9th grd girls game. White coach, losing quite badly, chirping in my ear that Black 11 is pushing to get separation. Sure enough, as soon as he says it, I look and she shoves the girl to get separation on an inbounds play. I hated to make the call right after he chirped, but it was too blatant. I was more upset that I'd missed it before that. Gave me a good lesson in off-ball coverage.

snaqwells

I had a coach come up to me when I was signing the book and tell me that his kids take a lot of charges and they get into good position. So don't call a block when they are set and beat the opposition to the spot.........

Needless to say, in the first minute I called a charge on one of HIS players. I reported the foul and told him thanks for pointing that out before the game started!

I usually don't have any smart a$$ comments for coaches, but I guess he deserved that one.

I have no problems getting info from coaches during the game, and I will watch for things they ask me to watch for. My favorite part of officiating is off-ball from the lead position, so I normally call a few off-ball fouls a game, when necessary. I really try to let the players play, but some things need to be called, like the cutters being held, etc.

If the coach "gives information" in a way where the other coach hears, though, it puts me in a difficult position.

An example: Girl in the lane for nowhere near three seconds (well, three seconds how it's called, anyway). Coach starts yelling "three seconds" repeatedly.

At that point, the player may as well sit down with a couple of sticks in the middle of the lane and build a fire because there is no way in h3ll I'm going to call something right after a coach screams for it.

If I call that violation, then the OTHER coach will start in, thinking the coaches can call the game.

If the coach quietly said something to me as I passed his bench, I might look for it a bit closer. All in the presentation.

I'd like to hear the coaches' perspective on THAT, BTW.

Rich

AMEN Rich I am right w/ you on this. I would say that this is the comment you hear most from coaches/players at most games at the HS level around here.

I had a couple of co-workers look at me funny because I just laughed out loud when I read the part about building the fire in the lane....:D