technical fouls from a coaches perspective

[ILRef80]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

(Note: Varsity game, the ref who T'd me was sitting in the stand right behind the home team, cheering them on to victory!) Still gets me a little unnerved.

Wow. This is completely unprofessional . Hopefully this guys has learned his lesson by now...

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ILRef80

Wow. This is completely unprofessional . Hopefully this guys has learned his lesson by now...

Are you kidding? This is every night in rural Wisconsin! And the guys sometimes sit there with their officiating uniforms (with just a jacket over it) doing it, too! Nothing worse than a guy who comes dressed and doesn't even wear different shoes into the gym, considering all the weather we have here and all the crap they get on their shoes.

And the funny thing is that some of these guys are among the worst officials I've ever seen and NOBODY gets on them. We come in from out of town, have new uniforms, shined shoes, actually work hard (some of the trails don't get out of the backcourt in the JV games and stand as if there are nails through their feet) and we get it from the opening tip.

And I wouldn't trade with these guys for the world.

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by beachbum

Coaches,

When you get a "T" in a basketball game, for something you deserve( I'm not talking about an illegal substitution). How do you feel about it the next day? Especially if you continued to voice your disapproval of the call during the game.

Do you still think the official is a jerk and doesn't know what they are doing, or do you respect him or her alittle more for standing up and enforcing the rules of the sport?, or lastly do you just move on and forget it?

I began coaching basketball at the jr. high level when I was still in high school. I continued coaching (still help out at times when asked) for decades. I got to know many a coach. Some of us got very few technical fouls, others would routinely get two in a game back in the days when an ejection only meant an ejection for the remainder of that game.

Coaches don't necessarily think officials are jerks simply because the official gave them a technical foul. In most cases, technical fouls come after a lengthy "courtship" between official(s) and coach. My technicals virtually all came when arguing about a rule as opposed to a judgment call. The original reason I got my officiating license was solely for the purpose of ensuring that, as a coach, I knew the rules. If I was going to argue a call I wanted to make sure that I was right. Like many of the coaches who have already responded, if I received a technical from an official because he did not know the rules and I pointed it out, I have to admit, I usually thought very little of the official the next day. As a coach, I expected the officials to know the rules. When they didn't -- AND T'd me up -- I had little to no respect for them.

I never got a technical foul for just constant arguing and bickering. Many of my friends have. Most of them know that a line needs to be drawn. As long as the official has been willing to talk to them during the game, generally, the coaches are fine the next day -- or even after the game. If the official either never gave an indication that the technical was coming or refused to even answer questions during the game, the coaches typically thought the official was "a jerk" (to use your term).

Many coaches are remorseful after the fact (after the game, two hours later, the next day, or at some point). Most of those coaches would tell you that they got into the game and got out of line. In those cases, the coaches typically do not view the officials in a negative way -- they understand that the officials have a job to do.

Some coaches show up to every game with a chip on their shoulder ASSUMING that us officials are going to "stick it to their team" somehow during the game. In most cases, these coaches tend to be the ones who get T'd up the most. If you come into a game with a biased view (coaches, parents, fans and players all have a bias since they want their team to win) AND come in with that attitude. Any close game becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Coach has a bias, but is searching for the missed calls that will stick it to his team. Several close calls go against his team (remember, he is looking for them). Coach now gets on the officials -- no one call, just overall about everything. T is the result.

These guys and gals usually do not end up in coaching very long -- OR change their views. These folks wake up the next day thinking the official who called the T is "a jerk", his partners were "jerks", the guys working the game before were "jerks", etc.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by CMHCoachNRef

The original reason I got my officiating license was solely for the purpose of ensuring that, as a coach, I knew the rules. If I was going to argue a call I wanted to make sure that I was right.

Me too. I also used to "CoachNRef". Finally, after over twenty-five years, the helicopter parents got to me, so now I "JustRef".

[beachbum]

many of the comments seem to suggest that the "T"s given were the result of poor officiating. One specifically mentiond mid school officiating.

Most every one acknowledge's that mid school is a good training ground for officials. But do you coaches think that your view of the officials was somewhat tainted by the fact you were coaching in the game?

It always seems that coaches will say a game had good officials when they win, but poor officiating when they loose...for the most part.

But no one really answered the real question, and it is do you have remorse the day after or do you respect an official more, if that official has the B**ls to give you a "t" for an obvious unsportsmanlike act.

[DonInKansas]

Originally Posted by beachbum

many of the comments seem to suggest that the "T"s given were the result of poor officiating. One specifically mentiond mid school officiating.

Most every one acknowledge's that mid school is a good training ground for officials. But do you coaches think that your view of the officials was somewhat tainted by the fact you were coaching in the game?

It always seems that coaches will say a game had good officials when they win, but poor officiating when they loose...for the most part.

But no one really answered the real question, and it is do you have remorse the day after or do you respect an official more, if that official has the B**ls to give you a "t" for an obvious unsportsmanlike act.

Beachbum:

I'm not a coach, but I the the jist of this is:

Coaches are people, just like officials. Not all technical fouls are created equal. Sometimes a coach will go looking for a technical to "fire up his team" and actually may have less respect for you at the end of the day if you DON'T "T" him up. Some will look back and realize they were out of line and know you were doing your job. Some are incompetent nits who think that they're always right and will hate you forever for daring to question their pure, unadulterated awesomeness.

Coaches are people too (much to the surprise of some on this Forum. ) There's no way to put something like this in a box and say it's going to play out the same way every time.

Get out there and take care of business.

[rockyroad]

I coach HS football, not basketball, and have gotten one USC penalty flag thrown on me in the years I have coached. I deserved it, wanted it to let my players know I "had their backs", and don't regret it. The situation doesn't really matter, the officials doing the game were letting some dangerous things happen over and over and I let them know we were not pleased. Got the flag and shut up. Sent the tape in to the league office and the crew was suspended for a game.

As basketball officials, we need to realize that there are lots of different reasons why coaches get T'd. It is simply a call - just like any other call we make - and really doesn't deserve any more agonizing over or questioning ourselves than any other call. If it's there, call it.

[TiManGR]

15 years of middle school coaching, two T's. First one was during a Wreck league game, official told me one more word and he was going to T me. I turned around and said Thanks. tweet! Deserved it for sure, team started playing better and went on to win...

Second game we were away at this small school, officiating wasn't very good (it is middle school). We were winning by 10+, my player was in the back court being double teamed, heard a whack (ended up with a welt on the side of his neck), defense takes the ball and makes layup. I make a comment, without even getting up, something to the effect of "Are you even watching the game?". Deserved that one for sure, but just trying to protect my players. Shortly after that I had a player make a stupid pass, causing an over and back. Player retrieves the ball, bounces hard and misses the ball on the way up. Not mad at official, just himself. Tweet! Fortunately, we went on to win...