Responding to Coach Speak

cubsfanllw

for us young guys out there, can some of you veterans give us some good responses to some of the standard "coach speak" items. (i.e. "you've called x fouls on them and y on us", "call it both ways", etc.) i know sometimes it is best to just not respond at all, but i'd love to know some things i could say back when i need to to acknowledge that i heard the coach, but not make it worse. any "coach speak" you can think of and your general responses would be really appreciated.

IREFU2

First of all, remember that we dont answer statements, only questions. Plus, if he keeps asking you that same questions, then you will have to deal with that as well. Using quick phrases and responses will only get you in deep water. Treat the coach with respect and demand respect back as well and you will be okay. Just my 2 cents...

grunewar

Go to the below link and start at the beginning to see some really good responses and info on this topic.

http://forum.officiating.com/basketball/49498-communication-w-coaches.html

cubsfanllw

another - "#8 travels everytime he touches the ball"

JRutledge

There are no one size fits all comments. You cannot mirror someone's personality, instinct or experience. If we give you just some canned comments, then you might mess it up if you do not use them in the right tone or at the right time it can be a disaster.

Peace

truerookie

cubsfanllw wrote
for us young guys out there, can some of you veterans give us some good responses to some of the standard "coach speak" items. (i.e. "you've called x fouls on them and y on us", "call it both ways", etc.) i know sometimes it is best to just not respond at all, but i'd love to know some things i could say back when i need to to acknowledge that i heard the coach, but not make it worse. any "coach speak" you can think of and your general responses would be really appreciated.

When I hear this, I normally warned the coach that he/she don't want to go there. However, if they insist on going there.

I ask them nicely two questions:

1. coach, are you saying we are incompetant?
2. coach, are you saying we are cheating?

because, I want to know exactly what this technical fouls is for.

DISCLAIMER: I use these on coaches who are buttholes.

Nevadaref

Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Why do you keep saying, 'Thank you, coach'?"

Official: "Because they won't let me say, 'STFU, coach'!" 😀

OHBBREF

IREFU2 wrote
First of all, remember that we dont answer statements, only questions. Plus, if he keeps asking you that same questions, then you will have to deal with that as well. Using quick phrases and responses will only get you in deep water. Treat the coach with respect and demand respect back as well and you will be okay. Just my 2 cents...

Do not address statements by a coach, there are the great stories of how Ref X got Coach Y with a particular zinger last week.
Well it didn't do the ref any good, because what he didn't tell you is the coach rode him just as or harder the rest of the game and he had to listen to the supervisor/assignor or AD after the game talk about an exagerated version of what was really said. So just don't do it, silence can't be misquoted.

"Is there a question in there coach?" and move on is about all I ever say.

In pre-game we address with captains and coaches that we will answer questions if asked in a respectful manner.

We are busy enough on the floor that we do not need to split our attention between the action and trading barbs with coaches. especially new guys just starting out. We are going to do one or both poorly. Better to concentrate on just one thing.

make your reputation as a great official not the the court jester.

IREFU2

OHBBREF wrote
Do not address statements by a coach, there are the great stories of how Ref X got Coach Y with a particular zinger last week.
Well it didn't do the ref any good, because what he didn't tell you is the coach rode him just as or harder the rest of the game and he had to listen to the supervisor/assignor or AD after the game talk about an exagerated version of what was really said. So just don't do it, silence can't be misquoted.

"Is there a question in there coach?" and move on is about all I ever say.

In pre-game we address with captains and coaches that we will answer questions if asked in a respectful manner.

We are busy enough on the floor that we do not need to split our attention between the action and trading barbs with coaches. especially new guys just starting out. We are going to do one or both poorly. Better to concentrate on just one thing.

make your reputation as a great official not the the court jester.

Ummm....thats what I said!!!!

