Bench Talking to Opposing Bench
 

I had two recent instances with benches talking to the opposing bench. This past Friday I'm working a B/G-V double header at the farthest school that my association covers. It's a smaller town over an hour west of DC but has a tradition of really good boys and girls programs with the girls being defending state champs and the boys having won in 07-08. They are playing a rival school that also is pretty good and the gym is packed.

Anyways, in the girls game the home team gets out to an early lead and pretty much dominates the whole night. In the 2nd quarter, one of the home assistants yells, "Let her shoot," while his team is on D in front of his bench. For whatever reason, this infuriates the Visiting coach. He is talking, I guess to himself but loud enough for people to hear, that it's disrespectful and yada yada. After this goes on for a few possessions, I'm tableside (3-man- I'm U-1) and let him know that I understand his frustration but we will not have any talking bench to bench. I also mention this to the Home Coach as her assistant was getting a little mouthy as well. I think it's resolved.

Then late in the half, the V team takes a jump shot which didnt go in and she didnt get touch, I hear the V coach say, "And 1" not really loud but I hear it. Apparently so did the Home assistant who yells, "She didnt touch her." Ok. Next dead ball, I go to both coaches and say, "That's it. If I hear any bench directly address the other bench it's a Technical foul. We're not having that tonite. Period." I talk to my partners about it at half time and found out that there is a history between the V HC and the H asst dating back to when they coached at two other rival schools in the area. Ok, fine. We are all on the same page.

Late in the game, I'm opposite table and the R is tableside. During a dead ball he holds up the inbound and I see him talking to both coaches and the table. We find out that the V HC is upset that someone behind the table is video taping him and not the game. And someone behind the table says the coaches daughter came over and moved the camera. We finish the game without further incident but I see a police officer talking to the coach in the hallway where the locker room and "our" coaches office was. I didn't stick around to find out what happened but just a strange situation all around. BTW- I had a T in this game on a V player for screaming, "Come on" at meafter she thought she was fouled.

Fast Forward to last night. I have a BV contest with one of the relatively better teams in our area visiting a new school who also happens to be without their best player (25ppg). So it's a blowout from pretty much the beginning. Second half, play starts to get physical on both ends and my partners both have a double fouls on some contact in the paint. The V coach, erupts and says his player didnt do anything. Partner sticks him and we move on.

Later in the game, I have a foul on the V team for pushing through a screen. The H Coach starts yapping about how the other coach (who BTW he talked to amiably from 15 minutes before the game until we went to meet them at 2:30) teaches his kids to play that way and we should start calling intentionals, yada yada. I explain, we're on top of it coach. A few possessions later the H coach is still complaining about physical play. I'm Trail tableside and I hear him say something but not sure what. The V asst then very clearly and very loudly yells, "Who are you talking to," directly at the H Coach. Whack! Bench technical assigned to the assitant. I explain to both HCs, "We will not have any talk bench to bench. Period." The V coach never unseatbelted himself while I explained and the asst apologized. The crowd for the visitors was ready to kill us as we had called two Ts on them and the foul count at one point was about 15 to 4 in the 2nd half. Aw well, I have never felt so comfortable with a discrepancy like that and they still won by 25.

Lots of words, I know. But just wanted to share my experiences and see if anyone else has had to deal with similar situations. I can't remember any recent instances of having to tell coaches not to talk to the other bench. (Maybe an AAU event or something) and then have it happen twice in 3 games. Crazy!

In my captains meeting I ask, H1 do you have something to say V1... no.
V2 do you have something to say to H2... no.
Speak now or forever hold you peace because once the ball goes up, I dont wanna hear it!

I know your sitch dealt with coaches, but I would have no problem utilizing the captains by asking them if they remembered what we spoke about & telling them it appplies to their bench as well, so they better handle it before I do.

It would've been nice if your crew shared the team history with you prior to the game!! That generally the portion of pre-game that goes between, have you had theses teams before & team tendancies.

Yeah, boiler plate language for captains meetings around here is "Blue talks to blue, white talks to white." We shouldn't have to mention this to coaches. They know better.

Amazing the things people will do and say when their competitive nature takes over.

My only quibble is that you warned them twice in the first game. Might have been time for a T with the 2nd incident since you'd already warned both coaches.

+1 I give ONE warning, the next one is a T

Captains Meeting: White you talk to White. Blue talk to Blue.

During a game, call the coaches together and tell them to take care of their benches and there will be no talking to anyone but your own team.

I have had to do it once or twice. Seems to resolve itself after that.

I used to say that, until I realized that the kids actually know what I mean when I say "let's have good sportsmanship."

My sportsmanship talk: "You know who your knuckleheads are. Take care of them so we don't have to."