Coach on the court

[Ptflea2]

Had this happen to me over the holiday's in a girls JV game:

Late in the second half with the visiting team getting beat pretty bad (35+ running clock in effect), a girl from said visiting team runs in and jumps for a rebound, but collides with her teammate and lands hard on her backside. She starts screaming and crying in pain. Home team gets the rebound, but before they continue up court, I blow the whistle to stop play because of the injury. But before I have a second to look up, visiting coach is running from the bench across the court in a panic. "Are you OK Sara????!!!!!" he say's. Girl slowly gets up, drys her tears and the whole gym claps for her as she is replaced with a sub.

We play the final five minutes, no problems, but then my partner asks me as we are walking to the locker room why I didn't give the visiting coach a T for coming onto the floor without beckoning him? Actually, at the time, I don't think it even crossed my mind to give the coach a T. But my reply to my partner was "game management" and "team was down by 35, why T him up and make it worse." My partner didn't really like the answer, stating our job is to enforce the rules of the game, all the rules, not just the ones we liked or felt managed the game to our liking.

I'm not the arguing type, but I told him, "well if you felt so strongly about what happened why didn't you call the T?" I don't think he liked that answer either

Anyway, my question is did I do the right thing? Looking at the rules book, I found 10-4 and the note it makes under art. 5. Anywhere else I should be looking in the book?

I still feel this was a good case of game management, but would like to hear other opinions on the matter.

[Raymond]

I consider the coach beckoned. Good call (no call) on your part.

[APG]

Smack your partner upside the head for suggesting a T in that situation

In a situation like that, the coach is always going to be beckoned in my game. No need to be looking for trouble like that.

[TonyT]

A JV girls game, out of hand, a running clock. Why prolong the game with a tech

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I consider the coach beckoned.

As a former basketball coach, the parent of two former basketbal players, and a thirty year basketball official, I agree 100%.

Same thing with coaches that prevent, or help break up fights. They were also beckoned.

[26 Year Gap]

Your partner is a plumber.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by TonyT

A JV girls game, out of hand, a running clock. Why prolong the game with a tech

I don't think these things have anything to do with not calling a T in this situation...the coach was beckoned because we have a HS kid who is on the floor in pain, screaming and crying.

That coach was beckoned whether it's 35 points or 1 point...

[Rich]

The coach is always considered beckoned when a player is injured. Period.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TonyT

A JV girls game, out of hand, a running clock. Why prolong the game with a tech

Yep. Same holds in a varsity boys game tied with 2 seconds left. Or a middle school coed rec game with a 10 point lead. Or a Freshman boys game with a 5 point lead in the 1st quarter.

The "beckon" is automatic with injuries.

Let your partner call this T and back it up to the powers. He'll find himself working a lot of JV girls games, and might even find his middle school assignments increasing.

[Multiple Sports]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The coach is always considered beckoned when a player is injured. Period.

Rich is absolutely correct.

PTflea2 - maybe you can invite your partner to our lovely chat room and he can realize how wrong he is.

Good job with your game management skills !!!!!!

[Ptflea2]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The coach is always considered beckoned when a player is injured. Period.

It seemed like a no brainier to me, and probably why a tech didn't cross my mind when I looked up to see the coach running at me.

I know my original post painted my partner as a bit of a jerk, but I've worked with him before and he's actually pretty good, if only a stickler for the letter of the law. I don't want to open a can of worms with this statement, but to my partner, and other officials I'm sure, the rules of basketball are simply black and white with no shades of gray. But to me, there are times when game management, and even common sense play a role in our officiating.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Ptflea2

It seemed like a no brainier to me, and probably why a tech didn't cross my mind when I looked up to see the coach running at me.

I know my original post painted my partner as a bit of a jerk, but I've worked with him before and he's actually pretty good, if only a stickler for the letter of the law. I don't want to open a can of worms with this statement, but to my partner, and other officials I'm sure, the rules of basketball are simply black and white with no shades of gray. But to me, there are times when game management, and even common sense play a role in our officiating.

I thought Nevadaref was in Reno? Oh well.

Let me add this; the rule says the coach has to be beckoned. It does not say the following:
1. How "beckoned" is defined.
2. He has to be beckoned before he comes out.
3. A rules stickler could still wave the coach on as he's running and feel fine.

IOW, there's nothing even in the black and white rules that says a T has to be given here.

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

The coach is always considered beckoned when a player is injured. Period.

Rich,
I think that I understand the point of this comment. I am assuming that you mean ONCE PLAY IS STOPPED, the coach is always considered to be beckoned. At the same time, in a varsity boys game, if I have a player who "may" be injured -- no head injury, let's say a finger injury -- the coach better NOT come running on the floor getting hit in the head with a pass as the other team is fastbreaking down the floor.

The lower the level of the game, the quicker I am hitting my whistle. In all cases, IF the coach wishes to come out, he/she has been beckoned. If there is an injury where a player is screaming in pain, almost certainly stop immediately -- coach considered beckoned. I say almost because if it is the third or fourth time in a game (this happens more frequently in soccer), I may not stop immediately.

If a player has a ball bounce off of their finger, comes down somewhat awkwardly, or bumps into another player not resulting in a foul, I am not going to stop the play immediately -- and the coach better stay "home."

35 point, JV girls game, I am sounding my whistle immediately and beckoning just as quick. Technical foul? Not a chance.....UNLESS of course, the coach comes out to tend to the official instead of his/her player.

[grunewar]

I was told once by a senior official (trainer) that a good technique (for someone who has not obviously snapped a bone or is bleeding) was to go over to them and quietly ask them, "Can you play? Can you continue?"

If no, beckon the coach, if yes and they get up, limp off, etc, let play continue - of course that IS if the coach hasn't come on already.

I used this technique in a GV game this past Tues, and it worked pretty well.

Thoughts on this technique?

[CMHCoachNRef]

Originally Posted by grunewar

I was told once by a senior official (trainer) that a good technique (for someone who has not obviously snapped a bone or is bleeding) was to go over to them and quietly ask them, "Can you play? Can you continue?"

If no, beckon the coach, if yes and they get up, limp off, etc, let play continue - of course that IS if the coach hasn't come on already.

I used this technique in a GV game this past Tues, and it worked pretty well.

Thoughts on this technique?

This depends on the age and level of the players. For the younger kids games (more often in soccer, but occasionally in basketball), I actually go with a more positive statement. After analyzing what happened, if I don't think that there is an injury, but more of a player either hearing the parents' reaction or perhaps acting momentarily startled, I will make a simple statement. "You sure are tough, you look like you can still play. Do you want to stay in?" Nine times out of ten, the answer is either a nod or a soft "yes." Asking the real youngins usually leads to tears and being replaced.

On the other hand, in high school-aged games, I will typically wave the coach OFF the court/field until I have had a chance to ask the very question that you posed, grunewar. This gives the player a chance to be able to stay in the game.

If the coach insists on coming out, I insist on player removal per the rules. Once again, in the younger age groups I strongly encourage the coaches to wait for my signal -- in the event of a possible "real" injury, I am stopping the play quickly and beckoning the coach.