Wacked by coach
 

Girls first round varsity tournament game. Coaches have been pretty excitable the whole game as it was close most of the game. Home team is in the process of blowing their 4th quarter lead and the "coach speak" is escalating. Home team is up one with 18 sec to to and the visiting team takes misses a three gets the rebound and eventually hits a tough three from the corner fading into the stands. Place goes nuts (lots of visiting fans).
I was the center with my back to the benches and the home coach must have been trying to call a time out which I could not hear. My parter "the lead" comes out as he could see him and gives him is timeout with 6 sec. on the game clock. He is down by 1 now and pissed of course. I am at the table double checking the fouls and time outs. As he heads back to his bench he wacks my arm out of the way in disgust as he goes by.
Guys, I just bit my tounge and glared at him. If I bang him there, obviously its two shot and the ball for the visiting team and no last second try for him, or in other words "BALL GAME". No tech called, they miss the last second try, we (MASS) do not stay for any handshakes.
As we are leaving the gym with the AD, he follows us down the stairs towards the locker room screaming "what a disgrace......" and this with some of his girls with him.
I know we give a little more leeway during "tournament" games and like to let the players decide the outcome etc., but what would you guys have done.
We have written him up to the MIAA and his AD.

I haven't worked a playoff game, so take it for what it's worth; I'd have stuck him.

Me neither; me too.

Striking an official? If anything were automatic...

I have worked a playoff and wouldn't think twice about it, Touching an official = Technical (perhaps ejection)

-Josh

I've worked a few playoff games in my day, and I would have stuck him instantly. Just because it's the playoffs doesn't mean that they get to get away with crap like that.

I whack him no remorse.

T

He would have been gone to the locker room if it was me. I view that as an automatic ejection if you strike an official intentionally. It would be like striking a cop when he handed you a ticket.

Congratulations on the playoff assignment. I have 2 things to note.

1.) I would work on improving your situational awareness. You were the table side official in a situation where a team was extremely likely to be looking for a time-out. As soon as that shot went through the hoop, you should have been looking at him to grant the time-out. That is the only play in town for the table side C after the ball goes in. If you get it right away, as opposed to your partner who is 60 feet from the coach having to get it, you probably save yourself the second situation.

2.) As described, if he "disgustedly" hit your arm on purpose, that is an easy technical foul.

Flagrant technical foul and written up after the game. Never, ever is physical contact like that by any participant let slide.

You do not have to work a playoff game to know that is not acceptable. I would have stuck him and probably ejected him. Thanks for playing.

Peace

I have worked playoffs and that has no bearing on what I would have done.

If i was 100% sure he did what you said he did he's gone. I dont care if its the championship game with .1 seconds on the clock and his team is UP by 1.

If I am not 100% sure his intentions its a T at the minimum. But this is unacceptable coach/official contact.

**disclaimer** if it were a she and she did that to slip her number in my pocket and she were cute - I might just let her off with a warning (I KID - I KID):D

I strongly disagree with your statement here. In a loud gym, sometimes the worst spot to notice a TO request by a coach is the official bench side with his back to the coach. In 3 person this is the perfect spot for the new lead to step in and make the call as they have the best view of the TO request that the coach is making.

Anytime a coach "expects" a TO just because they "ask" for one the only thing they should "expect" is NOTHING. In a loud gym you cannot hear them. Coaches KNOW that not only do they yell for a TO but they also make the universal T with their hands and jump up and down on the sideline if THEY REALLY WANT IT THAT bad.

just my 2 cents. you cannot reason with unreasonable people.

Its easy for me to come on here and say "I would have..." when I wasn't there. I know, I know -- we (including me) do that all the time on here.

However, I understand the hesitation. Would I have stuck him? Given the great description by the OP (it clearly gave me a picture to put myself into), I have to give a firm...I don't know. Probably, but then again, maybe not. I hate to sound wishy washy, but I'm just being honest. Not that it matters if you are doing the right thing, but the biggest problem you have in issuing a technical here is not so much deciding the game but giving him an excuse to blame you. Again, we don't run from the right thing, at least not hopefully, but we aren't computers; we make decisions where there is no one right answer. On the other hand, intentional physical contact is totally unacceptable. He needs to be severely reprimanded regardless of what your actions were after it happened. If he's not, then we've got a huge problem.

One of the things to learn from this is that you need to pregame late game situations. I talk about the official opposite the table (3 man) ALWAYS looking toward the bench areas after ANY made basket in the last minute to pick up a called timeout. If the C is table-side, he or she is now laser focused on the players while the T watches the benches.

Report his ***, discuss the play with other officials and learn from it.

I mean if the coach was hot...........:D
I work with some coaches who are "touchy feely". Put a hand on your shoulder etc. I address them politely and ask them not to do that, and haven't had a problem with it. I had one coach try to whack me in the butt after I made a call against his team (He also said Good Call) and hit me RIGHT in my scar. OUCH. I asked him not to do it again!!
As it sounds here, this was a coach just being an ***. It is unfortunate that his actions would cost his team the game. Assuming the other team made their free throws!!! Not that I would put money on him being on the bench to witness them!!!

At a minimum....a T....quite likely Flagrant.