Have you ever...
 

....called or emailed a coach to tell them you kicked a call?

I was thinking about a game I did last year and started wondering if I should have done this after I figured out my mistake.


Here’s the sitch:

Last year, in a hotly contested JV game, I totally kicked a call in the second half. A1 released the ball on a try for goal. While the ball was in flight, I was lead official and observed A2 foul B2. I blow my whistle right about the same time the ball goes through the hoop and immediately punched my fist toward the other basket and then signal “no good” on the shot.

I was 100% sure I was right, and A’s coach was 100% sure I was wrong. He beckoned for me to come talk to him, and I did, explaining that it was a team control foul, so the basket couldn’t count. He didn’t have any reasoning behind why it should be counted, just that he was positive it should count. He asked me if I was sure about my call and I said “100% sure, coach.”

So we played on. My partner wasn’t sure either. It wasn’t until that night, as I was walking up the steps to my apartment that it finally dawned on me. It couldn’t have been a team control foul because team control ends when the shot is released. DUH!! I felt horrible, especially since I had insisted to the coach that I was positive I was right.

So, here’s my question. Would any of you have called or emailed the coach to let him know of your mistake? Is this inappropriate to do? Is it inappropriate NOT to?

It depends on your previousl relationship with the coach and your tenure / standing in the league.

I have never emailed / called a coach in such an instance. I have acknowledged the error when I saw the coach next (it was the next day).

I wouldn't email or call him. If you see him this year and have a chance to casually bring it up, you could. I wouldn't go out of my way to find him, though. Chances are he's let it go.

I agree with everyone so far. don't email or call a coach.... EVER. Cause then it gets around that you did so and now you have to do that with ever coach. it will just lead to bad things.

if you have the opportunity to see the coach again then I would acknowledge prior to the game starting.

For the NEWBIES to the forum:
NEVER EVER CALL/EMAIL A COACH!!

The only reason I could think of to try and tell the coach about the mistake would be the following. Imagine, that you had this team in another game, and the SAME play happened, only you counted the basket... for the other team. Now you are going to have a serious problem. If you tell the coach beforehand, at least everything is above-board in appearance AND reality.

Odds are slim, but I personally think it's not a bad idea to bring this up before the game for other reasons; mainly personal integrity.

Only, however, if you have the chance for a casual conversation before the game. If you don't get that, and your situation comes up; simply tell the coach he was right last year.

Good advice. Thanks guys.

I believe an official who used to post on this forum was married to a coach. Never say never. . . :D

Putting myself in JV Coach A's shoes here:

1) I'd rather get a phone call over an email.
2) If I knew I was going to see him again (and I looked up to verify I was right) I'd wait till then to tell him.
3) If I found out I was right and wasn't going to see him again, I'd probably just forget about it as I got my satisfaction. If he calls the school and admits it, that would just be more icing.
4) If it was a buzzer beater, down by one point, shot that was just disallowed, I would have the AD notify the assignor so he can POE it at his next meeting!



Now, for further thought, lets say it was sitch 4 above and my VARSITY game. Are you guys still turned off if I pull out my rule book?

So what's that got to do with communicating? :rolleyes:

I'll start contacting coaches only under two circumstances:

1) after they start contacting me to say they were wrong

2) if I ever make a mistake during a game http://www.runemasterstudios.com/gra.../smilielol.gif

I just might send a quick email to let the coach know that I kicked a rule. It goes to integrity and I see no harm in it what-so-ever. The key here is a rule was kicked... not a judgement call. The content will be short and to the point with an very short apology for the mistake.

Another approach would be to have a conversation with your chapter president and have them reach out to the coach to explain that you are aware of the mistake and are not happy with it and let them handle it.

Also for the the record... I have had a couple of coaches call/email me after contests to apologize for their behavior and or admit their mistakes in disputes over a rules issue.

There does not have to be a giant chasm between officials and coaches. Where the opportunity exists we can have mutual, civilized and unbiased dialouge.

In a Rec game last yr I informed a coach of the "mercy rule" and that he could not "press" when up by more than 20. Turns out this wasn't specifically in the rules for this division (omission in the rules), but it was for other divisions in the league. No one had issues during the game because it made sense. The team up by 20 actually LOST the game.

