A question from a baseball umpire

[bellnier]

Rugby referee here. How we ignore/respond/penalize coaches depends on the sport. Rugby is much like basketball in that we try to ignore the coaches (unless they ask question respectfully) until they go too far. Most often we will give the coach a warning. The second offense and the coach is watching the game from the parking lot. We have little tolerance for nonsense from coaches because we have but one referee and 30 players on the pitch. Unlike basketball, by rugby law there is no penalty to players (e.g. no foul shots awarded) for their coaches misbehavior. I'm fortunate to have plenty of decent NCAA D1 basketball in my area, and I appreciate how basketball refs control both the game and the coaching staff - in both our sports its all about game management and player safety.
Cheers.