Coach on court

[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.

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.

[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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

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.

(IAABO Two Person Mechanics) Unless the officials are discussing a specific game situation, the farthest any official should be away from the table, and thus, from the benches, during a timeout, should be about thirty feet (sixty second time out). From the outer perimeter of the time out "huddle" the coach should be able to get the officials attention at that distance. And, by rule, the coach can be out as far as the imaginary line extended from the nearest free-throw lane line during a time out. Should be plenty of opportunities to get an official's attention during a time out, as long as the coach is polite.

[KMBReferee]

It's more about control and decorum than anything. By keeping a coach in the coaching box, it allows the official to exert control over situations that may get out of hand. It also forces the coach to show proper respect and authority to the official.

Also, I don't think it's appropriate for a coach to walk across the court for anything other than to check on an injured player. There's simply no reason for him to be there, especially to ask questions or to complain. I'm not sure if it's still the same in the NCAA, but I remember a time where any coach that walked onto the court to complain to an official got an automatic tech. That isn't a bad rule.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by KMBReferee

Keeping a coach in the coaching box, it allows the official to exert control over situations ...

Control by not following the rules? The coach, by rule, doesn't have to stay in his coaching box during timeouts, he has to stay in his team's timeout bench area. Game management is important, but stay within the rules, then you'll have no problem answering the phone call from your assigner early the next morning.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Control by not following the rules? The coach, by rule, doesn't have to stay in his coaching box during timeouts, he has to stay in his team's timeout bench area. Game management is important, but stay within the rules, then you'll have no problem answering the phone call from your assigner early the next morning.

I disagree. It is a timeout area for timeouts. If he is not using the area to coach his team but to bark at an official, it isn't a timeout area anymore. If he's doing enough to earn a T, it doesn't really matter anyway. He can still be T'd even if he were in the coaching box.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

I disagree. It is a timeout area for timeouts. If he is not using the area to coach his team but to bark at an official, it isn't a timeout area anymore. If he's doing enough to earn a T, it doesn't really matter anyway. He can still be T'd even if he were in the coaching box.

And I also disagree. Where in the rules does it say what a coach is allowed to do (we have plenty of rules that tell us what he's not allowed to do) during a timeout? Who says that he has to "coach his team"? How about a citation? And exactly what does "coach his team" mean? What if he just wants to give his players a rest? What if he just wants to give his players time to get a drink? What if he just wants to give one of his players a chance to tie his shoes? What if he just wants to get a substitute into the game? What if he has a correctable error situation and needs to approach the table? What if he just wants to walk out to the nearer free throw lane line extended and gaze into the crowd, or at the scoreboard, to calm himself down because he's pissed at his players, or pissed at the officials, and wants to cool off before he does something stupid. All of these are legal, by rule. Threaten a technical foul for any one of these and you'll have a "lot of splainin to do" if you follow through on your threat (I assume that your assigner is Ricky Ricardo).

If it's not illegal, then it's legal, and he can do anything legal that he wants to do in his team's timeout bench area.

I do agree with part of your post. If he's "bark(ing) at an official", and he's doing enough to earn a technical foul, then it doesn't really matter where he is. He can still be charged with the technical foul even if he were in the coaching box. And it's still his time out area, even if you "bang" him. He has the time out area until you throw him out of the gymnasium, and even then, his assistant still has the timeout area. I don't see how the team can lose this area? How about a citation?

This situation reminds me of some uninformed officials (not you Camron Rust) who think that they can "request" a coach to "sit down" without the prerequisite technical foul. Sure, we could do this thirty years ago, with the old seatbelt rule, but not anymore. To make him sit, you have to "bang" him first, and then he sits.

[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by KMBReferee

It's more about control and decorum than anything. By keeping a coach in the coaching box, it allows the official to exert control over situations that may get out of hand. It also forces the coach to show proper respect and authority to the official.

Also, I don't think it's appropriate for a coach to walk across the court for anything other than to check on an injured player. There's simply no reason for him to be there, especially to ask questions or to complain. I'm not sure if it's still the same in the NCAA, but I remember a time where any coach that walked onto the court to complain to an official got an automatic tech. That isn't a bad rule.

Anticipate the play, not the call.

If a coach hasn't caused any problems there's no reason to put on the "control and decorum" badge as soon as we see him/her start walking onto the court during a time out, especially if we're on the other side of the court. If we see him/her walking out, it won't hurt to approach them and find out what's up. As we're walking them back towards their bench saying something like, "Coach, do me a favor. If you need either of us just try to catch our eye" should solve the problem.

Should we be ready to deal with an issue? Sure but deal with it when it comes up, not before it happens.