Seeking positive advise to deal with coaches

[mick]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Mick,
It depends upon what type of game is being played.
In USSF matches only the players and substitutes are shown cards. Staff in the team area are warned about their behavior or simply dismissed for it.
In NFHS and NCAA games, the coaches are shown the yellow and red cards just as the players are.

Thanks, Nevada.
So what are the penalties? Do they all lead to ejection? Can they lead to free kicks ?

[jrreferee]

all of these suggestions are great and I appreciate your input - we'll see what happens at tonight's game when I put this in practice.

[ref2coach]

Originally Posted by mick

Thanks, Nevada.
So what are the penalties? Do they all lead to ejection? Can they lead to free kicks ?

Mick. Dealing with the coach is misconduct. So the possibility exists that IF while the ball is in play AND the misconduct is so serious that the referee stops play "only" to deal the misconduct then in NFHS & NISOA you would have an IFK for the non offending team at the time you stopped play. If play was already stopped the reason for the stoppage dictates the restart. Regarding ejection, yes if behavior is Abusive or additional misconduct lead to a second caution.

[mick]

Originally Posted by ref2coach

Mick. Dealing with the coach is misconduct. So the possibility exists that IF while the ball is in play AND the misconduct is so serious that the referee stops play "only" to deal the misconduct then in NFHS & NISOA you would have an IFK for the non offending team at the time you stopped play. If play was already stopped the reason for the stoppage dictates the restart. Regarding ejection, yes if behavior is Abusive or additional misconduct lead to a second caution.

Thanks, ref2coach.

It seems [by the implication of other posts] that the philosophy is to keep play in progress and to keep the clock ticking rather than stopping to have a word with an offending coach.

With that it mind, does the anger of the coaches needlessly build to a more fevered pitch while the officials await a stoppage, which seemingly could be "a while" ? Would a "stoppage" in action, in response to a more innocent request (ie., not yet serious misconduct) to have a quick word possibly help keep a coach in the game and possibly make all participants have a more enjoyable game ?

[ref2coach]

Mick, a couple of things to keep in mind. USSF/FIFA laws state that the coach "may approach the touchline, give his team instruction, return to his technical area." The coach is to have no other impact or interaction with the game. Now that that is "on the table" reality is that most coaches go much farther than that. From a referee stand point, s/he is there to ensure that the "players" are safe and given the opportunity to enjoy their game. Stopping to "deal with coaching questions" is a hindrance to the flow of the game and therefore impacts the enjoyment of the players. If the natural flow of play takes me "near" the coach I may choose to interact with him, but by TLOG I am not "expected" to, unless the behavior is abusive or violent.

So again I will not "stop" a game for coach misconduct unless it is very public, very abusive or violent.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by mick

Thanks, ref2coach.

It seems [by the implication of other posts] that the philosophy is to keep play in progress and to keep the clock ticking rather than stopping to have a word with an offending coach.

With that it mind, does the anger of the coaches needlessly build to a more fevered pitch while the officials await a stoppage, which seemingly could be "a while" ? Would a "stoppage" in action, in response to a more innocent request (ie., not yet serious misconduct) to have a quick word possibly help keep a coach in the game and possibly make all participants have a more enjoyable game ?

Mick,
It is very similar to basketball. Would you stop play merely because a coach is complaining about something? Unless you are going to T him, I doubt it.
Just as in basketball, soccer coaches complain and the refs hear them. The biggest difference is that the amount of distance between the ref and the coach is usually far greater on a soccer field. However, there is still someone to lend the coach an ear. There is always an assistant referee on the coach's touchline and at the higher levels there is a 4th official between the team benches. The coaches will go to these officials with their concerns in the hope that they will either get a satisfactory answer or have their thoughts relayed to the center referee. So the coaches aren't ignored any more than they are in a basketball game.
Also you should think of the yellow and red cards (or the warning and dismissal) as equivalent to the first and second technical fouls.

[mick]

ref2coach and Nevadaref,
Thanks folks.
I'm smarter than I was.

[IDref]

Jrreferee,
I know what it is like to be yelled at/bullied by coaches when you are a young referee. I think jbfould's comments were very good. Don't allow coaches to walk over you, let them know you are in command of the game. I was having a discussion about a similar event with a high level ref, where I was letting a player talk at me (dissent really) but I let it go. He told me that in that my particular situation it would have been a good idea to stop the game and deal with it right away for game control. Always be polite, but be firm and get your message across quickly, caution if necessary, was his "expert" advice.