Is It Inappropriate to Laugh?
 

First year ref. I had a boys JV game and I was lead and called a foul right in front of the bench of the offending team. As I'm going to report it, the coach is in my ear with "you've got to be kidding me. You guys have let that stuff go the ENTIRE GAME and NOW you're going to call it........"

We were less than 3 minutes into the FIRST quarter. That made me chuckle.

He's an idiot, but I wouldn't laugh. Makes you look like you're trying to bait him.

If that response is in your personality I see nothing wrong with laughing. I laugh all the time when here ridiculous comments from coaches. I would rather laugh then look at them like I am going to decapitate them with my look.

Body language is much more about your personality and what might work for you. No one here can honestly tell you how to react to all situations.

Peace

I am sarcastic. So sometimes I say sarcastic things to coaches. If they respond in kind to me I have to be able to take what I dish. So if you want to laugh and he responds with something you might not necessarily like, you will have to learn to deal with those.

But having personality is fine just dont penalize a coach when he "personalities" you back.

If your natural reaction is that little burst of grinning, then it is fine with me. Don't ROFL though. :)

I had a coach about 6 weeks ago tell me to call it both ways. I SOOO wanted to face the table and report, then face the crowd and report, but I didn't. Oh ya, the call? < 60 seconds into the game.

it was one of those wind up doll coaches with the same recorded message.

I laughed at a comment once and the coach asked what I found so funny. :eek: I just smiled at him and told him it was a game and was supposed to be fun and the way he said what he did just tickled my funnybone. He looked back, shook his head and laughed with me. Now he laughs almost every time I enter the gym. :D

I wouldn't laugh or say something sarcastic towards the coach. If could be constured as a form of taunting or baiting. Officials should conduct themselves with honor and dignity. Most likely, I would say this coach is in for part one of the 3 W's.
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with a mutual laugh with a coach.

Maybe it's your haircut. :D

Concur, this is a personality thing. Like Mark being sarcastic with coaches – many of us couldn’t get away with it and shouldn't try.

During some of my evaluations I have been told I’m a little too serious/tense and to loosen up a bit. So, now I try to keep it more light and I have been known to even smile (like I’m actually having fun, which I sometimes am) on the court especially during an unbelievable play by a 14 or 15 yr old, or maybe a great call/suggestion from a fan – “C’mon ref that’s a moving screen” or if the game is close and maybe heading toward OT and I think WWMPD?

Seriously, I once smiled on the court when a play developed in front of me we discussed on the Forum earlier that very week. But, I can’t ever recall actually laughing.

I called a travel on a JV boy once when he fell to his butt with the ball. We were in the corner tableside near the end of his bench. Coach says, "When he lands, his butt cheek becomes the pivot."

I smiled out loud. :)

"I'm not kidding."

I put the ball in play, smiling quietly. :)

OK, but how would you respond when a coach whines "you gotta give us the same call on this end.." when his team has been shooting the bonus since the 4 minute mark of the 3rd quarter, but your crew just called the second foul on his team?

:)

Or, when a coach asks you the question "Why call fouls?", then complains when he doesn't get a foul called because his team misses 5 uncontested layups on one posession as the other team stands and watches? It would be so easy to respond, " But Coach, why call fouls?" ( I didn't, BTW, but I wanted to soooooo bad!!!!)

I do not see what one has to do with the other?

Also, we throw baiting around, without really finishing what it really is. Its only baiting if you follow up with a T. If you say something that the coach responds to, and you might not like what he said, and you dont T, that's not baiting. Its pretty simple actually. If i say something tongue in cheek and the coach responds to that comment directly, I have to have a lot more rope to give him than I normally would.

Taunting, I think not!

Glad I can be of service. BTW - when a coach yells, "Why don't you call the foul?" a good response is, "What's the point? You'll just miss the free throws anyway." :D

Have Fun
 

Some people laugh out of nervousness, some laugh when having fun.

Don't laugh in coaches face but do have fun during the game. Having fun is an important part of officiating!

I completely disagree with your opinion on this. You cannot tell what works for everyone. Coaches say sarcastic or use humor a lot (in my experiences) and I have no problem using the same tactic. I have found that it gets them to laugh or use levity in situations that ordinarily are very intense. Also if you always keep a serious look on your face, for some people you are being mean or angry. And it is not in any way unprofessional to use what works for you. Now maybe that does not work for you, because you cannot tell a joke or you are not quick on your feet to come up with certain lines. I have seen some of the best officials use sarcasm or laugh and smile to perfection. If that is your personality, that might work very well.

Peace

Jeff, there is nothing wrong with your statement above. I also will one line with coaches with success. This is part of what makes the game fun. You're right, each situation is different. However, IMO, in the OP, by discription, three minutes into the game, sounds like we have a screaming coach that is a little on the mental side. Soooo, my intial reaction is to warn him. Most likely, it's a HTBT situation.

This is where personality might come into place. I would not want to warn a coach that early without giving them a chance to see their behavior for what it is. Because if you warn them, now you have to go to the next step if they do the same thing. I would consider a warning to be the last resort before taking more serious action. But this is why laughter might set a tone (and it may not) where as coming off as a jerk (what the coach might think) might be counter-productive to having a smooth game.

Peace

I laugh and smile all the time. Last night's game was horribly played. A couple times I headed the court just shaking my head and laughing.

V20 on the winning team had his shot smashed into the backboard by a bench player, H34, from the losing team. The entire gym was in an uproar and even his own teammates were laughing. There was a foul right afterwards and I was administering the free throws. V20 came in to line up and I started to smile very broadly. V20 gave me a look and I said to him "You gotta admit it was funny".

Had another game where visiting team started getting blown out in the first few minutes of the 3rd quarter. There was shooting foul against the visitors that the HC didn't like. On the following possession I ended up as the 'C' in front him after one of his players had the ball knocked away from behind and the ball went out of bounds. He wanted a foul on that play. He said "You guys gotta give me at least one call". I looked up at the scoreboard and the foul count was 2-2. I said "We have. We've given you 2 calls". He looked up at the scoreboard and he started laughing and said "You're right, I guess you have".

Whenever a boy shoots an airball on a free throw, if I'm administering the next shot I tell him, "Well, that sucked". I can't remember it never getting a laugh from the kid.

I usually say, Shac has one more.:p I also am smiling throughout the entire game. Some of my parners ask if I ever stop. I only get serious when needed. The game should be fun, thoes in control should be having fun also. Kind of sets the tone for the rest. Not always true though.