T, or not to T
 

Since you guys are so fun to bounce stuff off of... thse are HS Varsity situations.

Last night (odd night for a game but that happens with weather makeups this time of year) we had a coach that was somewhat chirpy, not real problematic or overly disrepectful, but... vocal. My parter was trail table side and there was a scrum near the top of the key I was center and both myself and trail were fixated on the action on and around ball. A1 gains possession at the top of the key and beins an awkward drive to the basket. My view of the beginning of this play was blocked by other players but A1 broke in the clear around the free throw line at which time I clearly saw B1 reach out and grab a hole of A1's arm.

I blow the whistle and go up with the fist, at about the same time my partner in trail blows the whislte and comes up with an open hand. We get together briefly and discuss, I tell him I had a foul at the free throw line, he said he had a travel near the top of the key as the drive began. OK yours came first lets go with travel, he throws the signal (his backs to the bench) and I look to locate the ball. While we do this we hear a loud bang from the bench. Lead comes in from the baseline and T's up the coach.

When we got a break later in the game we asked what happened and he said that the coach was standing with his amrs out waiting for the call and when we came up with travel he kicked the bench with the heel of his shoe and then sat down, and that the T was for kicking the bench.

It's the second time this year he's called a T for something like that. The other was a similar situation in which the coach stood up, turned around, slammed his open hand down on the seat of his chair, turned back around, and sat down after his player commited a violation.

He says the act of creating a scene and making that noise is reason enough. I'm more inclined to let that go provided it's an isolated incident and isn't necessarily directed at us. I sat on the bench for two years in college so maybe I've got a little bit thicker skin in regards to what's "acceptable"?

Anyone have thoughts?

Options:

1) Your partner has thin-skin and should immediately give up basketball officiating.

2) You need to grow a pair and stop molly-coddling the coaches, or else immediately give up basketball officiating.

Given:

Only the way I do it is correct.

All the other posts in this thread will be variations on one of the two options, so you can stop reading now.

LOL fair enough. I'm leaning to option 1 FWIW. We work about 20 dates a season, and he's always the one that ends up getting picked on (sharks smell blood in the water), over the past two seasons our crew has given out 5 T's to coaches, and he's given all but one.

As usual, Bob wins the thread.

Personally, I probably would've ignored it unless it was the last straw of an ABS technical.... but if it was ABS, he probably would've said something rather than just kicking the bench.

Bob says you need to read no further, and our mantra is "always listen to bob."

I'm going to respond anyway, because motorcycles or something.

Personally, for me, these actions are going to depend. It seems like your partner had accumulated enough BS and he was done. What did your other partner say about it?

I've called Ts for less (ABS), and I've ignored more. I got a coach last weekend when he kept going (as he sat down) after I told him it was enough.

More often than not, when a coach kicks or slaps the bench in response to a call (rather than in response to his players), it's going to be a T for me.

You need to grow a pair.

You're a thin-skinned, lily-livered panty-waist.

I've already sent Brad an email complaining about your behavior here. That's just mean.

I'm gonna like it here.

Bob has turned in to Jurassic!!

At last, some excitement on the forum...

Now shutup.:p

Well, sporting behavior is the #1 point of emphasis this year ...

In the case of kicking something, that's probably going to be a T. Especially if it was in response to what we did.

The hand slapping, that was in response to his own team, I wouldn't have T'd him up for that behavior. Unless it was summer league, in which case I hand out T's for everything.

Best answer so far.

Why did you wait until a break later in the game to discuss it? Typically the crew will get together, discuss what happened and what will happen next.

What is there to discuss other than "what did he do?" which really isn't pertanent to the situation. I ran down to the baseline to administer the free throws, Partner 1 rotated in to table side to give the coach the seat belt talk, and P2 (who called the T) rotated into center to get away from the bench.

All three knew it was a direct T on the coach and it's not like it was the first time we had been there.

On atypical situations, I like the closest official to intercept the calling official to:
1. Calm him down before he takes it to the table
2. So the "crew" knows how to resume play