Proper to laugh at a coach
 

Last week, I was officiating an AAU tournament. A player drives to the basket and gets his shot blocked by a player that outweighed him by more than 50 pounds. The player jumps straight up and blocks the shot, but the offensive player runs into the defensive player. The contact - which I ruled incidental - caused the player to go to the floor. He curses in my direction and I call a technical foul for the language.

Later in the game, the coach calls me over and says that his kid says that he didn't curse. I started laughing and walked away. I had no explanation. Laughing was all I could do. The kid cursed. I was standing right next to him. There are only so many words that sound like "duck." Is laughing at a comment from a coach ever ok?

I would personally never laugh at a coach. I don't see what positive can come out of it. At best, he doesn't take it personally and ignores/does nothing. At worst, you take this situation and make it potentially worse. Again this is for me. I suppose for other officials, that could work for them.

Agreed. I would have said something along the lines of "Coach, I'm 100% positive that your player cursed at me." Then I would have turned and walked away.

At an AAU game? I would have probably laughed too. Then I would have told him "Coach, I am not really concerned what he told you, I know what I heard him say to me." Then I would have walked away.

Peace

I laughed at a coach once, and I'd do it again in that situation because I thought he was joking.

His player caught a ball, then proceeded to fall and land on his arse. After I called the travel, the coach tried telling me the cheek becomes the pivot on that play. I laughed out loud.

"I'm serious, the cheek is the pivot."

me: "White ball, let's go."

If he wasn't joking, I still feel good about it. I found out later this guy won state championships in both boys and girls ball here; but was then (and now) coaching JV boys on the other side of the state.

Years ago in a young kids rec game (I think 7th grade), I called a T on a kid for using profanity. I went over to the table to report it and the scorekeeper said he wasn't going to record it. I just stared at him. He then said it was his son and his son "would never swear". I laughed and told him that was funny. He put down his pencil, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back as if to say he wasn't going to do anything. You can probably guess what I said next. "Coach - you need to get a new scorekeeper over here".

[QUOTE= Is laughing at a comment from a coach ever ok?[/QUOTE]

YES!!! Yes it is ok. People are funny --even (or especially) coaches....so in my opinion yes..laugh at a funny comment. Now I am not proposing we eliminate the use of common sense but in the scenario you gave I would have said, "Ok coach", smiled, and moved on. What else is there to really say....ESPECIALLY at an AAU or rec game. :D

The key word there is "ever," so of course, the answer is YES. The only alternative is that it's NEVER okay, and that doesn't fly.

On one play this year, Team A is moving the ball on transition, with me trailing. B-1 cleanly swats at the ball, and it could have been a steal, but the ball bounced off my leg while I was still moving, and landed at the Team B bench. Team A ball.

B Coach: "Hey, that's a kick violation!"
Me: "Yeah, on ME!"

We both smiled. That's called messing with the ref for the sake of humor, and I love it.

Even when a coach is mad, there are occasions for laughter. An example: After Team A drives for their second consecutive easy layup, Team B's coach hops up angrily.

Coach: "Time out! TIME OUT!!"
Me: (TWEET) "30 or 60, coach?"
Coach: "30! Just enough time for me to yell at these guys!"

I couldn't hold back laughing. Regardless of their mood at the time, no-one could say such a thing without appreciating the humor behind it.

I hate it when you make a call against a player and the coach asks the player if he "did it".

Back in the day when I was less proficient in holding my tongue it would be cause for a comment from me.

It was interesting. I'm new to officiating outside of college intramurals, so I don't have very much experience interacting with coaches. If in a similar situation again, I don't think I'll laugh. I think I'll just tell the coach I heard it and walk away.

Welcome to the forum, newbie. You do know the first rule of officiating, don't you? :rolleyes:

Also remember this one: "Coach, I'd respond to your comment but I left my English-Jibberish dictionary at home."

I would assume the first rule to officiating is that you're only as liked as your next call?

Pick A Prize From The Top Shelf
 

Wrong. Remember, when you assume you make a domesticated donkey out of you and Mark Padgett.

Wait a minute. You may be correct. Delete my comment above. That is the first rule of officiating. So you don't have to ask Mark Padgett what the first rule is. You already know. No need for a followup question, or worse, a followup answer from Mark Padgett.

Congratulations. You have won a free one year subscription to the Official Forum. Please send your bank account number and PIN, in a private message, (private for security reasons) to Mark Padgett. He needs that information in case you want to sign up for a paid year at the end of your free year. If you don't want to continue to be a member of the Forum after your free year, Mark Padgett will erase your information from his hard drive. He promises. Cross his heart.

Nope.

Yep!!! :)

Peace

It is NEVER proper to laugh AT a coach (at least until you hit the locker room). But it is entirely possible to laugh WITH the coach if the make a funny:D

I'll learn the golden rule one of these days. Until then, ignorance is bliss!

You should know by now I don't do that.

Semper ubi sub ubi ...
 

I would think that at your age you would need the side shaping.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/1...artbra27wq.jpg

The problem is, as in my situation, sometimes you think they're joking when they're not.

I have laughed when I thought they were joking.

Look, we are human. We laugh as stuff that happens and is said or should from time to time. You never "want" to humiliate people, but if they say something that is ridiculous, a laugh might show it is. I have told coaches what they want is silly or out of line when it clearly is. Especially if they claim I have some bias based on some ridiculous claim or suggestion. Even though this situation did not happen in a basketball game, I had a coach try to ask me and my crew to be "fair" and he was directing his call about me. When I told him in no uncertain terms..."Coach, I literally live right down the street from this school" he shut up immediately. In this case I did not laugh, but he knew I was not playing around with him and my tone and I showed I was a little offended if you think for a second I am against you based on some silly paranoid feeling.

Peace

Maybe, but Hornets asked, "Is laughing at a comment from a coach ever ok". There's a difference.

Yes but for those of us are observant and can see the whole picture notice that the name of the thread is labeled "Proper to laugh at a coach" Thus my answer. Don't make me go all Jurassic on you!!!!!:eek:

Yeah... probably not a good idea to laugh at a coach even if it is on the AAU circuit. You risk escalating the situation. That conversation after the game is a no-win for you.

It might help if we discuss the word "laugh" since its subjective. To some people a smile equals a laugh while at the other end of the spectrum some may consider rolling on the floor a laugh.

For me, if I laugh at a coach it includes a smile and 1-2 chuckles. LOL! Ha ha...and I'm done. :D

only if he tells a joke!

Such as claiming he has rules knowledge? ;)

A few years back, I was working a two man V-Boys game, the one coach was all caught up in the game and his kids were playing at a higher level than I had seen them earlier. His team is leading by 2 points with 30-some seconds to go and he asks for a time out.
I asked "Coach what would you like?"
He replied, "What I would really like is a beer!"
"No coach a full or 30!"
"Ok, give me a full!"

I didn't laugh at the time, but looking back I chuckle.:D

Nice one. I would have laughed. A few years ago a coach asked "Man, we need a Ritalin time out!! How long do I get for those?"