A rare positive experience with a coach...
 

Around here, the boys season is nearing playoffs... the coaches are getting yappier as the games have more meaning but tonight I wanted to share a story of a coach who seems to "get it"


JV/V boys DH, 2 person crew.

my partner and I compared notes during a timeout ( we stood together, don't tell IAABO!!) about how green 10 had been questioning every single call. Any way, a few minutes later my partner whistles green for a foul again. Green 10 is again asking an unnecessary and poorly timed question.

I go over to the coach who is a true "basketball guy" (actually there for the love of the game, likes to see his players develop etc etc) and explain that 10 is toeing a fine line and my partner and I have answered his last question. Coach then says " gimme a 30" and proceeds to use the entire timeout to educate his PG on when, where, and how to get an explanation from an official.

It was a refreshing change. All too often you go to a coach with a concern about poor behaviour and end up whacking the coach too.

Thanks for sharing because that conversation usually goes something like...

"Well thats because he's getting fouled"

"What about #____ (insert other teams player here)"

"Well what do you want me to do about it?"

"If you would have called a foul when he got hit in the _____ (arm, face, toe, finger, leg or other body part), he wouldn't have to come ask you for help"

Great to hear ....... I had one positive this year from a young coach ; which is fantastic. Unfortunately all the rest were the typical responses which seems to be getting a bit worse every year.

Two of my typical responses to a coach are "Sollie, no speekie Eng-rish", and "Coach, I'd discuss that with you but I left my English-Jibberish dictionary at home." :p

tsk tsk constable.... that's a FIBA 2 person mechanic for time out positioning. Last I checked you guys (& gals) only use FIBA rules in the summer time in Ontario.

Don't worry though I won't mention it to my brother who calls games in Ontario.

Signed,
A fellow Canadian referee ;):D

The other night a V player gave a nice gesture after my partner called a foul. I walked by him and said please don't do that. He gave a few eye rolls later. In the 4th he was guarding the ball in my primary. He put his hand out to measure up and I said "hands" to him. a moment later H started to drive and he put both hands on him. I hit my whistle and raised my fist. He looked at me and with much sarcasm said "oh my god" while rolling his eyes. I t'ed him. Coach wanted and explanation and after I told him what he said he replied with "you got to let them play through that". Not sure what he meant by that". I said "Coach it is disrespectful and he isn't going to talk to us like that." Coach objected and I asked him "can he talk to you like that" and the coach said "well no".

One day I'm going to ask a HS coach if he let's the players' parents yell at him when they are unhappy about his coaching decisions.

I have told coaches they need to quit talking to me like I'm one of their players.

Coaches have no issues with enforcing sportsmanship until you penalize them or their own players.

Why would you do that? By rule he gets one touch to measure up. I don't understand why a legal action warrants a verbal comment from an official. Do you also say "pivot" when a player does that?

I agree. I don't care for the "We'll talk you out of fouls" mentality. Just blow the whistle early in the game if something needs cleaned up and they will adjust. If not, they won't be around long.

Agreed. I have found that I talk less and less to players over the years. There are situations where you can do some preventive officiating and talk players out of stuff but you have to choose your words and timing wisely.

"Hands" is something I may have said a few times years ago but I eliminated after I've seen it get people in trouble. Particularly with the 10-12 rule addition. I even sometimes pre-game against using it.

What happens when you say "hands" to a player and the opposing coach hears it? The coach can then say "if his hands are on him then call the foul." Or when you call a hand check or illegal use of hands on his team he can asks "where was my warning."

If the hand use is legal then we have nothing to say, if it's illegal then blow your whistle. Trying to talk a player out of this while the ball is live has little to no upside and plenty of downside.

I'm with you, talk with your whistle.

I may be in the minority but I still think verbalizing early with players to let them know they are on the verge of doing something illegal is a useful part of our job. If we can talk kids out of things, I think it helps the game. Certainly most situations resolve themselves with a whistle, but I don't think it's preposterous (as Nevada seems to feel) to say "hands" sometimes. I think it's silly to equate that to saying "pivot". It's more like telling kids to get out of the lane, which is fairly common.

Please, help me out. Have I read that in the book and just didn't let it sink in?

I said it to just remind him to take his hand back and that is all he gets. Even though it is legal now it will be illegal if he doesn't pull it back.
Do you never talk to the players or just in other cases? If so, what are they? I also try to talk them out of the lane even though they may not have been in there too long. What is the common practice on this?