:

I agree...I even covered that dauting task in MSG #19:

This happened in a game last week I believe in our area. The HC designates the AC as the HC. The HC sat until things got crazy and then he was standing, yelling etc. My thing is, he should have been warned and then stuck if he didnt comply. Once he turned over the helm, it was seat belt city for him!!!!:D

Based on who the coach was he should not have been warned, he should have received a T the first time he got up and addressed an official. But that's just between you, me, and anybody reading this thread....LOL

If am right about who he is, you are correct!!!!!!:p

That is a local issue. There are not NF rules that make that a policy that must be followed. I have no problem with that policy, if that is spelled out. My point is that to everyone else that does not have such a policy, the person that acts as the head coach is the head coach. And there is only going to be one of those individuals standing in the coaching box and calling timeouts. The only relevance the meeting has to me is to give the sportsmanship talk and have the coaches verifying if their players are legally equip. And if the head coach does not attend, they lose some credibility when they start complaining.

Peace

Unless, of course, they were talking to their wife about having a baby. :)

Had a game once where the HC stood way off to the side when we approached his bench. I was the crew chief, so I gave the little pre-game greeting to the AC's since they were the ones who greeted our crew. After I was done the HC steps towards me and says irritatedly, "I'm the head coach!" I responded, "You didn't seem too interested in what I had to say so I spoke with your assistants instead."

Ranchman
 

Per The Original Question, Here In Texas I Have Had This Situation Only Twice, And Each Time I Have Notified The Score Table That The Head Coach Will Be The "assistant Coach", And I Have The Assistant Sign The Official Scorebook As The Head Coach. I Also Notify The Original Head Coach That He Will Be Treated As Bench Personnel. I Have Not Had A Problem With This Procedure So Far.

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance"

Welcome to the forum.

Do you actually hit the "shift" key for each new word?