Displacement
 

Do you believe it's too much for a middle school coach to be familiar with the word "displacement" (as it pertains to boxing out)? I realize there are some locales that don't use this word, so I'm asking the areas that do.

Should any teacher know what the word "displacement" means by definition? Yes.

Should a middle school basketball coach know how to use displacement in the context of basketball? Maybe, maybe not. I don't expect middle school coaches to know much about the rules.

Ditto. The only coaches I expect to know what displacement means in the context of baskeball are college coaches since it's discussed so often.

"The player was moved off his/her spot, coach."

I believe in using basketball terms. Each middle school coach should eventually learn the term, why not from you.

I used it to explain a call to a JV coach yesterday. He was clueless. And angry that his player could not "Block out".

He committed a technical foul a few minutes later.

Agreed. Some of them may coach high school at some point.

I try only to use rulebook terms as much as possible. And if they do not understand the more likely they will not argue. ;)

Peace

Depending on what subject they teach, I might replace the term with one that has one or two syllables.

Right after the mandatory rules clinic, which, in our state, must be viewed by coaches and officials, I heard a VG coach yell:

"She displaced my player!!"

Just sounded funny.

I once heard a term in the context of soccer that would be funny to use in basketball in place of a steal....

The player was disposessed.

That would be sure to get a puzzled look.