Did I bait the coach...?

[scrounge]

Originally Posted by VaTerp

+1



Agree with the immediate whack but I don't really like either of the other approaches you suggest. If you hear it you either address it or choose to ignore it. You address it with a T or a warning.

Asking people what they said, to repeat themselves, or manipulating what they said has a lot of downside and very little upside.

You end up in an exchange that can quickly go downhill and then you have to issue a T that's going to look terrible on tape or subject yourself to further unsporting comments on behalf of the coach and swallow your whistle. Sure, sometimes it can work to diffuse a situation but IMO there are much better ways that have much less downside.

Yep. I'd say there's a place for very limited use of "what was that", but NEVER if it's directed at you. If a coach/player says, not too loudly but loud enough to hear, an expletive or something like WTF, and it's more frustration than personal, then maybe it's ok to give them a chance to walk it back while letting them know they're on the edge of going over the cliff. But if it's "you" or directly personal - no repeat or warning needed.