Overkill

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by just another ref

I am one of those, who, in the last minute of a close game will check with the table and tell both coaches what they have left, whether they are out or not. I believe some here say that that is too much/not necessary/ maybe even a bad idea. (if you happen to tell them wrong information, it is worse than no information at all)

You're that guy too then. You're the guy that when dressed in a baseball/softball umpire outfit, insists on approaching a pitcher after they've warmed up and saying, "See that guy on 1st and that guy on 3rd? You have runners on first an third. There's one out. The temperature is about 82 degrees and the wind is about 8 mph out of the south-southwest."

Don't Be That Guy.

But does anybody know of anything written anywhere which says to do this at the start of the 4th quarter? And as a lesser side note, if there is such a requirement, it sounded like a duty of the R, which he was not.

No, not a rule. Definitely. But what your annoying partner did and what you said you do are only different by degrees. Both are still wrong.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by OKREF

If it is a close and we have a timeout, I always check the table to make sure score is right and then notify each coach that they have x amount of timeouts left. Just a courtesy.

Do you tell them how many team fouls they have?

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Do you tell them how many team fouls they have?

Nope. It is an accepted practice here, and every official I have worked with will do this in a close game. I really don't see the big deal.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by OKREF

If it is a close and we have a timeout, I always check the table to make sure score is right and then notify each coach that they have x amount of timeouts left. Just a courtesy.

They keep track on their bench. There is no reason to tell them before they get to zero.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by zm1283

They keep track on their bench. There is no reason to tell them before they get to zero.

What is the harm in it?

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by OKREF

What is the harm in it?

If you tell them they have one left, but the scorekeeper screwed up and they are really out of timeouts, they call their one timeout they think they have and now you get to issue a technical. Guess who gets blamed?

We aren't there to keep the book for them.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by zm1283

If you tell them they have one left, but the scorekeeper screwed up and they are really out of timeouts, they call their one timeout they think they have and now you get to issue a technical. Guess who gets blamed?

We aren't there to keep the book for them.

Ii also look at the score keepers on the bench and confirm, just to make sure.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by zm1283

If you tell them they have one left, but the scorekeeper screwed up and they are really out of timeouts, they call their one timeout they think they have and now you get to issue a technical. Guess who gets blamed?

We aren't there to keep the book for them.

I'm in the "don't say anything" crowd too... but the concern you're raising is not really valid. It IS our job to tell them when they are out. I'd have a hard time T'ing up a coach for calling a timeout when he didn't have any, if I had not done my job and told him he did not have any.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by OKREF

What is the harm in it?

It's called being Overly Officious. Or injecting yourself into a situation where you are not needed.

There is no reason to be over at a team's bench to give them information they didn't ask for.

Coaches where I work don't want officials up in their faces for no reason.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

It's called being Overly Officious. Or injecting yourself into a situation where you are not needed.

There is no reason to be over at a team's bench to give them information they didn't ask for.

Coaches where I work don't want officials up in their faces for no reason.

Fair enough.. I just talked to 10 coaches and everyone of them like it. They all said it is always good to communicate, especially in late game situations.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by OKREF

Fair enough.. I just talked to 10 coaches and everyone of them like it. They all said it is always good to communicate, especially in late game situations.

Communication has absolutely nothing to do with telling coaches how many time-outs they have.

I have no idea what level you officiate most of your games, but I know, for me, the higher the level, the less coaches want officials bothering them.

Must be a regional thing.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by zm1283

If you tell them they have one left, but the scorekeeper screwed up and they are really out of timeouts, they call their one timeout they think they have and now you get to issue a technical. Guess who gets blamed?

We aren't there to keep the book for them.

The odds of this happening are extremely slim, but there's really no reason not to avoid the problem by simply waiting til he's out before saying anything.

That said, if that's what's expected....

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Adam

The odds of this happening are extremely slim, but there's really no reason not to avoid the problem by simply waiting til he's out before saying anything.

That said, if that's what's expected....

I have a hard time believing there is any assignor or supervisor who tells his officials it's expected that they check the time-outs and inform the coaches.

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Communication has absolutely nothing to do with telling coaches how many time-outs they have.

I have no idea what level you officiate most of your games, but I know, for me, the higher the level, the less coaches want officials bothering them.

Must be a regional thing.

High School...3 man and 2 man. 13 years. They all said they like knowing at the end of the game. We don't have assignors.

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I'm in the "don't say anything" crowd too... but the concern you're raising is not really valid. It IS our job to tell them when they are out. I'd have a hard time T'ing up a coach for calling a timeout when he didn't have any, if I had not done my job and told him he did not have any.

I didn't say that we shouldn't tell them when they're out. I fully agree that we should inform them when they are out of timeouts.

You still give the T even if you forgot to inform him that he is out of timeouts. You not informing him doesn't allow him to evade the penalty.

Originally Posted by OKREF

Fair enough.. I just talked to 10 coaches and everyone of them like it. They all said it is always good to communicate, especially in late game situations.

You talked to 10 coaches in that time frame?

Originally Posted by Adam

The odds of this happening are extremely slim, but there's really no reason not to avoid the problem by simply waiting til he's out before saying anything.

That said, if that's what's expected....

See above. I am all for letting them know when they're out of timeouts. I never said otherwise.