Adminstering Penalty Cards

[BlitzkriegBob]

Before I get into the situation I would like to thank everyone for their valuable insight. I am finishing up just my second year officiating volleyball and don't always get to spend 15 minutes discussing with my partners techniques and procedures when our matches are done.

I had (another) lower level match last week that continues to bother me...mostly because I know I should have done a better job handling the situation. It was a combined 7th/8th grade, with the 8th grade playing first and me refereeing. Taking your previous advice about calling ball handling violations (both teams were evenly skilled), we breezed through the first game with no problems. Near the end of the second game, during a long point, the visiting team felt that I should have called an illegal hit on the home team. I did not see it that way and let play continue. The coach and several players on the bench for the visiting team jumped off the bench, screaming for a whistle. I should have given a card at that time (which card would you give and to whom would you administer?) but instead I opted to wait to remind the coach between games (visiting team won second game to force deciding game). When she was done talking to her team, I warned her that she and her team members were not to leave the bench while the ball was still in play. Her response was to laugh at me, then wait until I was up on the platform before she pointed at me while she said something to her assistant and laughed some more. I felt as though adminstering a card at that time would seem like sour grapes so I did nothing. The third game finished without any problems and the visiting team won the match.

Second match starts, and the 8th grade coach is now acting as an assistant to the 7th grade coach. I am the umpire. The 7th grade match is only a few points underway when the 8th grade coach begins to complain to the 7th grade coach about my partner. At the first dead ball, I very discretely gave her another warning. Was I being too warning friendly? I didn't hear another word out of her for the remainder of the 7th grade match.

Also during the 7th grade match, the visiting team served an ace. Like most teams they broke out their ace cheer, but I felt their cheer was over the line since they made a derogatory comment about the home team during the cheer. I contemplated a card but the referee didn't make a move to administer one so I let it go also. What are your thoughts on this? If you would give a card, who would receive it in this situation?

I have yet to administer a card (I've umpired baseball and softball for several years and am accustomed to abuse, but I know volleyball is not the same) or seen a card administered. Am I being too lax for not using them, or am I being too uptight because afterwards I stress about not using them? I had another match two nights ago (7th grade again...interesting how most of these problems occur in middle school matches and not the high school matches I officiate) where one of the coaches was constantly yelling at her players. I was umpiring that match and again followed the lead of my (much more experienced) partner in letting her actions go.

What say you all?

[Andy]

Before I address the specific situations, let me throw out some general thoughts about the cards in VB. A YC in a VB match is nothing more than a formal means of communication to say: "That's enough and this is your warning." There is no penalty associated with a single YC. My thought process is if you are questioning whether or not you should have issued a YC, then you probably should have. Unlike baseball/softball, where your formal options are limited to restriction to bench/ejection, the YC in VB can get your warning message across and also indicate that you are serious about the behavior stopping.

For your specific situations:

Coach and several players jumping off the bench screaming about a judgement call - Issue the YC immediately after the rally is concluded. Issue the card to the head coach as they are responsible for bench conduct. Mentioning it between games might have done more harm than good as it was you bringing the situation back up when the coach may have forgotten about it and moved on. Since you don't know specifically what was said between the two coaches at the start of the next game, you really don't have any reason to issue a card at that point.

Next match starts, the warnings sequence starts over as well. You can't carry things from the last match forward. I know this is easier said than done, but it has to be that way. From your description of the situation, I think a verbal warning is adequate. However, I would have directed the warning to the 7th grade coach as she is now the head coach for this match and responsible for bench conduct.

As for the derogatory ace cheer, a verbal warning to the team captain was probably in order, depending on how derogatory the cheer was. Just let the captain know that if you hear that cheer again, cards will be issued. If you feel that a card is warranted, issue it to either the coach or the captain as they are the leaders of the team.

As you gain more experience in VB, you will get feel for when a verbal warning or a card is necessary. You are thinking about it now and learning as you go.

My experience has been that middle school is the hardest level to officiate as far as dealing with coaches because some of the coaches use the role models they see on TV in college and professional sports as their baseline. However, working at that level will provide several different experiences and learning opportunities. Just keep at it!

[MCBear]

Blitzkriegbob, Andy has given you some excellent pointers in his post. There is no doubt that if you have to ask yourself if you should have given the coach a card, you should have used the Yellow Card. As Andy said, it is a warning and hopefully will convey the message that the behavior that was just witnessed was inappropriate.

If a coach or players are questioning ball-handling calls, I would call the captain over, remind them that there is no discussion concerning ball-handling since it based on judgment and that if it continues, cards WILL be issued. Let them decide what their fate will be. If they want to keep complaining, they will get a Yellow Card first and if it still keeps occuring, they will be receiving a Red Card costing them a LOR/Point. We want the players on the court to determine the outcome of the game, but if the bench personnel are too dense to understand that complaining is not going to be tolerated, let the chips fall where they may.

[officialtony]

BB,
I know exactly how you feel. I am finding I think way too much about should I have issued the card. I was the same way in baseball until the light came on one day. This is how much I will allow. Anything after that is evoking my " wrath ".
In your sitch, I would have warned the coach to remain seated at the time of the incident - not later on. The laughter would have brought the Yellow Card immediately to reinforce to her and her athletes that you are serious and you will enforce the rules. She is sending a poor message to her athletes and you are helping the officials who do her next match by teaching her to respect the rules of the game and the Officials who enforce them.
I agree with Andy in most everything he stated. I have not known Andy before this so I can only speak for this post - which seems to be right on.
I agree with McBear as well. She is usually right on in her approach and I have learned a great deal from her advice already in the short time I have been officiating Volleyball.

[TimTaylor]

BB,

I agree with what has been already said. It doesn't sound like it was the case in your situation, but if the conduct is serious enough you can bypass the YC and go directly to a RC.

[BlitzkriegBob]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I only have one tournament and one match left this season, but I feel much better prepared to handle these situations next season.

Originally posted by officialtony
She is sending a poor message to her athletes and you are helping the officials who do her next match by teaching her to respect the rules of the game and the Officials who enforce them.[/B]

Funny you should mention that. I had a match last night, and my partner was telling me about a tournament he worked a few weeks ago. I was fairly certain the school I had trouble with had been at that tournament so I asked him about that particular coach. He rolled his eyes, said he only had her for one match but that the other officiating team had her for several matches and he couldn't use the word they had used to describe her actions. She had argued with him also in the lone match he had with her. Apparently she doesn't have any respect for either the rules of the game or officials.

[MCBear]

Most of us know who the coaches are who will try to get away with stuff and who the ones are who really push our buttons.

So, in your matches, if that coach is constantly pushing and disrespecting the officiating crew, having no respect for the rules or the integrity of the game, feel free to nail her to the wall with penalty cards. I am sure that when she starts receiving red cards that cost her team points, she will get the message. (Either that, or she will feel that everyone is out to get her - and she could just be right!!!!!)

I just have to keep remembering that when the coach is acting like a jerk, it has nothing to do with me - it is about them and what is going on in their life. Therefore, I don't want to take it personally.

Where we, as officials, get messed up is when we allow the coach to suck us in to their world and we begin reacting to what is happening rather than taking action to prevent things from getting worse. Something a mentor of mine said keeps popping up..."Kill the monster while it is small. If you let it go, it will only grow bigger until it is unmanageable."

I hope that my male bias is not showing, but I know that there are coaches out there who love to play mind games with any official who will let them do so. Like I said earlier, when it happens (and it will happen, believe me!), kill the monster while it is small!.