Talking to players
 

Over the last few years, I have been mostly a JV official working an occasional small school varsity game. I was taught earlier in my career that an official should talk to the players to sometimes avoid calling a minor foul. For example, "34 red, get set on that screen". As I watch more veteran officials work, I see less talking. Should talking to players stop as you get to the varsity level? Any advice.

They are just better at talking to the players without making it look obvious. ;)

No, most good varsity officials talk to players. They just pick their spots. And they say a lot in dead ball periods when hardly anyone knows they are talking to them. That is an art, not a science.

Peace

As a rule of personal thumb, I never talk to varsity players in obvious spots. It's a foul. Borderline stuff, yeah, quick 3-second reminder, yeah, but beyond that they know what to expect at that level, so talking to a player should be minimum the higher up.

On average in a varsity game I may talk a handful of times (single digits). The best advice is a whistle. I talk more when the ball is dead and to address a specific player or issue.

I have found free throws or throw-ins are the best time for this. If a player is setting a marginal screen I might get their attention and let them know. If they are using their hands perhaps you can yell "hands!" during play. I usually step onto the court a little bit to talk to post players -- it shows up on video and lets everyone watching know that I am on top of that play.

I'm still trying to figure things out too, so I would love to hear more from other guys.

As a coach, I don't think it's right for refs to talk to players in ways that give them an advantage. For example, "watch the 3 seconds", "watch the handcheck", "keep still on that screen". Just call it. Why are you coaching/advising them? I like to think my team knows how to avoid 3 second calls, guard without handchecking, set proper screens, etc... Why is my opponent being aided?

I've sat courtside at many NCAA and NBA games, and I can't remember hearing an official saying a word to a player about what he is currently doing wrong. They just blow the whistle and call it.

Don't see why high school varsity should be any different.

To follow up on Coach Bill's comment, I know at NCAAW's camps I've attended they're telling us to get out of the habit of talking to the players while the ball is live and I've carried the habit into HS games. I'll say "keep moving" to get players out of the lane but apart from that I don't say much. The feeling is the player has already committed a foul by the time we say "hands" or "get set on that screen" so you might as well call the foul. Also, if the opposing coach hears you (s)he will probably say, "Just call the foul!"

Rarely go out of my way to talk to a kid. I agree that is a good time, but it is still rare. Usually a kid comes to me before I say anything to them on my own.

Peace

Big Brother, With the Stripes, Is Watching ...
 

Early in the game, I don't like players putting me in positions where I have to make tough decisions on borderline (advantage/disadvantage) calls, so I give them some preventative advice. A player gets lost in the lane, not really gaining any advantage (oh, oh, now I've done it), so it's easy to say, "Get out of the lane". A player extends an elbow while setting a screen, without making any contact, I don't need to see that, with contact, later in the game, so I say, "Hey watch the elbows on the screen". A player runs slightly out of bounds, running around a screen, on a set play, I don't want to see that again in the game, more out of bounds, and gaining more of an advantage (damn, I've got to stop doing that), so I yell, "Hey stay inbounds on that play". Player moves in a little early on the first of a one-and-one, that goes in, I don't want to see that again, so I remind everyone (not just that player), "Let it hit".

I just want to let all the players know that I'm keeping an eye on them. Just a friendly reminder that I'm out there, that I know what how to do my job, and that I have a whistle and I'm not afraid to use it. Preventive warnings are just one of the many tools that we have on our black toolbelts (oh, oh, that may have been poorly worded, now I've done it again) to insure that we have a smooth game, no surprises, not ticky tack calls, etc.

This is exactly why we're discouraged from talking to the players.

There's a difference, I think, between saying "That was a foul and if you do it again I'm going to call it" and "You're approaching the line so don't go any farther" or "That would have been a foul but .... (e.g., the ball was already dead, you tried to set an illegal screen but there wasn't any contact)"

Not that we would use any of those words.

NCAA and NBA officials most definitely talk to player about such stuff, you just don't hear it, and that's not by accident.

I will talk, but it's always so generic that players just assume I'm talking to them.

My usual line is, "EASY!" and magically the banging stops and the knee comes farther out of the player's butt.

(I'll do this once on a matchup. If that doesn't fix things, the next time I'll simply call the foul. Three seconds? It's not worth a talking to, at least at the varsity level, cause it rarely becomes an issue that needs addressing. I'm not one of these officials who "won't call it" and I think I've called it four times all season.)

If i'm not mistaken, the last couple of years, IAABO has been emphasizing blowing the whistle and to stop talking to players ... at least that's what has filtered down through our organization.

I'm glad you asked! Here are our four objectives as officials:

1. Ensure player safety
2. Ensure games are played fairly, according to the rules
3. Help players develop skills and knowledge of the sport
4. Promote sportsmanship

If a player is setting a marginal screen I will pull them over and let them know that by rule they cannot be moving. We are not just enforcers of the rules, but teachers and communicators of it, especially at the development levels.


I would say that is exactly the college philosophy. HS may be different however.