This is funny. There may be parts of the country that do everything "by the book". If I tried that here, I would be doing a lot of middle school ball. Texas just went from a 6' coaches box to a 14' box this year. I would have never known - we don't make a big deal out of the coaches box here. If the coach is coaching, we pretty much don't care. We also don't enforce the 10 minute book rule. We rarely even go onto the court with more than 10 minutes showing on the clock. We go over to check the book when it looks like it's ready. The coaches have to sign the book before we start so if there are any book issues, it's on them. This may horrify some people. I like it. I'm sure part of it stems from coaches having so much power to control who works their games (more importantly who doesn't).

And I'm with BNR on this one - why try and predict how many T's you'll call? That is just something that is unpredictable.

Unless it has changed a great deal since my medical related "vacation" (I will find out in a few months), the coaching box here was never a point of emphasis. As long as they were coaching and not providing a running commentary on the officiating we were told to let it be. To their credit, most coaches knew that if we told them "watch the box coach" that was a tacit way of saying "Uh...shut you pie hole".

I have always felt that a T on a coach can usually be avoided with good game management, working hard, being consistent and communicating. If you ignore a coach things usually get worse. Don't get into a long debate with them but acknowledge them and, when possible, answer questions with a couple of words. There are some jerks that need a T and sometimes a coach wants a T...if you are observant to the situation you can usually tell.

To some degree the same can be said about unsporting Ts on players. If you are watching and nip the chirping in the bud when it starts most of the Ts you eventually hand out would be avoided.

Just my opinion...

What is this mythical "coaches' box" of which you speak?

I'm already at 4 through about 8 games.

There is one thing I have learned over the many changes in states/officials pools is how to find the middle of things. I am the "R" for the first time in my new state tonight and I can assure you that the book won't be ready at 10...will I whack them?...nope...because no one else is doing that and I would like to be considered for post season...go ahead and call me wrong and I know some will but you do what you have to do to survive! lol

I am cracking down a little on coaches though...can't take that anymore.

Where is the rule that says the book has to be ready at 10 minutes? Last I checked, the teams need to supply the scorer with their rosters before the 10 minute mark. When the scorer decides to put them in the book is irrelevant.

I'd have to be Don Quixote' if I were in your state, because I'm not going to let coaches run the game either.

It's a good thing that by rule, book doesn't have to be prepared at the 10 minute mark. ;)

I've had three so far in 15 games.Two were coaches failing to notify me of a number change and that player entered the game.The other one was a technical for breaking the plane on an inbounds play.

As always the "technicallities" or lack there of bit me in the rear in my post...

And this is one of the many rules that officials surprisingly do not understand and adjudicate incorrectly.

As for coaching box issues, our state has made a bigger deal about that rule based on the interpretation of the administrators of our sports. It has become a major issue that because of what happened last year it was felt we as officials were not doing a good job enforcing. And after all it is a rule that we kind of ignored or looked the other way. I am totally guilty there, but because of the behavior of many coaches, this is something that the IHSA wanted to be cracked down on. As far as I am concerned coaches did this to themselves. I am just doing what is asked and that reason alone will probably put me in a situation to call more Ts. I have yet to call one for a coach being out of the box, but I could see it happening. It happen in my first game this year by a partner and the coach was not saying a word to us, but that is how the state wants it called. It is a new day on many levels.

Peace

I have been lucky so far JRut. In the handful of HS games I have done, coaches have stayed in box the entire time. I think for the most part, they got the message from the IHSA loud and clear. Before this season, I was much like you. If the guy was out of his box coaching, I wasn't really that concerned.

A Realist With Rose Colored Glasses On ...
 

Agree. How many of us keep track of the player control fouls that we give in a season. Or the team control fouls? Or rebounding fouls. Or fouls on players in the act of shooting. A player illegally contacts an opponent, we call a foul. A coach says something inappropriate, we call a foul. It's just a foul, like any other foul.

I know. I know. It's somehow a little different than any other foul. So, maybe we discuss it for a day, or two, with our colleagues, maybe at an adult beverage establishment. Or, maybe we post about it here, on the Forum. But keeping track of them over an entire season, that a little bit overboard. It's not a contest.

I will have as many Ts as I find necessary during my games. Hopefully no more and no less. Whether it's 2 or 22, I really don't care.

(And anyone that says they're just like any other fouls are fooling themselves. They aren't.)

Great story. A couple of years ago, I was doing a game that got out of hand quickly. Partner "T"ed up the coach and I was coming with a second but she got it before I could get there. Coach was up 19 at the end of the 3rd and lost by 5. They never stopped running and gunning, but they did stop making baskets...frustrated coach went off on us. Bye bye.

We do keep track of "T"s here.

Some officials call too many, some call too few. But we had one official toss the same coach twice in 2 games.

Here we have to write a report when we call any "T". ( That's on the West Virginia side ) we are a dual state board.