Coach on court

[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.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by JetMetFan

As BillyMac mentioned...



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.

The Coach has the right to be in the time-out area...the time-out area is the area where he talks to his players. That doesn't mean that if the rest of the team is over by the bench, he gets to come all the way to the free throw lane to "talk" to me. I'm not on his team and am not part of his time-out.

Now, if he is asking a legitimate question, I will quite often go over there and talk with him. Or just wait until the first horn sounds when I have to go over there anyway.

But that rule does not give the Coach permission to come that far out there to talk to the officials.

[Rob_K]

I am the head coach. My style isn't to yell or get all freaked out, in fact, I probably only asked for clarification once or twice the entire game. Didn't come on the court for those clarifications.

I just wanted clarification on a call that happened right before the opposing team's time out. It helps me instruct my players as sometimes they don't understand what they did wrong. It's usually quick and painless.

I've been coaching 10 years and this is the first time an official threatened to T me up for approaching them with a question. As I walked on the court, I said, "Can I ask a quick question?"

Not a huge deal, just got me wondering what you guys had to say about it.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

I am the head coach. My style isn't to yell or get all freaked out, in fact, I probably only asked for clarification once or twice the entire game. Didn't come on the court for those clarifications.

I just wanted clarification on a call that happened right before the opposing team's time out. It helps me instruct my players as sometimes they don't understand what they did wrong. It's usually quick and painless.

I've been coaching 10 years and this is the first time an official threatened to T me up for approaching them with a question. As I walked on the court, I said, "Can I ask a quick question?"

Not a huge deal, just got me wondering what you guys had to say about it.

If I am on that game, I am stopping you from coming out towards me/us. I will come over to you briefly...the problem with letting you come out there and have a mini-conference with me/us is simple - what does it look like to the other coach? Would you want me to be doing that with your opponent?

[Blindolbat]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

If I am on that game, I am stopping you from coming out towards me/us. I will come over to you briefly...the problem with letting you come out there and have a mini-conference with me/us is simple - what does it look like to the other coach? Would you want me to be doing that with your opponent?

Happened to me and my partner. During halftime, coach is walking towards us but we thought he was walking over to talk to a parent/fan/AD that we might have been near. He stops right in front of us and starts into us about something. Not very animated or overly angry. As soon as we realize his purpose we send him right back and tell him this was inappropriate behavior. I don't tolerate that during timeouts, halftimes, etc.

[Pantherdreams]

Now this might get back to a theme from a different thread about the minority getting the majority treatment but . . .

If coaches want to communicate with officials and understanding communications have to happen in a timely and appropriate manner, there are no really significant opportunities during the playing of the game to have a protracted conversation about rules confusion, situations, and just general inquiry. During the momentary pauses in play coaches basically get a comment or question. I get a response in and if they aren't happy they get a parting comment that ends up registered for later, gets ignored or if negative gets them a stop sign/T. Thats really it.

Timeouts and halftime or post game seem like the only times to me where any sort of protracted conversation/ explanation can go on. I'm not saying coaches get to run over everyone, or chase us around the building bitching and demanding answers but if you are going to have a positive conversation and interaction that genuinely improves the situation/understanding level/ or quality of the game. When else is going to take place?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

there are no really significant opportunities during the playing of the game to have a protracted conversation about rules confusion, situations, and just general inquiry.

Exactly. And there shouldn't be.

Timeouts and halftime or post game seem like the only times to me where any sort of protracted conversation/ explanation can go on. I'm not saying coaches get to run over everyone, or chase us around the building bitching and demanding answers but if you are going to have a positive conversation and interaction that genuinely improves the situation/understanding level/ or quality of the game. When else is going to take place?

You proceed from the erroneous assumption that it's the referee's job to hold a rules clinic for the coach and teach him the game. There should never be ANY sort of "protracted conversation / explanation" between referee and coach.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Blindolbat

Happened to me and my partner. During halftime, coach is walking towards us but we thought he was walking over to talk to a parent/fan/AD that we might have been near. He stops right in front of us and starts into us about something. Not very animated or overly angry. As soon as we realize his purpose we send him right back and tell him this was inappropriate behavior. I don't tolerate that during timeouts, halftimes, etc.

And since you didn't penalize him by properly assessing a technical foul, he will do the same thing again to you or another crew. You missed a golden opportunity to take corrective action for the good of all officials in your area.

