Talking to Pseudo-Coaches

[Rita C]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

Game last week, see previous thread.

I whacked home HC somewhere into the second quarter. Some guy in a red shirt started pacing around, I figured he's some sort of authority person here, maybe the AD or the Varsity coach. He talked to HC a couple times, when HC needed calming down.

Start of second half, red-shirt-guy was sitting on the bench with players, coaching some, but not a problem in any way. Pretty soon, he started to get up off the bench to coach. Just a little. We ignored it. Pretty soon, he was up off the bench most of the time, coaching, but still not yelling at us. Still he's not the HC, he's been on the bench, and now he was standing and coaching.

So I went over there and quietly and nicely said, "For the purposes of this game, while you're here on the bench and by the bench, you're an assistant coach, and you need to stay seated or leave the bench area." He said, "Oh, I'm not an assistant, I'm the varsity coach." I said, "Okay. You'll be the varsity coach later, but right now, you're an assistant and you need to follow the rules for assistant coaches, which is to stay seated on the bench." He says, "Oh, I know the rules." I said, "Okay great." Behavior didn't change at all.

I said to my partner, "What about this guy?" Partner said, "Well, we'll give one more warning if we get the chance, but whack if necessary."

Next trip down, I'm trail table-side, right next to red-shirt-guy who is standing up. He says, "You should have called that." I turned and said, "You're an assitant coach, remember," and he said, "Sheez, why don't you relax?"

Im not sure how long I stared at him before I whacked. I couldn't believe he would really say that.

Now my question. Could I have done anything differently?

PS when I reported T, I said, "Technical foul on the home assistant coach." He yelled (from the stands), "I'm NOT the assistant coach!" Bookkeeper looks at me blankly. I say, "Technical foul on that red-shirt-guy for disrespecting an official." Bookkeeper smirks, HC groans and rolls eyes. I hurry to the endline/baseline to adminster the shots.

Juulie,

The one thing I would have done differently is talk to the head coach first.

Recently at an eigth grade game, I saw someone standing and coaching the players. He was not the head coach. I went to the head coach and said, "It's my understanding that you are the head coach?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Then who is this person down there?" He kind of shrugged his shoulders. I said, "If he's a coach he needs to be seated. If he's a parent, he needs to be seated with the spectators."

Then if he's still around and standing, I whack the head coach.

Rita

[mutantducky]

I remember giving a T to a non-player in a Rec game because he sat with his playing buddies on the bench. T for complaining about the calls or something. Team: "But he isn't a player"
waaaaaaa, cry me a river.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Rita C

Juulie,

The one thing I would have done differently is talk to the head coach first.

Recently at an eigth grade game, I saw someone standing and coaching the players. He was not the head coach. I went to the head coach and said, "It's my understanding that you are the head coach?" He said, "Yes." I said, "Then who is this person down there?" He kind of shrugged his shoulders. I said, "If he's a coach he needs to be seated. If he's a parent, he needs to be seated with the spectators."

Then if he's still around and standing, I whack the head coach.

Rita

This is similar to what I do. Usually in passing the bench I'll say - "Only one person has the right to stand and coach."

I've never had to go back and explain it a second time....although, sometimes I wish I was given the opportunity to say just a little bit more!

[stmaryrams]

I had a situation similar but with a twist in a JV game. My partner has a call that no one on the visitors side likes. JV Head coach is now hollaring about the call and I come over to see what my partner has. We discuss and decide he needs to report what he had as I can't bail him out of this one. He reports and some guy comes down out of the stands, stands on the sideline area (which is also the walkway) and starts screaming. I ask kindly "Sir, you need to go back in the stands and sit down". His answer is "But I'm the Head Varsity Coach"
My only response "T", now coach you need to calm down or you will not be able to be there for your game. He says, "Technical fouls aren't cumulative from game to game". My answer is "But if you are ejected, you will miss your game too!"

Didn't anyone ever see Shooter walk out onto the court in Hoosiers?

