talking coaches

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I am of the opinion that if you're going to blow your whistle and stop the game (live ball) to deal with a coach, it had better be accompanied by a technical foul. If I, as an assignor, saw the game stopped, I'd be asking where the technical was called.

Otherwise, you are baiting the coach into worse behavior, potentially.

I have done this and it worked. I think we worry too much about showing people up. If you are trying to stop behavior and you can do so by stopping the game (player or coach), do so. It has worked for me. It might not work for everyone. You have to know who you are dealing with and how you can talk to them.

Peace

[Rich]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have done this and it worked. I think we worry too much about showing people up. If you are trying to stop behavior and you can do so by stopping the game (player or coach), do so. It has worked for me. It might not work for everyone. You have to know who you are dealing with and how you can talk to them.

Peace

Depends on the coach.

I was working a Christmas tourney in Illinois last season and I was going center to center for a few trips and every time I'd park in front of the one coach, he'd start whining about every non-call whenever players came close together. Finally, I simply said to him: "You know, you whining every time down the floor isn't going to get you anywhere."

I immediately regretted saying it. It wasn't a professional thing to say and I made my mind up that I was going to apologize on the next dead ball. On the timeout, the coach actually approached me and before I could say anything he told me I was completely right and he was sorry. You could've knocked me over with a feather. And I did say it was no problem, but I could've chosen a better set of words to get that across. And we had no words the rest of the game. And he coached better, too.

Other coaches won't shut up till they're whacked and if it's that way, that's OK, too. I'll oblige.

This is what makes working sports difficult. There is no cookie cutter approach to game management.

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

This is what makes working sports difficult. There is no cookie cutter approach to game management.

This is one of the few things I believe we can all agree with when it comes to officiating, no matter what the sport.

[OHBBREF]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

The stop sign may work some times, but others it's going to explode in your face.

Snaqs -
I agree sometimes it will explode, but talking wasn't going to get you anywhere anyway based on most situations it just delayed the inevitable, as usually the stop sign does.
My take is that when I have to whack someone after a stop sign - there is no question as to the fact that I or my partners have expressed to the coach that their behavior has reached a level that is unacceptable and if it persists there are consequences.
Now if I can say that to a coach and they will respond - I much prefer that to a stop sign but that option is not always available.

With NCAA we can formally warn which is basically the same as a stop sign and highly effective, I would like to see that come down to the FED level as it take the ambiguity out of the situation of a T a lot of times.

Originally Posted by tomegun

I would like to think I can communicate well enough - without a stop sign - to diffuse any situation that would be calmed by a stop sign. If I can't, it will either be obvious why a coach got a T or it will be so bad (saying something softly way across the line) that I don't care.

I'm thinking our goal is to do some preventative officiating. That being the case, using something that could potentially make the situation worse just doesn't seem wise to me.

Tom-e
preventing officiating is a wonderful thing and I would say that most everyone on this forum tries to apply, I am sure that we also try our best to communicate with coaches as best we can, however situations occur rapidly during the flow of a game where a coach may just blow their cool because of a no call at one end and then your partner just kicked a call big time that went against him, and you want to communicate and diffuse. Since you just kicked a call the last thing you want to do here is whack this guy. so you let them vent and when it is enough - you step back calmly and say coach that is enough give him the stop sign (so everyone int he gym knows if he persists there will be consequences) and move away.

There are times when you will whack them w/o the sign and others when you will never hear from them again.
The stop sign is a visual reminder that enough is enough and that is what you should be saing to the coach at that time.


I watched a ref over the weekend, whack a coach after a call - then engage him in conversation to explain it and then whack him again. They were just standing there having what looked like a civil conversation (for way too long). That didn't look good from any perspective. The official said the coach wouldn't let it go, the coach said the official never answered his question and then just whacked him when he said explain it.

When the official had had enough he should have stepped back said coach that is enough given him the sign and moved on. Appropriately applied this a great tool, you just have to know how and when to use it.

[Juulie Downs]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

This is what makes working sports difficult. There is no cookie cutter approach to game management.

Amen, amen!!