What would you have done?

[Official_Iowa]

8th grade girls tournament playing by the HFHS rules with Iowa Adaptations. First game I have this coach he is out of his seat squatting in front of the bench and then while the ball is live he will walk down to the end of the bench and and take a seat at the end of the bench while his team is playing defense.

Well I decide to try to take the nice route (nice guy never finish first) and I talk to him at half time and explain to him that we are are play by the Iowa high school rules and that he needs to stay in his seat while the ball is live. He says he understand and says that he had to much caffeine this morning and that he was a little antsy. Rest of the game goes with out an more incidents.

Well the next game that I have such said coach he is doing the same thing. I then get to him before half time and explain to him that we had already talk about it once and that he need to stay in his seat. Well wouldn't you know it I look over and he is once again squatting in front of the bench on his cell phone. So I whack him and when I do you would have thought that I ejected the whole team from the game. The fans went nuts but the coach was pretty calm about it for the most part. I said to him coach we have talked about it and you continue to do it. Funny part is you have parents yelling from the stands "He can do that, he can stand and walk on the coaches box all he wants." I just laugh.

Rest of the game goes on with nothing really happening. His team loses and off the court I go to sit behind the scoring table to get a drink to take a break. Well he walks up to my partner and tells him good job and that I need to check my ego at the door when I walk on the floor.

I just laugh at this because what I really want to say is "How about you know the bench decorum rule before you walk on the floor."

Here is the kicker, this guy is an AD at pretty good size school and who's boys basketball team is ranked in the top 10.

One of those things that just makes you shake your head.

Please let me know how you would have handled this situation.

[Terrapins Fan]

I think you handled it fine.

I bet you can't name 10 coaches who have read the rules book & the case book and could pass the Part II test.

In my area, I can't name 1.

[stosh]

Head coaches in Iowa can't leave their seat?

IMO you paid way too much attention to the coach's location especially if he was not doing anything to provoke you or your partner.

[Official_Iowa]

Yes in the state of Iowa coaches can not be out of their seat when the ball is live. It's not hard to see that he is out of his seat when you opposite the bench and in trail. You are looking through the players bringing the ball up the court.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by stosh

Head coaches in Iowa can't leave their seat?

IMO you paid way too much attention to the coach's location especially if he was not doing anything to provoke you or your partner.

Bull Sh!t! You get paid to ref the whole game, that includes the coach. Coach was warned, then you took care of it since the warning didn't work.

Iowa girls just got rid of the coaching box; boys have never had it. Even when the girls did have it, coaches were not allowed to squat or neal, IMS.

On top of that, he was a petty a$$ after the game. Got what he deserved, IMO.

[OHBBREF]

You have to let what happens in the first game go - that can not carry over, so I would not say anything to the coach about we talked about this in the first game.
But I would have addressed it right away with him this time.
Coach the rule says that during a live ball you have to be seated,
then Whack no issue with that.

To those who say too much attention to the coach - What other rules did you want set aside for the evening?

Referee the whole game as Snaq's said.

[Official_Iowa]

I wasn't holding the previous game against him, I just brought it up to him to jog his memory. I did also warn him in the sec game prior to whacking him.

Hind sight is always 20/20 I should have just whacked him the first time with no warning.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Official_Iowa

I wasn't holding the previous game against him, I just brought it up to him to jog his memory. I did also warn him in the sec game prior to whacking him.

Hind sight is always 20/20 I should have just whacked him the first time with no warning.

Not sure about that. A warning is not necessarily a bad thing here. Of course, since it was 8th grade ball, I'm not against going straight to T-time.

[stosh]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Bull Sh!t! You get paid to ref the whole game, that includes the coach. Coach was warned, then you took care of it since the warning didn't work.


Iowa girls just got rid of the coaching box; boys have never had it. Even when the girls did have it, coaches were not allowed to squat or neal, IMS.

On top of that, he was a petty a$$ after the game. Got what he deserved, IMO.

I dont know how this helps the dialog here.

Since I'm not in Iowa, usually the only time I have to worry about a coach sitting is after he's gottten a T and not before. IMO if I'm worried about where the coach is coaching from, I'm more likely to miss something else, possibly more important to the outcome of the game. I would never notice his location if he was on the sideline and coaching his team, within the limits of the coaching box.

