Big mess in my biggest game!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by A Pennsylvania Coach

We got underway and the home coach was on us from the beginning. The gym was at least half full and it was fairly loud, so he could get away with more volume in his voice than normal because there was a lot of noise in the gym. The first chance I got to talk to him, he was complaining about contact on a rebound and he wanted a foul. I told him I saw it but I thought the contact was incidental and didn't affect his guy. His response? "Incidental huh? Since you are going to use words like that, let's see how much incidental contact you call tonight?"

Was there a question here? If he's just making comments, it's probably not worth addressing right here. Although you found out he really wasn't going to be civil at this point, so maybe it was useful.

Later in the first, I am lead. H1 is attempting a three from my corner. V2 is jumping out at him. I can't get deep enough (wall four feet behind end line) so I'm pretty much looking at waist down because V2 looks like he might land under H1. He doesn't and the shot is coming up short as my partner calls a foul. From the trail opposite, probably 50 feet away. Ugh.

Ugh is right. Nice ball watching.

Now into the second quarter. Home commits a foul in the act of shooting. We are lined up for a visitor FT. I am lead, and after giving the ball to the shooter (V1), I see something in my peripheral vision. I turn and see V2 and H1 above the arc on my side in each others' face, and V2 shoves H1. I hit the whistle, look at the shooter who still has the ball but has it cocked, give the "no shot" mechanic, and hustle over to V2 and H1. Both guys sort of "squared up" before I got there, but neither raised their fists. H1 pulls up his shorts a little, that "I'm ready to fight if you are" move. V2's teammates pull him away and nothing more happens with me in between. So I start toward the table when I hear my partner hit his whistle. He has a T on H2. So now we are both going to the table.

Here's something: Anytime the two officials have to get together like this, and especially when there's a contentious situation just prior, get the players to their benches EVERY TIME. Problem with letting them on the court is that you can't concentrate on your conversation with your partner OR the players well enough.

At first I have enough sense to keep my eyes on the players. I'm trying to think about several things: Do I have a tech on V2 only, or V2 and H1? And if I have one and he has one, do we shoot them and what do we do with the ball? And, was V1 shooting his first of two for the original shooting foul, or the second? Meanwhile the home coach is in our faces as well telling us it shouldn't take this long as we start to discuss. Then the visiting coach wanders in because he doesn't want to miss out on whatever lobbying is taking place. Somewhere in the middle of this H1 has wandered over in front of the visitors bench, but the visitors' assistant coach is shooing him away, highlighting for me the fact that I had my eyes off the players.

Double T it and move on. Use the book if you're not sure on the FTs.

One last thing from the first half. I report a foul on the home team, and the ball has gone to the opposite end of the floor, with no one moving to get it. I decide to get it myself. As I'm reporting, the home coach is complaining. Just as I turn and run to get the ball, he says "I just want to know if this is intentional", meaning are we intentionally shafting his team. That made me hesitate, but I already had my back to him and had made a couple steps away. I thought it would look bad if I wheeled around and pinned him, rabbit ears or something, I don't know. So I passed and just got the ball.

Don't be a ball chaser. Stand there and stare at it until a player gets it. And on the coach's comment, you should've whacked him.

Third year? You did a lot of things right, IMO. You'll learn from the rest.

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Thanks for all the insight and encouragement. About to leave for a tripleheader (boys freshman, 8th grade, then HSJV) so I've got a good chance to move on.

As for moving them to their benches, yep, should've done it. They generally did it but for some reason the one kid, maybe the instigator of the whole thing (the one who got shoved) was down at the other end.

As for the FTs, advice I got later from my mentor was that I should've checked with the scorer. That one hit me with a "duh!" At the time it just didn't occur to me.

It just felt like one big backslide to the days where I'd make a mistake and know it, then think about that mistake long enough to make another one. And so on. I thought I was beyond that!

Next Friday I'm back in that same gym for JV boys again, against another good opponent. Should be interesting!

[StripesOhio]

Originally Posted by A Pennsylvania Coach

Next Friday I'm back in that same gym for JV boys again, against another good opponent. Should be interesting!

No it shouldn't. Approach every game/team/school like you've never seen anybody before. When I go to the same school multiple times, the only person I pretend to remember is the AD. Far as I'm concerned, never seen the place before.

Just a good mental check for me.

[KJUmp]

Thanks for sharing that. As a newbie working HSJV (with my first game w/ the states top team next week) I learned a heck of a lot from both your post and the replies.
I can tell from the tone of your post, you're learning from this, filing it away and moving on. That's the important thing.
Of the many things I've learned from the vets here relative to coach's working us is, if it's not a question don't respond. If it is a question, a quick answer at the appropriate time in the game is all that's needed. The less said the better. If they're getting out of line Warn then Whack...or just Whack if it's really bad. And that in most cases taking care of it early is the most effective. Not being critical of the way you handled it BTW; what I'm trying to say is I think/hope I've got the handle on that aspect of game management.
Now as far as the whole V team free throw/technical foul sitch....there's my fear. Crap hits the fan fast and furious in a big game and (like you) I lose track of what's going on, my mind freezes up as to how to properly apply the rules to enforce the penalties I/we just dished out, etc. Ugh! Everything gets ugly in a hurry. Again, you and your P did fine, you got through it, got done, and got out.
What I learned from this part of your sitch:

1) Get the teams to the benches while you and P sort it out. (Thnx RichMSN)

2) The clock is stopped...don't rush, take your time. (Thanx Ref99)

3) Go through things slowly and in order with your P, who shoots how many where, in what order, AND how, where, and by whom is the ball getting put back into play....properly.

3a)Continue to study the proper application of A/P and POI throw-ins.

4) Utilize the official scorer to not only get everything down, but to help (if possible) on something like..."did we shoot any of the FT's yet."

5) Reread rule book&case book sections regarding sitch's where 2 opposing players "start going at it"...proper foul to call and penalty that's attached to it.

Thanks again for sharing it all. Hope your triple header went well.
PS: I learned about not chasing the ball here last year from these guys.