Question From A Coach
 

After a loose ball situation, where his player stepped out of bounds as he touched the ball cradled by the opponent who was lying down in bounds,

"How can it be out of bounds if he didn't have possession?"

There was no answer for this.

Choose your words, wisely
 

NFHS 7-2-2 If the ball is out of bounds because of touching or being touched by a player who is on or outside a boundary line, such player causes it (the ball) to go out of bounds.
"Coach, the ball is out of bounds because it was touched by your player, who was out of bounds. Possession isn't part of the rule."
. . . Or something along those line. Everyone has their own phrases for different situations.

"Coach, your player had OUT OF BOUNDS status when he came in contact with the ball...thus, he caused it to be out of bounds".

Oh, we knew the response, but the ABS meter was rising (it would later max out) and the best response was silence at that point. It was such an eye-opening response, really.

A good sense of humor.:)

Silence was your best choice.

I'm not sure. How else does the coach learn anything if you don't say anything?

I like the realm in which Rob and Bad were: "If you're out of bounds, you can't touch the ball, period." (Throw-ins notwithstanding.)

I'm teaching a coach that his player is not allowed to touch the ball while standing OOB.

The thing is, I don't think there's any coach anywhere who doesn't know this, so I really don't think it was a legitimate question. Besides, the coach had already demonstrated he wasn't interested in answers.

To his credit, he approached us after the game to ask a question about the pivot foot and accepted the answer my partner gave him.

Camps preach that coaches wnat to have a dialogue with us during the game and want to be heard and not blow them off...What I have found is that I have no problem explaining a call to them when they rasie a question.."Why was that a charge?" or "why not intentional foul?"...The problem is they want to debate your answer and extend the conversation...

Thoughts on this please...

Not all camps teach the same things and when it comes to something like this not all clinicians in the same camp teach the same things. There are times when questions are very appropriate and other times when they are silly or over the top. Of course a single question should get an answer, but sometimes those questions are to have a debate like you said. What you have to learn is when those times are that way and when they are not that way. Experience usually teaches you this and even with experience not all actions will work every time.

Peace

"I'm sorry coach, did I lead you to believe that my answer was debatable?"

And if you say that to some coaches they will think you are being sensitive or being defensive. You cannot win with these guys not matter what you say.

Peace

True story JRut, good thing my customer is the game & not "some" coaches.

"You asked for an explanation and I gave you one. The play is over."