Game Management

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Yes - for some the travel filter for the losing team may be lightened.

But where are traveling complaints going to come from? The coach winning by 40 isn't going to complain if the losing team travels. I'm just saying that a losing coach won't say much to you if you don't miss the winning team travels. (Assuming this isn't the rare game with zero travels.)

I see what you're saying now. Another game management lesson I learned just last week which I'm still thinking about - we had a team getting beat by about 15 in the waning minutes of the game, and I was working with 2 very respected college officials. Game was going fine - no issues with the officiating. With under a minute left, I was new lead in transition on a breakaway for the team that was losing and the lone defender was very athletic and playing excellent defense all the way down and was able to get great position as the player stopped and jumped for a 3 footer that missed. The coach was up wanting a foul and is in my C's ear. There's a stoppage for a violation and the coach is asking me why there wasn't a foul and I just tell him it was great defense. Game ends.

As I'm walking to the dressing room with my partner, who was the C getting an earful, he says I might have just called the foul at that point in the game. It wouldn't have affected the outcome and the coach would be content. I told him it wasn't a foul. He said that coach never gets up and complains and he was up in my ear and a foul would have prevented him from getting upset and it wouldn't have hurt the game. Game management.

I get what he said, but I'm still thinking about it. He's a big dog in the association. While it shouldn't matter, it still does.