Now I've become a grumpy old ref! (vent)

[ranjo]

My high school season in now over and by my standards was the most fun and learning season yet. The next step for the past years for me and many of you is to work the "wreck" leagues until camps and higher level AAU games are available.

First games last weekend were great with 10-15 year old kids having a good time and coaches coaching the best they could. Last night was 16-18 year old boys with one girl on each team.

Play #1 - A1 drives to the basket to the left side of the paint and beats B1 to the spot. As he attempts to put up a shot, B1 standing behind him, reaches around and grabs his arm with her left hand while her right arm is over his shoulder. I call an intentional foul.

Coach wants to know why the foul is ruled intentional as in his opinion B1 is going for the ball. I explain B1 had no way of playing the ball because the player was in front of her, and she took away an obvious advantage. Coach says he has never seen any other referee call it that way and continues to argue. I lose my professionalism for a moment and tell him to just coach and stay away from what he obviously doesn't know anything about.

Play #2 - With less than a minute left in the game there is a loose ball foul that occures when two kids are going for a rebound and the player in back trips and falls taking the player in front of him down. My partner and I both whistle the foul and are standing on both sides of the players as they untangle. Player that was knocked down has blood dripping from his arm and as I am walking him to his bench, I hear the before mentioned coach telling my partner he has to call something on the injured kid because he took a swing at his kid while on the floor. Partner says " Coach he didn't take a swing at anybody". Coach becomes livid and starts mouthing off to the opposing coach who hasn't said a word to anybody at this point. This causes the opposing coach to say a few things back to the first coach. I lose it again and tell both of them to sit down and I don't want to hear another word from either of them.

The game finishes without anything else happening. The kids have been great!. However while the handshake is going on the coaches get into it again. I tell them to both clear the floor and swear I am going to give up recreational ball altogether.

I have to this point considered these types of games to be good for me to work for purposes of excercise, seeing odd plays, staying around the kids, and game management. But at this point I miss the structure of organized high school games and (in my area) somewhat knowledgeable coaches.

I know some of you won't do this type of ball, while others do it entirely. I have lost my patience and as I described above, my professionalism. I am committed to 3 more nights of these games and must decide by then if I will accept any more this season.

I have truly become a GOF (grumpy old ref). Thanks for the space to vent!

[Raymond]

Randy,

I'll come up there and work a few games with you. I can play the role of a-hole official since I'm an out-of-towner and since I have proven in other situations that I'm very capable of filling that role.

[ranjo]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Randy,

I'll come up there and work a few games with you. I can play the role of a-hole official since I'm an out-of-towner and since I have proven in other situations that I'm very capable of filling that role.

Since I'm becoming my own a-hole official, maybe I should come on your side of the water and work with you.

[wfd21]

"his arm", her left hand, "her right arm", "his left shoulder" ?
Coed game?

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by wfd21

"his arm", her left hand, "her right arm", "his left shoulder" ?
Coed game?

The OP clearly mentioned one girl on each team.

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by ranjo

First games last weekend were great with 10-15 year old kids having a good time and coaches coaching the best they could. Last night was 16-18 year old boys with one girl on each team.

Originally Posted by wfd21

"his arm", her left hand, "her right arm", "his left shoulder" ?
Coed game?

Yep.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

How do you get GOF out of Grumpy Old Ref??

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

How do you get GOF out of Grumpy Old Ref??

A special last letter acronym cipher?

[rainmaker]

Make it GOoF and it could be Grumpy Old oFficial!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

How do you get GOF out of Grumpy Old Ref??

Grumpy Old F**ker.

Almost the same thing......

[ranjo]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

How do you get GOF out of Grumpy Old Ref??

The mistake on the last letter must be from the result of the meaning of the middle letter. Maybe thats the reason for the change in attitude. I thought we were supposed to mellow with age. I seem to be going in the opposite direction.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by ranjo

Play #1 - A1 drives to the basket to the left side of the paint and beats B1 to the spot. As he attempts to put up a shop, B1 standing behind him, reaches around and grabs his arm with her left hand while her right arm is over his shoulder. I call an intentional foul.

Coach wants to know why the foul is ruled intentional as in his opinion B1 is going for the ball. I explain B1 had no way of playing the ball because the player was in front of her, and she took away an obvious advantage.

Okay, am I the only one who sees this as an incorrect call?
Do you call an intentional foul every time a shooter gets fouled from behind?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Okay, am I the only one who sees this as an incorrect call?
Do you call an intentional foul every time a shooter gets fouled from behind?

I could see this as intentional. Arm draped over shooting arm's shoulder while the other hand is grabbing the non-shooting arm, pulling the shooter down. You gotta be there or see it, I suppose. YMMV.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I could see this as intentional. Arm draped over shooting arm's shoulder while the other hand is grabbing the non-shooting arm, pulling the shooter down. You gotta be there or see it, I suppose. YMMV.

True, but it doesn't fit his explanation to the coach.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

True, but it doesn't fit his explanation to the coach.

Good foul call but poor explanation to the coach.

Guess that's better than a bad foul call but great explanation to the coach.