Mind your own business?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by LDUB

First off the officials did not "screw the pooch". Every time there is a thread about rules we would like to see changed multiple people always suggest not allowing coaches to request timeouts. It is hard to do, it is a hassle. Sometimes the officials will miss a timeout request because they are not looking in the direction of the bench.

Neither one of the officials ignored his legitimate request. They were not aware that he was requesting a timeout. It is not the officials fault that the gym was loud and they could not hear the coach calling timeout.

The NCAA rules say "Coaches are expected to remain in the coaching box. To do otherwise results in a distinct advantage that is not within the spirit and intent of the rules." The coach leaving the box created a distinct advantage for his team. Had he not left the box the team would not have been granted a timeout. If I was the opposing coach in this game and you didn't call the T you can be sure that I would find my way to the middle of the court while the ball is live at some point in the game. If you're going to allow the other coach to gain an advantage by walking out to the middle of the court I'm for sure going to try to help my team out by doing the same thing.

LDUB:

Anybody who knows me will tell you that I have a near "zero" tolerance for unsportsmanlike conduct; just ask my two sons about the lectures I gave them concerning the type of behavior I expected of them as athletes, even my wife has gets a "dirty" look from me when she lets the umpires know they are lacking in their performances (she may be correct, but nobody in the stands would ever know what my opinion is of the officiating).

I and several others have stressed game awareness. The noise level may have been very high, but the T was OOT, meaning he should, I have previously stated, been looking through the players. I think that I am smart enough to recongnize the difference between a coach out on the court to coach his team or display his displeasure with the officicating and him requesting a TO.

A case in point is the 2004 YBOA Boys' National Championship. I had a 9U pool play game early in the tournament. Early in the third quarter I was T Table Side. A1 was holding the ball at the top of the key when A-HC left his coaching box to run out onto the court and picked up A2 who was standing about six feet below the free-throw line extended and carried him to a spot about three feet above the free-throw line extended. My immediate repsonse was: WHACK!!

MTD, Sr.

P.S. Daryl was not officiating the game with me.