Thoughts from a coach

[Terrapins Fan]

Originally Posted by bainsey

The following was posted on our state basketball's message board, thread entitled "Stop Officiating the Scoreboard!" I'll just post the OP (there are some interesting replies) for now...
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Why do some official [sic] believe that they have a right to try and even the playing surface by adjusting the play calling for the inferior opponent?

In four different games this season I was informed by 4 different officials that they were not going to make on obvious foul or travel call because, “Look at the score board!”

Do the rules of the game change just because of the number of points up on the score board?

Is this reason to allow for excessive contact by an inferior defender?

At what point does an official decide they have the right to change the rules of a game?

What this really comes down to is, why do some officials believe that they are bigger than the game?

All I want to say is I watched a game this year where the officals did NOT do any of the above and the final score was 79-10. The winning team put on a FULL court press from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

I would say that is a reason why SOME officials might do what you have posted above. I'm just sayin.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Terrapins Fan

All I want to say is I watched a game this year where the officals did NOT do any of the above and the final score was 79-10. The winning team put on a FULL court press from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

I would say that is a reason why SOME officials might do what you have posted above. I'm just sayin.

What does the way any team decides to play defense have to do with the way we should officiate a game?

The coaches' coach. The players' play. And we react to what they do.

[jeffpea]

i think too many officials simply dismiss the opinions of coaches and fans without ever thinking about whether the comments have any merit....sometimes they are correct.

officials do "officiate the scoreboard" (it's human nature). coaches and fans want every call to go their way (it's human nature). officials get calls wrong (we're not perfect). coaches and fans let their emotions led to crazy assumptions (i.e. "star treatment", team favoritism, etc).

it would serve ALL officials well to take a second and determine if there is any validity to the criticism they receive...

the person who ALWAYS thinks they're right is often wrong and will rarely improve their officiating.

[TheOracle]

Originally Posted by jeffpea

i think too many officials simply dismiss the opinions of coaches and fans without ever thinking about whether the comments have any merit....sometimes they are correct.

officials do "officiate the scoreboard" (it's human nature). coaches and fans want every call to go their way (it's human nature). officials get calls wrong (we're not perfect). coaches and fans let their emotions led to crazy assumptions (i.e. "star treatment", team favoritism, etc).

it would serve ALL officials well to take a second and determine if there is any validity to the criticism they receive...

the person who ALWAYS thinks they're right is often wrong and will rarely improve their officiating.

Dead on. To parse words and state that I advocate calling a game to placate fans and coaches is beyond stupid, and a desperate attempt to avoid the fact that we are part of the game, nothing more. I have never, ever heard criticisms of my top-rated officials that they are bigger than the game, and I get feedback from everyone, including fans who have played college basketball and others who don't have a clue. Feedback can be accepted or discarded, but when you disagree with 95% of the feedback, you most likely have an issue--it all areas of life, not just officiating.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by TheOracle

Dead on. To parse words and state that I advocate calling a game to placate fans and coaches is beyond stupid, and a desperate attempt to avoid the fact that we are part of the game, nothing more. I have never, ever heard criticisms of my top-rated officials that they are bigger than the game, and I get feedback from everyone, including fans who have played college basketball and others who don't have a clue. Feedback can be accepted or discarded, but when you disagree with 95% of the feedback, you most likely have an issue--it all areas of life, not just officiating.

Y'all keep getting feedback from the fans. Be sure to incorporate all of that great feedback from the fans into your training also. And good luck to you. And good luck to any official that you train also. They'll need it.

'Nuff said.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by TheOracle

Feedback can be accepted or discarded, but when you disagree with 95% of the feedback, you most likely have an issue--it all areas of life, not just officiating.

+1

To give a blanket statement that coaches have nothing to offer goes way too far.

Anytime you get feedback, you have to consider the source. Mind you, consider does not mean disregard. It means to consider their accuracy and motivation.

