First Fight and Ejection
 

Without going into the gory details, after all this time, we had a fight in the first 1/2 of my game tonight. Happened right in front of my P and he ejected her. The other person didn't retaliate. Just one punch.

I feel horrible about it and although we called 29 fouls in the first half alone I can't help but feel we didn't do enough.

I was always told coming up, if there's a fight in your game, it's because you missed something.

I am really bothered by this and know I won't sleep well tonight.

I think that mindset is wrong. Sometimes, sh1t happens.

"I was always told coming up, if there's a fight in your game, it's because you missed something."

I totally disagree. I'm sure you did your best and it would have happened to whomever the officials were.

poppycock

Sleep well, my friend! I wish that I could. I get a night off, and here I am wide awake.
Was this your game that was the big blowout last season? Process the game, and let it go.

As a rule of thumb to prompt preventive officiating, this bromide is useful.

As an iron-clad rule that covers all cases and makes you feel bad, not so much. Like any other rule of thumb, it has exceptions.

Your task now is to reflect on anything you might have missed (probably nothing if you called 29 fouls in the half) that might have prevented it.

If a careful game evaluation turns up nothing, let it go: sometimes it has nothing to do with the game (player just had heart broken, flunked a grade, found out Santa doesn't exist, etc.).

It isn't always "our fault". Poor sportsmanship has been taken to a new level this year. We had 2 booted for fighting last night in the JV game. Long rebound. Clumsy collision. One kid takes a swing and his opposite number retaliates. Look at all of the vitriol during this past year's campaign. Civility and sportsmanship have taken it on the chin.
We had a hard intentional foul in the varsity game last night by the team that lost 96-60. One of my partners advised the coach about the player losing control. His response was that "we let it get that way". This is the same coach I had the problem with on the OOB violation last week. When your butt is getting kicked all over the gym and you don't even request a timeout, it surely is not the officials' "fault."

As an aside, his team was shooting a T and I asked which player was shooting. I told me and another player was lined up. I confirmed it with the coach and the other player reluctantly left. He(the player who left) then proceeded to get T'd up by one of my partners for a string of F-bombs. Tell me again coach about who doesn't have control.

For my own interest, not in any way to indict you or your crew regarding this issue, let me ask. As this was apparently brewing, how many if any off-ball fouls were called prior to the flare up, if you can estimate. Or were all or almost all the fouls on-ball fouls?

Sometimes we see "chippy" play and we tighten up the game and we can keep things from escalating.

However sometimes things happen quickly and without warning and we're left to deal with the consequences.

We're officiating games for children, older ones perhaps, but still children with varying levels of emotional maturity and some with issues we never know about when we step on the floor. We can't always anticipate their actions.

While I can understand the reflection and the sleepless night I don't think you can blame yourself and I certainly don't believe what you were once told regarding that if there is a fight you missed something.

Probably uttered by those who have not had a fight in their game...yet.

An interesting comment.

We had several off-ball fouls (mostly holds), several overly physical box-puts on rebounds, and two illegal screens I can recall. In hind sight, this is really a good area to analyze.

You might be on to something. In the games our crew has looked back on and the ones I've studied on tape, those that seem to get out of hand (and those that some officials like to complain about in the post game locker room over how rough the teams were - Grrr...) often got that way due to lack of off-ball surveillance early in the game and throughout. Off ball seems to be where the shenanigans often start which, if not checked by adequate preventative officiating or off-ball foul calls, leads to the roughness on-ball later.
Not that this directly applies to your game. Just a theory I've been working on that others might likely consider all too obvious.

On the other hand, our 51 foul hackfest a couple of weeks ago did not fit this mold. They just kept fouling and we just kept calling 'em. Off-ball surveillance was good.

...I can't say that this is ALWAYS true...but, I am going to say this could be GENERALLY true.

Personally, I have only had ONE fight in my 20+ years of officiating...my very first Varsity game.

Yes, I reviewed the tape...we DEFINETLY missed something.

First fight..
 

29 fouls is not enough. (Just joking) My partner and I called 42 fouls in first half last week in a boys JV game. Among the 42, there were a few intentional.

Don't feel horrible. S#%^ happens

With girls, there may be absolutely no warning. The one that got punched could have wronged the other one sometime in softball last summer or even at the beach. I like the advice you've gotten so far. Carefully evaluate but don't lose sleep over this. You can't always stop bad things from happening.

Appreciate everyone's advice and comments. I will take them to heart.

Interestingly enough, I was told these two players did have some history and apparently had a scrap last year.

Me too. I am definitely going to work on being a stronger C!

Ok and too late. :o

(Breaking things down into unofficial and as self explanatory as possible terms, for the betterment of my officials, is what I do...) The fact that you care this deeply, you did all that you could. In the future, as you can not watch everything, keep an eye on the, let's call it, personal interaction, off ball officiating for the most part. It may be jawing back and forth, it may even be looks. You are obviously Not going to call a foul Every time that you see a warning sign, but once you begin to look for this type of behavior, you will begin to understand what I mean and over time, your game will soar! GREAT POST! – RefMan

I think fights do not happen out of thin air. I think most are preventable for sure, but not always. Things happen and the issue is mostly to avoid being totally surprised when it happens. And it is not often these are total surprises. And sometimes it is not the number of fouls you call, but the kind of fouls you call. We all learn, do not beat yourself up about this in any way. Just learn from the experience.

Peace