I hope I never have a night like this again...

[kwv001]

I have been doing this for 15 years, and have never encountered as big a mess as I had last night. This occured in a boys varsity game, with a two man crew. For your amusement, here is most of the report I filed with the league assignor and the state association. I have removed specific references to protect the not so innocent.

Want to make you aware of a rather ugly scene at the boy’s varsity game last night, XXXX @ YYYY. When it was all said and done, we had a YYYY parent removed from the gym, ejected a YYYY player,ejected one YYYY assistant and the head coach and ultimately abandoned the game with 6:14 remaining in the 4th quarter.

The game had been pretty decent in the first half, although the YYYY coach was complaining about nearly everything that didn’t go his way. Nothing though that crossed the line and merited action. The problem began in the third quarter, when I called an intentional foul on a YYYY player. XXXX had the ball on a break away to the basket, and the YYYY defender shoved him in the back. The YYYY coach didn’t like this call, and eventually earned a technical foul when I am in front of his bench two trips down the floor later and he is still complaining.

In the 4th quarter, I called a foul on XXXX #20. YYYY #14 felt that he had been in the act of shooting, and was upset that I had indicated the ball would be out of bounds instead of him shooting free throws. While I was at the table reporting the foul, he apparently grabbed the ball and made a gesture as if he was going to throw it at me. Although I did not see this, my partner did and immediately intervened and issued a flagrant technical foul and indicated that YYYY #14 would be ejected from the game.

The foul on XXXX #20 was his fifth. While we were sorting this situation out with the table, the mother of YYYY #14 came on the floor, screaming that it was her son we had just ejected, we can’t do that, and then grabbed the basketball. I asked her to give it to me; she refused, indicating I should go to her to get it. At this point, I asked the police officer on site to remove her, and told the game administrator from YYYY that we would not resume until she was out of the gym.

After she had left, while we were preparing to administer the technical free throws, I noticed that an assistant coach from YYYY was standing in front of the scorer’s table. I asked him to return to the bench, and he refused. I then told him to return to the bench, and he informed me that I was an "*******". I called a technical foul (which I deemed to be flagrant) and indicated an ejection. Rather than comply with the ejection, the YYYY head coach informed us that his team would not complete the game, and with his team began to leave the floor. With a security escort, my partner and I left the gym. As we were in the hallway, one of the XXXX captains came running up to us and indicated that they now wished to finish the game. I said they were welcome to finish, but it would be without us.

After I got home last night, I really beat myself up over allowing this to happen. As I play it back in my mind though, I'm not sure there is really anything we could or should have done differently. I think you have to sometimes accept that fact that occasionally stuff happens, deal with it the best you can and move on.

[Da Official]

Wow....crazy night...sounds like you guys did all the right things. Don't feel bad about this one....I guess it was a full moon somewhere...

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by kwv001

The game had been pretty decent in the first half, although the YYYY coach was complaining about nearly everything that didn’t go his way. Nothing though that crossed the line and merited action.

Sometimes there's nothing you can do, but I wonder if dealing with this earlier (not a T, but at least an informal "warning") might have helped?

[tref]

Sorry to hear about that debacle! Not that you asked, but the only thing I see that could've been done differently would be this:

The game had been pretty decent in the first half, although the YYYY coach was complaining about nearly everything that didn’t go his way.

Complaining about nearly everything gets a warning, then whacked & finally removed.
You guys might have made it out before halftime.

#takemyballandgoinghome

[berserkBBK]

Sometimes it happens. I had a head coach who had been given an early exit tell me his kids were done. They stayed on the floor and another "coach" sat in his spot for the rest. I'm not sure what I would have done if I was almost in the locker room and they had asked me to come back. But I respect your decision, and a hard one at that.

[kwv001]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Sometimes there's nothing you can do, but I wonder if dealing with this earlier (not a T, but at least an informal "warning") might have helped?

I agree, and I think that is the one thing I take away from this. I had a couple of times earlier casually said something as I passed by the bench. In hindsight we didn't do nearly enough. Having said that, to tref's point I don't think that would have avoided it; it would only have accelerated it.

Beginning tonight, I will be much more diligent about delivering a more direct warning at the first sign of inappropriate behavior.

[kwv001]

Originally Posted by berserkBBK

Sometimes it happens. I had a head coach who had been given an early exit tell me his kids were done. They stayed on the floor and another "coach" sat in his spot for the rest. I'm not sure what I would have done if I was almost in the locker room and they had asked me to come back. But I respect your decision, and a hard one at that.

The problem was with the visiting team, but the crowd was probably 50/50. Even if it had played out the way you described, the environment at that point was too "hostile" for me to have felt comfortable continuing.

[tref]

Originally Posted by kwv001

Beginning tonight, I will be much more diligent about delivering a more direct warning at the first sign of inappropriate behavior.

Love it!

[Camron Rust]

Sounds a lot like my game last night.....

Only called 1 T but could have easily had 3-4 more (all on one team)....it just didn't seem like it was going to make the game better and we just wanted to get done and get out. One team just had no skill and was in capable of playing decent defense.

I wasn't assigned the game. At 5:30, a buddy called me and told me he and his 3 kids were all sick and wanted to know if I could cover for him.....college JV game. I tell him to stay home and I'll cover him. So, I drop by my house, get my gear, grab a sandwich, shave, and make it to the gym in plenty of time.

Game was just ugly from start to finish. With about 10 seconds left in the game...really just trying to get the clock to run out, I hear the coach say to something about why we were doing JV games. Yeah, worth a T and his behavior wasn't much better throughout the game. Funny thing is, it was the only JV game I had all year....as a fill in.

[Toren]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Sounds a lot like my game last night.....