Certainly, we hear a lot of crud based on ignorance and/or selfish motivation from coaches. That doesn't mean that all of it is worthless. You just have to use your best judgment and consider what they're saying.

That goes for fellow officials, too. I received some good feedback from my partners their year, and I heed their words. I also received some crap from other officials too (like the guy who followed me into the locker room to firmly state I don't call a foul with :01 left in a 20-point game), and I can dismiss those words.

Either way, it's considering.

[JRutledge]

Anytime we do not do what they want us to do on the court, we think we are bigger than the game. This is just one more reason I couldn't care less what fans or coaches think of officiating.

Peace

[rockchalk jhawk]

If coaches are going to complain about us as officials "officiating the scoreboard" (a term that I've never heard before but makes a lot of sense), then we have just as much right to complain about coaches who complain about a lop sided foul count.

I think we should come up with a term for this as well, but "B****ing about the scoreboard" just doesn't have the same ring. Suggestions?

Anyways, the point is that this is a two way street. I'm willing to call a game by the book in a blowout the day that coaches promise to never complain about the foul counts getting out of whack. I don't see that happening any time soon.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by rockchalk jhawk

II think we should come up with a term for this as well, but "B****ing about the scoreboard" just doesn't have the same ring. Suggestions?

I had a partner say to a coach the other day, "You get paid a lot of money to count those" while he walked away from him.

There is nothing special to say, I just tell them that this is not a road they want to go down or that you couldn't care less about that. I have over the years tried to find a special phrase and usually what I get back to is the truth. They get paid money to count those, I call them. Not my concern what the count is and I have told them that. It is up to them to deal with it. You will never satisfy these fools anyway.

Peace

[tref]

Depending on who I'm dealing with night to night, I'll go with:

I dont count em, I just call em! OR
Stop fouling!

[rockchalk jhawk]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I had a partner say to a coach the other day, "You get paid a lot of money to count those" while he walked away from him.

There is nothing special to say, I just tell them that this is not a road they want to go down or that you couldn't care less about that. I have over the years tried to find a special phrase and usually what I get back to is the truth. They get paid money to count those, I call them. Not my concern what the count is and I have told them that. It is up to them to deal with it. You will never satisfy these fools anyway.

Peace

Umm... sarcasm? Attempt at humor? I don't care what the foul count is either because 99% of the time it is legit. I just hate when it becomes a point of contention, much the same as the frustration related by the coach in the OP.

[reffish]

Originally Posted by rockchalk jhawk

If coaches are going to complain about us as officials "officiating the scoreboard" (a term that I've never heard before but makes a lot of sense), then we have just as much right to complain about coaches who complain about a lop sided foul count.

I think we should come up with a term for this as well, but "B****ing about the scoreboard" just doesn't have the same ring. Suggestions?

Anyways, the point is that this is a two way street. I'm willing to call a game by the book in a blowout the day that coaches promise to never complain about the foul counts getting out of whack. I don't see that happening any time soon.

So, if the coach promises to not complain, you will call the game by the book. But if the coach complains, you will back off from the book and let the coach complain and complain and thus influence your ability to officiate by the book? Well, of course you will because you won't tell the coach to cut it out and then whack him to stop the complaining and allow you to work the game by the book. And why are you officiating? Sack up, tell the coach not to complain and if the coach complains, whack him. Otherwise continue on your journey of letting the coach dictate your ability to officiate by the book and keep that wonderful JV schedule you deserve.....

[Adam]

Originally Posted by jrutledge

anytime we do not do what they want us to do on the court, we think we are bigger than the game. This is just one more reason i couldn't care less what fans or coaches think of officiating.

Peace

+1

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Anytime we do not do what they want us to do on the court, we think we are bigger than the game. This is just one more reason I couldn't care less what fans or coaches think of officiating.

+1

Same sh!t, different day. Nothing ever changes.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

+1

Same sh!t, different day. Nothing ever changes.

One day a coach is going to say, "It's not about you," and I'm going to wave him bye-bye and say "it's certainly not about you, either."