[Blindolbat]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

And since you didn't penalize him by properly assessing a technical foul, he will do the same thing again to you or another crew. You missed a golden opportunity to take corrective action for the good of all officials in your area.

I think if he hadn't of listened right away to our direction to go back to his bench then I would've used that "golden opportunity." However, he listened right away and realized perhaps he shouldn't be there.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

I am the head coach. My style isn't to yell or get all freaked out, in fact, I probably only asked for clarification once or twice the entire game. Didn't come on the court for those clarifications.

I just wanted clarification on a call that happened right before the opposing team's time out. It helps me instruct my players as sometimes they don't understand what they did wrong. It's usually quick and painless.

I've been coaching 10 years and this is the first time an official threatened to T me up for approaching them with a question. As I walked on the court, I said, "Can I ask a quick question?"

Not a huge deal, just got me wondering what you guys had to say about it.

All great, but you are not owed anything. And when you deal with officials some will not take your "questioning" the same way. And as a coach you should realize that on many levels. Just like we work with certain officials and we adjust to our partners all the time. And all I know for sure is timeout time is not that time you will get the most talkative officials. Maybe if you ask the question after the first horn or warning, but not right after the timeout. If anything we as officials need to talk to each other sometimes and your wanting answers is a distraction.

Peace

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

The Coach has the right to be in the time-out area...the time-out area is the area where he talks to his players. That doesn't mean that if the rest of the team is over by the bench, he gets to come all the way to the free throw lane to "talk" to me. I'm not on his team and am not part of his time-out.

Now, if he is asking a legitimate question, I will quite often go over there and talk with him. Or just wait until the first horn sounds when I have to go over there anyway.

But that rule does not give the Coach permission to come that far out there to talk to the officials.

Now that we have clarification from the coach himself I'll stick with my answer: I'm not threatening him with a T especially if he isn't being belligerent or hasn't been a PiTA during the game. All that does is create an adversarial situation where there hasn't been one up to that point. I'll politely suggest he go back and then I'll walk over and handle things. I'll also probably have an AC from the other team come over so they don't feel as though anyone is gaining an advantage.

All this changes if he's been a problem child during the game.

[Raymond]

I'm not threatening him with a T. Thought would never come in my mind. But I'm also immediately stopping him by walking towards him and asking him to return to his bench area. That gives him a short window with which to ask me his question.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by JetMetFan

Now that we have clarification from the coach himself I'll stick with my answer: I'm not threatening him with a T especially if he isn't being belligerent or hasn't been a PiTA during the game. All that does is create an adversarial situation where there hasn't been one up to that point. I'll politely suggest he go back and then I'll walk over and handle things. I'll also probably have an AC from the other team come over so they don't feel as though anyone is gaining an advantage.

All this changes if he's been a problem child during the game.

+1 on this all the way.

Looks like I'm in the minority here, but if a coach wants to use his timeout to talk to me, as long as it's in a respectful way, I'm happy to oblige. He's got assistant coaches that can take care of his team during that time. There's no need for us to create an adverserial situation where there doesn't need to be one.

I'm not even really going to tell him to get back to his timeout area before I'll talk to him. I'll probably meet him somewhere in the middle once I see him approaching me, and then walk him back to the bench area as we talk.

Attitude of the coach plays a big part in this, but again, if it's respectful, why not give him a little courtesy?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

...
I'm not even really going to tell him to get back to his timeout area before I'll talk to him. I'll probably meet him somewhere in the middle once I see him approaching me, and then walk him back to the bench area as we talk.

Attitude of the coach plays a big part in this, but again, if it's respectful, why not give him a little courtesy?

I have supervisors who will jump deep in my a$$ if I let a coach come way out on to the court to talk to us during a time-out. They want coaches staying in the bench area.

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I have supervisors who will jump deep in my a$$ if I let a coach come way out on to the court to talk to us during a time-out. They want coaches staying in the bench area.

I can understand that but as was mentioned in one of the earlier posts, if we're where we're supposed to be as the time out starts - or reasonably close to it - the coach won't have to come out onto the court that far in the first place. The furthest away one of us will be from his/her bench is the opposite side of the center circle on the division line.

When coaches want to extend conversations - something more than asking about a rule or finding out where the ball is being put into play - I'll call over an AC from the other team so they can hear the conversation. 99% of the time that stops the dialogue because if they want to speak any longer than ten seconds it's usually to try to gain an advantage or get on my nerves.