Officiating a Team You Formerly Coached

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by just another ref

I have varsity games today involving the local high school from which my son graduated a couple of years ago. The boys head coach is a guy I grew up with and is on a short list of people I have known for 40+ years. Is this an ideal situation? No. But it's nothing I can't deal with.

The game was a good one. Locals lost 86-83 and outcome was in doubt until the last few seconds. One thing I have found in the past which was true again tonight. When they all know you, the noun of address gets more specific, but the complaint get more vague. Instead of "C'mon ref, that was a foul!" you hear
"C'mon (your name here) call the game right." This, of course, translates to "C'mon, (whoever you are) call the game for us!"

I did hear one I had never heard before. Local team scored. B1 took it out of the net and stepped out, after which I hear "Time out!" I could tell who it was, but instinctively turned to look at the local coach anyway, then turned back to follow the play. After the throw-in as I passed the bleachers, I hear a helpful mom: "C'mon (my name again) We called timeout!" And you just know that afterward she backed it up: "Y'all saw that! He looked straight at him and still wouldn't give him the timeout."