Varisty coach knows the rule #1

[deecee]

So yesterday I was doing a fun JV boys game and of course one team's varsity coach was in the stands (front row).

Had a situation where we were administering FT's for his team and while I was bouncing the ball to the FT (ball had just left my hand) the opposing team's coach requests a TO and my partner grants it.

So VHC starts explaining the rule that we just messed up that the TO couldn't be granted since his player had the ball. This is where I screwed up and I make eye contact. So here comes the line that proved he had to be right. "I'm not a parent but also the varsity coach."

Yes I know since he has one of the 3 better programs in the county. Here's where I screwed up the second time. I told him to re-read rule 4 (definitions) section 6or7 the one pertaining to Disposal of player and also the section on Live versus dead ball (I got the section wrong but I was in the vicinity).

Then comes line #2 that double proves he is right. "You guys don't know the rules. You have butchered at least 3 of them this game." Ripe opportunity for me to go for the trifecta and say sometime that would have embarrassd him but I decided that I was just going to zip it and finish the game.

Came home and opened the rule and case book and couldn't find anything that proved I was wrong I was able to sleep snugly at night.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by deecee

Ripe opportunity for me to go for the trifecta and say sometime that would have embarrassd him but I decided that I was just going to zip it and finish the game.

You already embarrassed yourself enough by speaking to someone in the stands in the first place. It's never a good thing to engage a fan and especially a coach when they are sitting in the stands.

[Toren]

5-8-3 Granting a timeout when the ball is dead...

6-1-2(c) The ball becomes live when on free throw it is at the disposal of the free thrower

And stop talking to people in the stands

[fiasco]

Originally Posted by Smitty

You already embarrassed yourself enough by speaking to someone in the stands in the first place.

Sheesh. That's a bit much. There are lots of scenarios where talking to a fan in the stands is completely benign. Was this one of them? I'm not so sure, but saying it's an embarrassment is certainly over dramatizing things.

[Smitty]

Maybe "never" was an overstatement, but when a fan/coach is obviously agitated, as in the OP, there's nothing good that can come of engaging that person - especially during the game. The person that typically comes out looking like an a$$ is the official.

Of course if you know someone or someone asks you a casual question with respect, that's an entirely different scenario.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Smitty

The person that typically comes out looking like an a$$ is the official.

Yup. I had an eerily similar situation last night with the "I'm just a fan" varsity coach during a freshman game. I wish I had just ignored him.

[Adam]

Smitty's right, and deecee seems to have agreed that it wasn't the greatest idea.

[deecee]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Yup. I had an eerily similar situation last night with the "I'm just a fan" varsity coach during a freshman game. I wish I had just ignored him.

One of the best feelings I ever had was once (about 4-5 years ago) doing a boys summer tournament for a very good program and their head coach, who is well known, was not the HC for this contest as he let one of his assistants handle to task.

He instead was seated at the end of the bench where he felt he had carte blanche to say whatever he wanted. Midway through sentence #2 I whack him and inform the HC of all his repercussions. All the poor SOB stories of, but he's not even part of this game and blah, blah, blah. I tell the HC "It's your bench, and your problem, not mine."

Many officials, because of this coach's reputation, would not have done this. To this day, and I have had some similar games like this in the off season, when he sees me work those games he takes a seat in the stands and acts like any other deranged parent/fan/spectator.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by Smitty

You already embarrassed yourself enough by speaking to someone in the stands in the first place.

GUY IN STANDS: Hey ref, I'm the director of officials for the Horizon League. You look good out there. I want you to work for me. What's your name?
ME: (silence; pay no attention)
GUY IN STANDS: Well, if you're not interested . . .
ME: (wake up from nightmare)

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by deecee

Had a situation where we were administering FT's for his team and while I was bouncing the ball to the FT (ball had just left my hand) the opposing team's coach requests a TO and my partner grants it.

So VHC starts explaining the rule that we just messed up that the TO couldn't be granted since his player had the ball.

Had the ball just left your hand, or did his player have the ball?

Came home and opened the rule and case book and couldn't find anything that proved I was wrong I was able to sleep snugly at night.

Ah -- but did you find something that indicated you were right?

It's there, and whether you were right depends on the answer to my question above.

If you choose to engage a fan (or a coach), a phrase from the rule book often helps, at least in my experience.

[jTheUmp]

So he tucked his whistle in?

(* slowly backs out of thread *)

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by jtheump

so he tucked his whistle in?

(* slowly backs out of thread *)

+1:d

[rpirtle]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Had the ball just left your hand, or did his player have the ball?

Bob, in his original post (which I'm sure you re-read) DeeCee says the..."ball had just left my hand...". So the ball was not at the disposal of the shooter yet. It appears that the opposing Coach's TO was granted correctly. Would you agree..??

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by rpirtle

Bob, in his original post (which I'm sure you re-read) DeeCee says the..."ball had just left my hand...".

But the coach said "his player had the ball."

So, there's a discrepancy either in the description or in the perception of what happened.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by rpirtle

Bob, in his original post (which I'm sure you re-read) DeeCee says the..."ball had just left my hand...". So the ball was not at the disposal of the shooter yet. It appears that the opposing Coach's TO was granted correctly. Would you agree..??

bob was probably confused by the statement that he (deecee) couldn't find anything to support his call.