Only called 1 T but could have easily had 3-4 more (all on one team)....it just didn't seem like it was going to make the game better and we just wanted to get done and get out. One team just had no skill and was in capable of playing decent defense.

I wasn't assigned the game. At 5:30, a buddy called me and told me he and his 3 kids were all sick and wanted to know if I could cover for him.....college JV game. I tell him to stay home and I'll cover him. So, I drop by my house, get my gear, grab a sandwich, shave, and make it to the gym in plenty of time.

Game was just ugly from start to finish. With about 10 seconds left in the game...really just trying to get the clock to run out, I hear the coach say to something about why we were doing JV games. Yeah, worth a T and his behavior wasn't much better throughout the game. Funny thing is, it was the only JV game I had all year....as a fill in.

I suggest you shave then get a sandwich in the future

[tref]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

With about 10 seconds left in the game...really just trying to get the clock to run out, I hear the coach say to something about why we were doing JV games.

*hand over mouth* And you're coaching JV because?

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Sometimes there's nothing you can do, but I wonder if dealing with this earlier (not a T, but at least an informal "warning") might have helped?

That's what I was thinking. We've all had nights where we've let a coach chew on our ear a little too much. Maybe if he gets warned/banged in the first half, the stuff in the second half doesn't happen. Then again, maybe it does. Who knows?

I'm in this 20+ years and last season I had a game which went out of control without warning. It's a rivalry game in the town where it took place but the home team truly wasn't in the class of the visitor (which was #15 in the state at the time).

The game is 40-10 V at halftime and we haven't heard a word from either team. In the 3rd quarter the home team begins complaining about 3 seconds...a lot. I eventually give H's head coach a warning, at which point he mentions a warning/T I'd called on him ten days earlier (btw - I'd told my partner about the previous game in our pre-game and said if there was a need for a T on the H head coach he - my partner - should do it unless I had no choice).

Long story short, we eventually had to eject one of H's assistants and H's head coach and called Ts on two of his players. All that in a game where nothing was happening the first 16 minutes. Sometimes that's life.

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by kwv001

I have been doing this for 15 years, and have never encountered as big a mess as I had last night. This occured in a boys varsity game, with a two man crew. For your amusement, here is most of the report I filed with the league assignor and the state association. I have removed specific references to protect the not so innocent.

Want to make you aware of a rather ugly scene at the boy’s varsity game last night, XXXX @ YYYY. When it was all said and done, we had a YYYY parent removed from the gym, ejected a YYYY player,ejected one YYYY assistant and the head coach and ultimately abandoned the game with 6:14 remaining in the 4th quarter.

The game had been pretty decent in the first half, although the YYYY coach was complaining about nearly everything that didn’t go his way. Nothing though that crossed the line and merited action. The problem began in the third quarter, when I called an intentional foul on a YYYY player. XXXX had the ball on a break away to the basket, and the YYYY defender shoved him in the back. The YYYY coach didn’t like this call, and eventually earned a technical foul when I am in front of his bench two trips down the floor later and he is still complaining.

In the 4th quarter, I called a foul on XXXX #20. YYYY #14 felt that he had been in the act of shooting, and was upset that I had indicated the ball would be out of bounds instead of him shooting free throws. While I was at the table reporting the foul, he apparently grabbed the ball and made a gesture as if he was going to throw it at me. Although I did not see this, my partner did and immediately intervened and issued a flagrant technical foul and indicated that YYYY #14 would be ejected from the game.

The foul on XXXX #20 was his fifth. While we were sorting this situation out with the table, the mother of YYYY #14 came on the floor, screaming that it was her son we had just ejected, we can’t do that, and then grabbed the basketball. I asked her to give it to me; she refused, indicating I should go to her to get it. At this point, I asked the police officer on site to remove her, and told the game administrator from YYYY that we would not resume until she was out of the gym.

After she had left, while we were preparing to administer the technical free throws, I noticed that an assistant coach from YYYY was standing in front of the scorer’s table. I asked him to return to the bench, and he refused. I then told him to return to the bench, and he informed me that I was an "*******". I called a technical foul (which I deemed to be flagrant) and indicated an ejection. Rather than comply with the ejection, the YYYY head coach informed us that his team would not complete the game, and with his team began to leave the floor. With a security escort, my partner and I left the gym. As we were in the hallway, one of the XXXX captains came running up to us and indicated that they now wished to finish the game. I said they were welcome to finish, but it would be without us.

After I got home last night, I really beat myself up over allowing this to happen. As I play it back in my mind though, I'm not sure there is really anything we could or should have done differently. I think you have to sometimes accept that fact that occasionally stuff happens, deal with it the best you can and move on.

Must have been a full moon. What a night. I've never had to fill out a report but I know in Illinois, they don't want a long missive. Just the facts, although it seems you had a lot happen. Sounds like the coaches condoned this behavior.

Best advice at a camp from a D1 guy was to indentify the troublemaker and don't let him _ _ _ _ up your game. I'm going to expand the troublemaker suspects to include coaches

[stiffler3492]

Sounds to me like you handled everything fine. You can only ask someone to stop certain behavior so many times. Some people, no matter the situation, are determined to make themselves heard, even if they know the consequences.

All you did was what you're supposed to do, punish unsporting behavior.

[tomegun]

As others have said "although the YYYY coach was complaining about nearly everything that didn’t go his way" was the only thing that I see that could have been handled differently. The way the game is currently, we must address comments and behavior. The thinking that "we only answer questions, not comments" doesn't really apply anymore.

In response to another comment, if a foul occurs do we not call it based on if it will make the game better or not? Or, is it fundamentally an act by one player that must be penalized? Truth is, not all technical fouls make the game better. However, if a technical foul is earned - stressing earned - why is there a problem with calling it?