Coach perspective on playing to officials
 

I've bumped up into a more competitive level this year and I'm noticing the teams that win, are a lot more aggressive on defense. It's almost like they come right out and test the officials to see how tight the game will be called. Teams can rack up quite a few points before you guys start tightening up the calls.

If you were a coach, how would you tell your team to play from an aggressive standpoint? I find our team gets behind on the score if we wait too long on a game where the officials are wanting the kids to "play through it".


Thanks!

I would tell them to play as aggressively as the rules allow in general, and adjust to the officials for that particular game.

Control what you can control. Coach your players to take care of the ball and recognize what the defense is doing.

When I coached, we scouted the officials - we knew which officials let kids bang and which ones called it tight. We also told our kids, make the adjustment - if an official is going to call you for a hand check 22 feet away from the basket, don't hand check. I also think this is the difference between teams with good Basketball IQ and those that do not. Teams with good IQ can make adjustments.

On the flip side, as an official, I also notice teams that are a lot more aggressive. I am more likely to call fouls on a team that is using their aggressiveness vs. a subpar team. I worked a game the other night where one team pressed the entire game. I became a lot more in tune with defensive girls coming through the back to deflect a ball. If this has been a once or twice a game occurrence, I probably don't call it as tight.

Why is that?

Coach - how 'bout getting your kids to play hard every minute of every game - not just based on the score?

Officials - how 'bout calling a foul only when it's a foul - not simply based on the score/talent level of the teams?

probably should say, more likely "to notice"

Playing hard and agressive are two different things.

Maybe I'm missing something in translation, but why would you "notice" more fouls on an aggressive team vs. a subpar team?

Wasn't indicating that I "noticed more fouls" - merely that I paid closer attention. My experience has been that teams become more aggressive as they begin to feel more superior. When this happens, there is a tendency to begin using that to their advantage. When a player begins to take or create advantage of this situation, I tend pay closer attention to these sorts of things.

A few years ago when I was coaching, there was a team that was often much quicker and more athletic then their opponents. They to their credit were very good at stealing the ball with quick hands. They would full court press and look to slap the ball away from the dribblers as they were pressing. I have no doubt in my mind that many of their take aways were not done without some contact to the dribblers hand/arm. If the official watching this game doesn't apply a greater sense of urgency to watch this situation, it most definitely creates an advantage for one team.

Take that same scenario where the team is more passive with their full court pressure, maybe their philosophy is to make the other team throw the ball away or simply to take time off the shot clock. The official is not going to be watching for those same sorts of fouls as in situation A.

I don't see this as any different than having a discussion in your pre-game about Team A who is notorious for setting bad screens. If you know a team is more agressive, you are going to look for situations that take advantage of this.

I agree on playing hard (effort), but the aggressiveness (style) is relative to how the game is being called. If one team starts out more aggressive than the other team and racks up points, it can be hard to catch-up (see below).

This is a GREAT example of what I'm talking about. As a coach, if I don't return the favor if a team is slapping the ball away with some contact, we can get down 10 pts in a hurry.

I am not understanding the "noticing" or "looking" for more fouls. A team that is playing more aggressive, which I think means guarding the ball longer or putting more presser on the ball or going to the basket more, of course you could likely have more opportunities for contact. Not sure that changes what I would do or call. If anything I just would make sure that I am not making up stuff and not taking away what the defense is doing legally.

Peace

Incidental Contact ???
 

... and exactly how is this illegal?

Well, there's definitive proof right there. :rolleyes:

Believe it or not some teams are just coached to play great defense. We had one of those teams here in my area a few years ago. They won back-to-back state championships.

Check your quote, I didn't say illegal and I didn't say the hand only.