Coach on court

Originally Posted by Rob_K

Is it acceptable for a coach to approach an official on the court to ask a question during a time out? I wanted to ask a question, the officials were on the opposite side of the court during a time out so I came on the court to ask a quick question. Didn't get that far before one of the officials told me to go back to my bench and said he could have T'd me up for coming on the court. I was cool, no yelling, just told them I wanted to ask a question. Seemed unreasonable to me.

It is acceptable. It might be wise to beckon the official over, so you can have a private conversation away from fans, but it is not a technical to approach an official to ask a polite question. I am assuming that you are the head coach? Perhaps that official was frustrated and didn't want to communicate, which is wrong. What happened later in the game?

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by AremRed

It is acceptable. It might be wise to beckon the official over, so you can have a private conversation away from fans, but it is not a technical to approach an official to ask a polite question. I am assuming that you are the head coach? Perhaps that official was frustrated and didn't want to communicate, which is wrong. What happened later in the game?

Un, no it isn't. It might be tolerable occasionally for the coach to step away from his bench in a timeout if done politely but the first thing that should happen is for the official to direct the coach back to his bench area. Until the coach is there, I'm not entertaining any questions.

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Un, no it isn't. It might be tolerate occasionally but the first thing that should happen is for the official to direct the coach back to his bench area. Until the coach is there, I'm not entertaining any questions.

I agree. However, the official in question threatened a technical just for approaching him across the court. I never said the official had to talk to him over there, and even suggested it would be wise to invite the official over. Remember, this coach (according to his account) was polite and I'm sure would be willing to walk back to the bench area to talk.

Cam, would you threaten a coach with a technical just for approaching you during a timeout?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by AremRed

I agree. However, the official in question threatened a technical just for approaching him across the court. I never said the official had to talk to him over there, and even suggested it would be wise to invite the official over. Remember, this coach (according to his account) was polite and I'm sure would be willing to walk back to the bench area to talk.

Cam, would you threaten a coach with a technical just for approaching you during a timeout?

You are missing the point, which is that the coach could be assessed a technical foul for being out of the time-out area.
It is okay to politely ask a question of the official, but it must be done from the proper location and the timing is of utmost importance.
It is quite possible that the official didn't wish to discuss the situation at that time because it would have looked as if the coach was correcting the official in front of everyone in the gym.
Better to wait until play resumes and the official has occasion to come near the bench. When there is a suitable break in the action, the question could be asked and answered.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

You are missing the point...

As I said, I don't disagree about time and place. However, any official threatening a technical foul right away is not exhibiting good communication. The official could have handled the situation better than that.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by AremRed

As I said, I don't disagree about time and place. However, any official threatening a technical foul right away is not exhibiting good communication. The official could have handled the situation better than that.

Without hearing the tone, it came across to me as more educational than threatening.

And whether I entertain the question in this case has a lot to do with how the coach has behaved prior to this point.

[JetMetFan]

As BillyMac mentioned...

NFHS 1-13-3...The time-out area shall be the area inside an imaginary rectangle formed by the boundaries of the sideline (including the bench), end line, and an imaginary line extended from the free-throw lane line nearest the bench area meeting an imaginary line extended from the coaching-box line.

So the coach did have the right to be on the court at the moment. Given where we're supposed to be during a time out there's no reason to warn/threaten the coach with anything assuming he/she wasn't being belligerent.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AremRed

As I said, I don't disagree about time and place. However, any official threatening a technical foul right away is not exhibiting good communication. The official could have handled the situation better than that.

Timeouts are for times to discuss things with the team, not to discuss things with the officials. Just like coaches do not want us around them at that time, officials do not want coaches in their face. And it is not about communiciation being good or not, it is about a time and a place. It is usually not the time, nor the place.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by AremRed

As I said, I don't disagree about time and place. However, any official threatening a technical foul right away is not exhibiting good communication. The official could have handled the situation better than that.

You are flat out wrong on that point.
For many actions the prescribed recourse is a technical foul. So why shouldn't an official let the coach know that is the penalty which he is facing if he chooses to engage in such? Seems perfectly logical to me. Seems like correct communication, too.

You must be an ex-coach (or perhaps even a current one). Coaches never want the penalty to be applied to them.

[ODog]

Originally Posted by AremRed

I am assuming that you are the head coach?

This is VERY key, and unless I missed it, yet to be answered.

Perhaps the official's reaction/response was because this was a mouthy assistant ... or any assistant.

I don't get the impression most assistants realize how low they rate in the NFHS rues book.