Re: I don't understand !
 

Blame it on Soccer!!!!

Re: I don't understand !
 

I'll tell you why. It offers us protection. Tell them that unsportsmanlike actions will always be penalized and never with a warning and then do it..What can they say? Too often they get a warning from official A and a penalty from official B. This lets them know how it will be handled and makes it easy on us--no decisions. Unsportsmanlike = penalty.

Saw it first hand in the state semifinals last year. Captains and coaches in the pregame meeting. I (as the R) give the speech including the sportmanship talk. Then I said to everyone, "don't do anything that will make us think that was unsportsmanlike." Well a kid gets into anothers face in the 3rd Q. and I whack. Coach gets upset at the call and all I said to him was...you were in the meeting and heard what we would do. He got in the other kid's face.

He had no reply.

Add the following to your pre-game speech:

1. "Gentlemen, this is a basketball..."
2. Point to one of the captains. Say, "for purposes of this game, you will be mauve." Point to the other captain, and say, "You will be chartreuse." Use those colors when calling fouls, violations, etc. Doesn't matter the jersey colors.
3. "Gentlemen, new league rule. The captain of each team must wear his jersey backwards to more easily identify them." Make the kids adjust their jerseys (boys only, of course). Make them go back to the team huddle like that.
4. Have a coin toss. Ask the winner if he wants to kick or receive.
5. Have a yellow flag in your pocket. Tell the kids, in addition to blowing your whistle on fouls, you will be throwing a flag. Blow your nose in it. Alternatively, use a magician's scarf.

Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

There is no protection in doing something like this - only problems can arise.

The further you get into the nitty-gritties, the more likely it is that you'll miss one of them and everyone will be screaming because you mentioned it in the captain's meeting.

Re: Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Dexter

Quote:

There is no protection in doing something like this - only problems can arise. The further you get into the nitty-gritties, the more likely it is that you'll miss one of them and everyone will be screaming because you mentioned it in the captain's meeting.

I disagree with this wholeheartedly. Missing something is part of the game. We'll miss lots of things, but knowing that a penalty will be inforced without warning is a protection for us. How does a coach complain about something he was warned about? I don't see the potential problem, except in the case where an official see something and chooses to turn a blind eye to it or doesn't have the stones to call the T.

Re: Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

THIS IS TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC!! Mark your signature, "It's not just because I'm a big-@#$%, it's the law" Reminds me of a bumper sticker we had around here for a while.

Back when Oregon was trying to make a 55-mph law work, there were bumperstickers that lots of police cars, and others had,

"55 MPH -- it's not just a good idea, it's the law!" Some time later, I saw a few of these,

"386,000 mps -- it's not just a good idea, it's the law!"

Okay, I'm not as advanced as all of you, and I still do a fair number of 5th & 6th grade games. (Although I do have my first JV and Var. games this year!)

With one 6th grade team I had trouble with in an earlier game, I just forgot about the captains and had both <i><b>teams</i></b> line up at the division line for a little spiel on sportsmanship.

I'm not sure if it was the speech or a bunch of 1st quarter foul calls that did the trick, but the game went well! :-)

Re: Re: Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

Here's the problem - you can't possibly warn a coach about everything.

I can see it now - a ten minute explaination of "illegal acts," game starts, a T, and coach goes ballistic because "You (*#*()@ didn't tell me that it was against the rules to stab an opponent!"

Granted, this is an extreme example, but I think you open yourself up to too many problems. Coaches and players have access to rulebooks - it's our job to explain any questions they may have but not our job to conduct a mini rules clinic before each tipoff.

Re: Re: Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

This actually comes courtesy of my psych professor.

She was explaining how FERPA (privacy laws) prevent her from e-mailing us our grades on tests and said to us, "I don't do it because I'm a b*tch, I do it because it's the law."

Just kinda reminded me of a lot of calls I have to make/explain in basketball. :D

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I don't understand !
 

I agree. And alternatively, "You said you would call all stabbing fouls, I got 2 kids here with puncture wounds! What the @%&*???!!!"

I think you are trying to make this too complicated. All I say is that anything that could be construed as unsportsmanlike will be penalized without warning, but please don't make us penalize you. I agree that the less said, the better off we will be. Any complaint I have ever gotten has been replied to with, "I said anything." I have call T's for unsportsmanlike actions and the pregame speech, IMO, has been a savior. I like it very much.

I just got my rulebooks, etc. from the state and we have a new pregame statement to read. I will continue to use it (because I think it helps, and you will not go to the state tournament if you don't do it ;) )

Not your job.
 

Stripes unless it is something from your state or the rulebook that requires some kind of statement on sportsmanship or behavior, say nothing. Before my state made us do all this "sportsmanship" talks, I would say nothing about the rules or the way the game would be called at all. It is not your job to give a rules clinic or explain what the game will be like. That pregame meeting should be about a minute and you move on.

Peace

Re: Not your job.
 

Rut-

Thanks for the tip :cool:

Notice that I said that I got the card from the state. We are required to read it. I fully understand about the potential pitfalls of getting into a rules clinic in the captain's meeting. I just beleive that if they are forewarned and all of the officials enforce the rule the same way, our job just got easier.

"I'm Frick, this is Frack. That's line's over and back. Let's play."

Gets 'em every time!

Our state requires us to have head coaches present at the captain's conference and to read a sportsmanship card. The way I handle the conference is to keep it short and sweet. After the introductions I ask each coach if their teams are equipped per NFHS standards and will their teams meet that standard throughout the game. Sometimes I get the question of what we will do as it relates to a shirt coming untucked unintentionally but most of the time I get a yes answer or a head nod from each coach. As for the shirt question I usually answer to the effect that if we believe a shirt came out unintentionally the player will more likely than not get one chance to tuck it back in and then if he or she doesn't comply he/she would be sent out . Repeat violators will be sent out without a second chance. I also take this opportunity to stress that the coaching box will be strictly enforced. I then ask the group if they all know and understand the meaning of the term "sportsmanship" and if so, do they know the penalty for noncompliance. Again most of the time I get a yes. If it is at a school where sportsmanship has been an issue, I usually make the home team speaking captain read the card to all present. I then ask for speaking captain. The reason I do this is because I tell the speaking captain that it is his/her responsibility to begin breaking huddles after the first warning horn and I also tell him/her that if I can, when I have a problem with a player on the floor, I will try my best to give them a chance to handle the situation before myself or my partner(s) have to. If during the game, the speaking captain is not in the game, I then pick a player that appears to be levelheaded at the time to address this type of situation with. I also tell the speaking captain that because their team has given them the responsibility of being speaking captain, he/she get no second chances when it comes to behavior or sportsmanship. I use my captains as communicators during ball games. All told, my conference takes about one minute barring any shirt questions.