But, I looked it up and found out I was wrong and it ate at me a bit. When I saw him before a subsequent game I specifically informed him of such. He was gracious and said they didn't lose because of that!

When reffing in rec leagues I try to avoid these issues by reviewing the specific rules with the coaches before games (3 point line in use?, man to man vs zones, pressing, substitutions, etc. - ya know league specific stuff), but I missed this for some reason.

But to call or email - NOT ME!

I don't believe I would ever directly contact a coach. However, if I ever felt it was absolutely necessary that I contact them about my mistake in interpreting a rule, I would call my assignor (or call the AD) and have them be the barer of bad news. Or discuss it when I see them next, which would be the case 99 out of 100 times.

-Josh

Yep. I think the problem with that is everyone can see what you're doing, and all it does is show up the official. In fact, it pretty easily falls under the penalty for 10-4-1(b), and, depending on the crowd reaction, 10-4-1(f). (Since you apparently have one those rule book-thingies, you know what I'm referencing. :p)

I know, for the most part, you just want to make things right, but bringing out the rule book during the game will not work. If you want to discuss a rule after the game, at the local watering hole, in a friendly manner, I have no problem with that. I don't like it if I screw up a rule, and I venture to say almost all us would feel the same. But we will not have that type of discussion during the game.

Along those same lines, have you ever gone up to a ref after a game and apologized for using the wrong strategy at the end of a game, and it caused an overtime? How would you feel if an official came up to you during the game with a Dean Smith or Bob Knight book to point out what you're doing is wrong? Same therory - good discussion well before or after a game, just not during.

I agree here. If you kicked it during the game, let him know. If you dont get that opportunity, then let him know the next time you see him. I do not call or email coaches.

I understand integrity, i really do, but if you start doing this it can lead to nothing but bad things, i.e., coach tells other coaches (which they do), he is still pissed and starts ripping you (in which case you get mad back at him).
Only put yourself in off-court situations in which their is a win-win, in which most cases there aren't.

Allow administration to handle these situations. If we miss a call and a coach has a sincere complain about it the admin will review the tape and get back to the coach on the play. Part of being a being professional is having professional relationships, which can look like friendships but don't entail all the benefits of a true friendship, meaning you only make contact in a business related setting, and talk and do things with a business-like approach. In my mind this would not entail emailing or calling a coach. I do understand, though, that things are different at the HS level, and even some in the college game.

You are kidding with all of this right?

At the HS level If anything they are going to say that you owned up to your mistake and will take you back in a heartbeat because they know you are fair. Don't get me wrong... you can NOT do this very often b/c your credibility for knowing the rules will take a hit. But if you boot a big one I see no problem extending a quick communique acknowledging a mistake. This does not create any kind of improper relationship... give me a break. Coaches are people just like us. If I tell him I screwed up that does not make me his buddy, or unproffesional or anything else nor does it give the appearance. I can promise you that I am as professional as the next when it comes to handling my business as a referee. Sometimes I think we make too much of things and create bigger problems for ourselves... we are unaproachable, afraid to admit when we are wrong, bigger than the game etc. Look at the credit Ed H of the NFL has gotten since he manned up and admitted his error to the coach, the league and the fans. He is top drawer in my book (was before this debacle and is even more so now).

In my college games, I will go back through the assignor if such issues occur because that is how he wants it done. He does not want us directly discussing anything with the coaches without his direction. That being said, he did authorize me to give a coach a call once to discuss a mistake that I did make in a game. Coach thanked me for the phone call and I have been working his games since... and guess what... no one thinks I am his buddy or anything else... In fact, I had to stick him. Guess what, he knew I had to stick him because he knows I am fair and he apologized to me 2 minutes later in the game.

Occasionally I Make A Mistake, And Occasionally There Is A Blue Moon ...
 

I would send an email, containing the apology, to my board secretary, with copies to our president, and assigner. I would ask the secretary to forward the email to the athletic director.

If you know you have kicked a rule contact your rules interpreter and/or supervisor (or the AD if that is who hires you) and let them handle communicating with that coach. If you happen to see the coach again then you can bring it up in the pre-game handshake. Short and simple, "Hey coach, that play I had last game with you, I blew the call". Then keep moving.