I had this happen this past season in 10-12 yr old youth basketball.

I called what seemed to be an "on the elbow" foul on team A with team B player going up on a 8 footer. Kid says aloud to his coach, "I didn't touch him". Opposing Coach from team A asks team B player if he was fouled. Kid says NO!
then Coach starts! OK, I missed one.

Is there anything I could have done or said about the opposing coach asking opposing players about calls made on the floor?

There are many different ways to deal with this situation and a lot depends on the personality of the official. My approach might be to speak to the offending coach, in a quiet, almost private way, and warn him that he is certainly permitted to coach his players but that no where in the rule book is he allowed to apprach or speak to opposing players. Opposing players could easily be intimidated by the other teams coach. If it happened again...WHACK...the other team is now shooting two FTs and then getting possession at the division line.

The official could also invoke rule 2, section 3 which gives the referee the authoruty to rule on any situation which arises which is not specifically covered by the rules.

"Sorry if I kicked it, Coach."

I might have brought up two points with this coach:

1. while everyone is entitled to an opinion only you & your partner get to decide. this is not open to debate.

2. why are you (the coach) asking a 10 yo what a foul is?

Reminds me of last year while working a summer camp or tournament game I called a foul on a girl driving to the basket, the opponent reached in front of her in one of those stupid 'ole' type defensive moves and the offense was down by 25 so I called it. I knew it was a little weak when I called it, but to my dismay the girl on the drive tracks me down as I'm headed to the table and says "but, she didn't touch me". I said "that's nice now go over to that free throw line and shoot your shots, thank you".

I know if a coach asks a catcher where that pitch was that I called a ball and the catcher says it was a strike, he won't see another strike until he comes to bat. lol

Lil' different in basketball tho! Accept maybe the next time he gets hammered goin' to the basket he better draw blood!

I know, I'm cruel!

"Coach, you're treading on thin ice. If I missed it, I apologize. However, you don't show me up and I won't show you up. Deal?"

...No deals with the Devil. ;)

Thank goodness that most catchers save the commentary for the dugout. ;)

We played a game where the coach was on the officials the entire game (she and one of her players got Td before the game was over). In the second half, we fight for a ball near her bench. It goes OOB, ball to us. My player who ahad been fight for the ball is inbounding. She starts getting on my player to tell the ref the ball was off her.

Waaayyy over the line in my book. Especially when you have adults dealing with youth, that is completely innappropriate. I don't normally say much, but I quietly but firmly berated the ref for allowing her to talk to my player in this manner. It gets real ugly if I have to get after the other coach, which will happen if the refs are going to allow her to talk to my players. I made it very clear that he needed to keep her under control, and he didn't want two coaches going at it. I told him I don't care what she says to the refs or to her players, but my players are off limits to her abuse.

Didn't happen again that game, but I think she would have heard about it if it did based on my conversation with the ref. And she did get Td later, and her actions toward my player were probably one of many factors that played into them having heard enough from her.

Glad to hear you kept your cool in this situation. I don't know if I could've done the same. (Although our school did win the league sportsmanship award for the winter sports season, out of 24 teams!)

I've never spoken to an opposing player during a game. I have, after games, sought out opposing seniors after we play them for the last time, to praise them for being worthy opponents over the years.

WOW!!! Congratulations on winning the Miss Congeniality award. ;)

Yeah, I'm not sure how that happened. I cut down to just one T this year, and that was for taking a couple of steps on the court and yelling at an old man in the stands who was mocking my player who had just fouled out. And our boys bb coach actually got tossed from a game this year, but that was a game out of the county so maybe the officials (who vote on this) didn't know it. Our wrestling team was 2nd/24 in their sport, boys bb 3rd/24, and we were 7th, and I guess that added up to first overall. We all had winning records this year--I thought they usually gave this award to some terrible team.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by A Pennsylvania Coach

Quote:

Glad to hear you kept your cool in this situation. I don't know if I could've done the same. (Although our school did win the league sportsmanship award for the winter sports season, out of 24 teams!) I've never spoken to an opposing player during a game. I have, after games, sought out opposing seniors after we play them for the last time, to praise them for being worthy opponents over the years.

I would say I held my tongue rather than kept my cool :)

As for talking to opponents, I don't do it except after the game, and only in a complimentary manner. I will say more than just "nice game" after a game if a kid has played really well, and compliment them on an aspect of their play.

Being in AAU, we see a lot of the same kids many times in one year, and they are in the stands both before and after games. The ones that play hard and have a good attitude I will approach and talk with at times.

Of course, if they are good and live within driving distance of my practice courts, I talk to the parents too ;)

Good one!!