A T that made the game better

[Rich]

Girls varsity last night. Home team pulls out to a huge lead -- something like 35-13 early in the second quarter.

Home player drives the lane, and about 10 feet from the basket, she hits a defender's leg that just came into play and goes a$$ over teakettle.

I hesitated a split-second to see if my partner would have a whistle since the play was coming toward him. He did not, so I came in hard with a block.

I went to the table to report, and the coach is screaming -- she is a woman with a voice that could carry to the far corner of the stands.

We shoot the free throws and she's still going at it. I decide to acknowledge that I hear her as I'm heading back up the court. I do so, and the ball very quickly comes back down, where I call another block on the visiting team.

As I report, she's still going on about the previous call. After reporting, I turn to her and quietly say that I've heard enough about that call. She screams (at the top of her lungs), "And I've seen enough!"

Whack.

She smiles. I then realize I was being used all along.

She sits and I don't hear anything of substance from her the rest of the game. Her team actually pulled back to within 5 points in the second half, but fell short of the comeback. The home team left their game in the lockerroom.

I found out afterwards that the visiting team comes back like that often and I wonder why they can't come out and play like they did in the 3rd quarter.

Rich

[firedoc]

Occasionally you will find a coach (usually the visiting team) who WANTS a T especially when his team is losing or not playing well. His hope is to rile up the players. The question that young officials often have is whether or not to give them what they seem to want. My answer is always the same...if the behavior justifies the T, then issue it even if the coach wants it. This way you don't have to decide on intent, only on behavior.

[Blackhawk357]

I agree with firedoc's philosophy on this one. If he (or she) crosses the line you gotta' ding him.

A few weeks ago I was working a higher level HS Varsity Girls game. The visiting coach (volatile reputation) was good the entire first half, even though he was down 2 to 1. Towards the end of the third quarter I have an off-ball foul on the home team (A) under the basket. Coach B jumps up, runs 10 ft. out of the box onto the floor, screaming and waiving his arms telling me that I have to catch that pushing under the basket. WHACK!!
I report the pushing foul on A1 and the "T" on Coach B. I then turn and say to him, "Remember Coach, you now have the Seat-Belt rule". He nods and quietly says to me with a grin "I know, thanks". He was great the rest of the game, although his team still played like crap (Can I say that here?)

Blackhawk

[firedoc]

I had a game last season where the very verbal visiting coach got a warning from me in the form of the "stop" sign and saying "I've heard enough." he was fine until the next quarter when he acted up again and I pulled the trigger with the T. About 3 minutes after the T he had a legisitimate question...he raised his hand from the bench for permission to talk. Message Delivered!