I will agree that if he was warned and didn't heed the advice, he deserves what he got.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by stosh

I dont know how this helps the dialog here.

If I'd said "horse puckey," would that have been less unhelpful?

Originally Posted by stosh

Since I'm not in Iowa, usually the only time I have to worry about a coach sitting is after he's gottten a T and not before. IMO if I'm worried about where the coach is coaching from, I'm more likely to miss something else, possibly more important to the outcome of the game. I would never notice his location if he was on the sideline and coaching his team, within the limits of the coaching box.

I will agree that if he was warned and didn't heed the advice, he deserves what he got.

Look, it's obviously an issue when the coaching box is not in force. If you have a coach who has lost his coaching box priveledges, are you going to allow him to squat on the sideline, in the coaching box, as long as he's coaching his team?

Are you going to allow a coach to walk to the endline or the division line as long as he's coaching his team; even though it's 15 feet past the coaching box? It doesn't take much focus to note where the coach is located, and claiming you might miss something if you look there is like claiming you might miss a travel if you're looking for a foul.

[doubleringer]

I think you handled it just fine. You reminded him of the rule and then took care of business. The Iowa coaches rule is terrible. Unfortunately it isn't going away any time soon. It makes us look like jerks when we enforce the rule because often the coaches are doing nothing more than coaching. I'm curious where you were? Email me through the board if you get a chance. I work in central Iowa and I'd be curious as to which top 10 team this was. Don't let fan reactions bug you and certainly don't let the comments of an 8th grade AAU coach get to you. Unfortunately at these tournaments you don't get hospitality rooms to go have a drink. You could always let the tournament organizer know about the comment and then let it go and leave it at that.

[stosh]

you're right. pardon my ignorance.

I've probably missed seeing hundreds of coaches wander the baseline as I refereed the game.

I'll try to focus more in the future.

[doubleringer]

Here's the Iowa adapation for both boys and girls. I'm not a fan, but I enforce the rule. I wish we'd let them up and then seatbelt them when they get out of hand.

Adaptation #3 COACHES SHALL REMAIN SEATED ON THE BENCH AT ALL TIMES DURING THE GAME WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS:



a) During a time-out, coaches may leave the bench to confer with players at or near the bench.

b) In case of an injury, coaches may leave the bench to aid an injured player, provided they are beckoned onto the court by an official.

c) During an intermission, coaches may leave the bench to attend to their squads.

d) Requesting a prevention or rectification of a correctable error (Rule 2-10) as specified under Rule 5-8-4.

e) Stand up to show approval for an exciting play in the game, when a basket is scored or an outstanding play takes place by a member of their team, and then must immediately return to the bench.

f) The coach may stand up to call a time-out when his team has the ball, whether the clock is running or not and signal to call time-out.

g) Stand up to congratulate a player being substituted for.

h) The coach may confer with personnel at the scorer’s table regarding a timing error, scoring error, or alternating-possession error. If an error is not prevented or corrected, the team shall be charged with a time-out.

i) The coach will be allowed to stand and confer with a player(s) whenever the clock is NOT running. Communication with the player(s) only shall be done in a positive manner and shall take place directly in front of where the coach was seated. When the clock starts following a throw-in or last missed free throw, the coach shall immediately return to his/her seat. The officials will not delay a throw-in administration to permit a coach additional dead clock time to visit with player(s). This will allow coaches additional opportunities to stand up and instruct players while the clock is NOT running during the game.

j) Disqualified player---Upon the head coach’s notification of the disqualified player, the coach may stand to congratulate the disqualified player and may walk the confines of his/her bench to select a replacement for the disqualified player. The rule states that a disqualified player must be replaced within 20 seconds from the time the coach was notified. Any unsporting acts by the coaches are subject to being assessed a technical foul.

[Adam]

It would have been easier to note that they were not using the NFHS coaching box option.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by stosh

you're right. pardon my ignorance.

I've probably missed seeing hundreds of coaches wander the baseline as I refereed the game.

I'll try to focus more in the future.

Never mind me, I find I'm a bit cranky this morning.