Mark Padgett

My all time favorite is still this one. When a coach says something absolutely ridiculous to you, the reply is, "Coach, I'd respond to that but I left my English-Gibberish dictionary at home." 😀

Another is "Coach, there are only two people in this entire gym who don't care who wins - my partner & me. We only care about one thing - that at the end of regulation time, one team has at least one point more than the other." 😀

And, there's always the old standby, "Sorry coach, we're not allowed to call it both ways. We can only call it one way - the right way." 😀

OK, one more. "Coach, let's trade places. You come out here and call the game and I'll sit on the bench and act like an idiot." 😀

OHBBREF

IREFU2 wrote
Ummm....thats what I said!!!!

I just put an explaination point on it!:o

Nevadaref

OHBBREF wrote
I just put an explaination point on it!:o

Is that a merging of exclamation and explanation?

Raymond

cubsfanllw wrote
...(i.e. "you've called x fouls on them and y on us"...

Last time I heard that one I responded "Coach, that's not my fault."

He knew I was right. His team full-court presses from opening tip and he subs 5 players at a time to keep the pressure constant and his team launches the most 3-pointers in the league.

CoachP

cubsfanllw wrote
for us young guys out there, can some of you veterans give us some good responses to some of the standard "coach speak" items. (i.e. "you've called x fouls on them and y on us", "call it both ways", etc.) i know sometimes it is best to just not respond at all, but i'd love to know some things i could say back when i need to to acknowledge that i heard the coach, but not make it worse. any "coach speak" you can think of and your general responses would be really appreciated.

You answered yourself above in Red. 🙂

We don't necessarily want a response, we just wanna be heard. As people have said already, don't answer a statement.

Unless we give a LOT of statments and/or start making it personal.😃

[deleted]

BadNewsRef wrote
His team full-court presses from opening tip and he subs 5 players at a time to keep the pressure constant and his team launches the most 3-pointers in the league.

Sometimes it is what it is...

Y2Koach

FYI to coaches and parents: Foul counts are not supposed to be equal. 99.9% of the time, the team that fouls more will have more fouls called on them. Things like style of play, aggressiveness, zone/man all play into foul count. Just like layup counts are not supposed to be equal. The team that settles for more long range shots will usually take less layups. Things like style of play, aggressiveness, zone/man all play into layup count. If the refs artificially make the foul counts even to appease those who disregard factors that play into numerically uneven fouls, I would guess the refs would have to artificially make the layup counts even, as well as the 3-pointer count, travel count, etc...

**TWEET!!!** - ref: "Team A has made four 3-pointers this quarter, Team B only has 1. The last two layups will count as 3-points, and the next shot they miss will also count as 3-points regardless if it goes in or not. Just trying to keep it fair and even, calling it both ways. And after this quarter ends, Team A must start the next quarter with two turnovers on their first two possessions. Thank you."

BillyMac

Mark Padgett wrote
We only care about one thing, that at the end of regulation time, one team has at least one point more than the other."

Sigh.

Back In The Saddle

While we don't usually want to respond to statements, we do normally want to acknowledge them in some way. As was pointed out already, the coach wants to know that he's been heard. Otherwise his/her frustration level starts to build because he feels you are ignoring him/her.

Back In The Saddle

Nevadaref wrote
Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Blah, blah, blah."

Official: "Thank you, coach."

...
Coach: "Why do you keep saying, 'Thank you, coach'?"

Official: "Because they won't let me say, 'STFU, coach'!" 😃

Classic 😀

Brad

cubsfanllw wrote
for us young guys out there, can some of you veterans give us some good responses to some of the standard "coach speak" items. (i.e. "you've called x fouls on them and y on us", "call it both ways", etc.) i know sometimes it is best to just not respond at all, but i'd love to know some things i could say back when i need to to acknowledge that i heard the coach, but not make it worse. any "coach speak" you can think of and your general responses would be really appreciated.

In general you are right to ignore statements. Sometimes coaches won't let it go though. In these cases try something like "OK coach" or "I hear you, coach" as it may simply diffuse the situation.

Legitimate questions deserve an answer. Statements and stupid questions don't.