I appreciate the opinions. The coach had started in the 2nd half getting more vocal. If his player had the ball underneath he was yelling "foul". He was calling for traveling or some infraction when his team was defending as well.
I know he was speaking to me when he stated "if the officials blow their whistles" because the entire timeout other than that point he was talking to his players. I didn't "T" him up because I didn't feel the situation warranted it.
Ive only had (3) T's all year. (1) on head coach for ABS, (1) for scorebook, (1) in youth league on player that had bad attitude and fired the ball at me after a call. This is in 60+ games. I know I'm not thin skinned but I also don't want to come across as a harda$$.

You guys are starting to make me feel like I am doing something wrong now. I have 14 on the year in 24 games with 2 ejections.
1 game: 3 T's all players, 2 of which were double techs for dead ball extracurricular activities. Other for complaining player
2nd game: same as above, which makes six
1 book
1 coach for failure to provide sub.
2 on coach discussed in another thread for poking me in the chest then tossing the ball across the court (ejection).
The others just various T's all on players for p dead ball pushing, back talk etc. Many on these were while working with first year officials who don't know how to take care of business.

I haven't really questioned any of these except the flagrant which is also discussed in another thread.
The funny thing is, my first two years, I only had 2 techs total. Rough year.

The thing about Ts is you can't control the situations you get into as much as you'd like. Some years you get games where everyone pays attention to the warnings and you don't have to give many. Other years you get the games where people are too bullheaded to stop before they get Ted and you get a bunch.

I've had the same streaky-ness lately in soccer. After 10 years with maybe 2 reds total, I've had 4 reds in each of the last two seasons with each season featuring a 2-red game.

I try to look back and evaluate each T given or not given once I get out of the heat of the moment and see if I'm still happy with my decision. Usually I am.

@Shades, you really need to draw the line a heck of a lot sooner than the coach getting ready to assault you.

Address this behavior first, then you either don't have to deal with the later behavior, or the decision is easier.

Much of this depends on the level you do (generally, the lower the level the more Ts), and your experience (like with all fouls it goes from zero to "a lot" to "a reasonable number")

It's really the idea that when the adults cease to act as a positive example they will be come an example by having action taken against them.

Others have hit on the idea that if you one set of officials let the coach walk on them, the next officials will have it that much harder.

We as officials are tasked with enforcing sportsmanship and there are ways to get there but we as a whole can't allow that line to get crossed repeatedly without pointing out what is and is not acceptable.

Nope. Just tell him do what you think you need to do and move on.

A coach threatening an official with bad rating is definitely a T'able offense.

I think about my progression as a baseball/softball umpire, 20 years ago when I started I went from taking no action whenever challenged, questioned, etc, right from my first game when I missed a call early in the game and a coach told me I was so fat I couldn't get out of my own way (my partner did nothing either, I may add) and then went from a point where I wouldn't take even the most innocent line pushing comment to now where I have found the balance between what is ok, what is pushing the line and what is over that line.

Newer and younger officials take too much guff and don't know how to handle pressure situations.

For anyone who struggles with this, I would recommend checking out any books or materials on Verbal Judo, it is a pretty helpful communications tool.

Used correctly it can lead to some really good light bulb moments for a coach.

I felt just fine the night I double tapped an out of control HC and sent him to the bus early. I slept like a baby that night knowing I did what I had to. He never came close to indiciating he was going to assault me, but my line is quite a bit before that point.

I don't think there's ever been a T I've felt bad about giving out. Maybe I just have no soul.

It's just part of the game and part of doing your job. I work in communications for a small police department and arrests are rare but do happen, nobody gets all worked up because an arrest occurred I treat it the same way as if someone called out they secured a door, it's just part of the job.

Yep. The only T's/EJ's that I've EVER felt bad about are the ones that I failed to give. Those can gnaw on you for years.

Wow. What else do you let coaches threaten you about? I would expect anyone in my area to penalize a coach for threatening their rating or their partner's.

Yep. I have never felt bad about a technical. I have kicked myself for not giving one or waiting too long to do it, but I've never regretted one.

He threatens the rating, he gets whacked. If he's dumb enough to do it after getting whacked, he's probably making the walk of shame to the locker room.

Same goes with comments like "you'll never work here again" or "I'll get you thrown out of this conference."

Absolutely!

I whacked a Coach earlier this season for yelling across the court T me that he was going to send the game film to my assignor.

And the assignor backed me 100%.

I had a coach earlier this year tell/yell at me that he was going to report me to the state... for changing an OOB call that my partner missed. I was getting ready to ring him up, but when I looked back at him one of my partners was over there schmoozing and calming him down (with his arm around the coach, I might add). Let's just say that our postgame talk was not very fun between me and my partner!

I have since been blackballed by that coach for future years at his gym... gotta love small schools!

However, he can't blackball me from schools he visits on the road, and I get to see him tomorrow night! It should be fun!