"That's OK, he's an assistant coach"..."T"

[KJUmp]

stmaryram....love the Hoosie/ Shooter..."it's OK he's an assistant"... reference

[bradfordwilkins]

So if a home Varsity coach from the stands is ejected during a JV game, is he banned from the gym for the night? Or for the remainder of the game?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

So if a home Varsity coach from the stands is ejected during a JV game, is he banned from the gym for the night? Or for the remainder of the game?

Depends on the state. Personally, I rarely deal with fans. Someone in the stands would have to get pretty profane to get my attention, and that includes coaches. (Officials are a different story.)

If, however, you have, for example, the varsity coach sitting as an assistant during the jv game, and he gets himself a couple of Ts, that'll still be up to your state. I wouldn't worry about the next game; the varsity refs will get to deal with him.

[Juulie Downs]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

So if a home Varsity coach from the stands is ejected during a JV game, is he banned from the gym for the night? Or for the remainder of the game?

In Oregon, just the remainder of that game. I think.

At least, there was a huge flap around here a few years ago when a JV ref ejected a varsity coach who was in the stands (coach is one of the best HS coaches in the country) and then that same ref tried to keep him out of the gym for the varsity game. Our assignor/commissioner was called (on coach's cell phone since ref wouldn't even let coach into his own office!!), who then instructed ref to just go home and let the poor guy do his job. It made the papers here, ref was firmly disciplined ( and belittled by anyone who knew who it was), and we all learned a lesson -- varsity coach ejected during Frosh or JV game gets to come back in for the varsity game.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

In Oregon, just the remainder of that game. I think.

At least, there was a huge flap around here a few years ago when a JV ref ejected a varsity coach who was in the stands (coach is one of the best HS coaches in the country) and then that same ref tried to keep him out of the gym for the varsity game. Our assignor/commissioner was called (on coach's cell phone since ref wouldn't even let coach into his own office!!), who then instructed ref to just go home and let the poor guy do his job. It made the papers here, ref was firmly disciplined ( and belittled by anyone who knew who it was), and we all learned a lesson -- varsity coach ejected during Frosh or JV game gets to come back in for the varsity game.

In our state if a coach is ejected from any game that night, they cannot come back for any other game that day. But it is not our responsibility to make sure this rule is enforced. It would just go into the report and the IHSA would deal with it. This rule is rather well known, and a coach sticking around would likely get further suspension or forfeiture of the game in question.

Peace

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

In our state if a coach is ejected from any game that night, they cannot come back for any other game that day.

Rut - what if, for instance, a JV coach hangs around for the V game and is ejected from the stands. Is there a suspension involved, since they have no more games that day?

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

So if a home Varsity coach from the stands is ejected during a JV game, is he banned from the gym for the night? Or for the remainder of the game?

If the V coach is ejected from the JV bench he cannot coach in any capacity until he sits out a game from the level he was ejected. If he's ejected from the stands, I guess it's up to the site administrators and the V officials to let him back in the gym!

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Suppref

If the V coach is ejected from the JV bench he cannot coach in any capacity until he sits out a game from the level he was ejected.

It was like this in Iowa as well (not sure about CO), but I would have never imagined enforcing this as an official.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Suppref

If the V coach is ejected from the JV bench he cannot coach in any capacity until he sits out a game from the level he was ejected.

We had this happen in my little part of the Constitution State a few years ago. Varsity coach, who is known for giving officials a hard time, is sitting on the junior varsity bench during a junior varsity game, gives the junior varsity official a hard time, and gets ejected with a flagrant technical foul. He didn't get to coach his varsity team in the varsity game that night, the second half of a JV/V doubleheader, and had to "sit out" another junior varsity game until he was again allowed to coach his varsity team. The junior varsity official who tossed him got a standing ovation at out next board meeting.

[Forksref]

The varsity HC isn't doing his program or JV coach any favors. I'd hate to be the JV coach with the V HC on the bench. The best thing that happened for the JV coach was when the V HC was tossed.

Good job Juulie, you handled it well.