Ref Bashing

[Royal Uncle]

Maybe this should be in the HS Boys Forum, but I thought it would get more comments here.

 

Let me start by saying I am very vocal and critical of officials when I think they deserve it. But I witnessed something last week that crossed a line in, IMO, and I wanted to see what everyone else thought.

 

While watching a summer b-ball game at West Carter HS, a ref made a questionable call. The head coach of one of the teams argued the call for about three minutes, at one point saying to the ref, "You don't know the rules. That is why you will always be calling JV games. You don't know the rules well enough to call a varsity game."

Up to that moment, I had respect for this coach. He has been a successful coach of HS girls in the 16th region, and just switched to the boys team this year. Maybe I'm being too critical of him, but I believe he really stepped over the line and showed poor sportsmanship to his players by his words and actions. I would like to add, I was waiting for the next game and did not have a vested interest in the game this happened.

[Clyde]

Its borderline to me.

 

When you say he argued for 3 minutes, you don't mean face-to-face, right? I assume it was during play while the official was running by.

[Royal Uncle]

Its borderline to me.

 

When you say he argued for 3 minutes, you don't mean face-to-face, right? I assume it was during play while the official was running by.

 

They weren't face-to-face, but play was stopped while the 2 of them argued back and forth. The ref walked to the other side of the court, and the coach just kept on. I would have slapped a technical on him and shut him up, but this ref just took the abuse like he was afraid of the coach.

[Alabama Larry]

I used to Ref and when I came into a new gym I would find out where the phone was, this was before the Cells. And I'd tell whoever manned the phones that 911 would be always on my mind. Also 15 years ago a teen ump got shot at a 7/8 year old game and they changed some things. If the police get a call from a sports game it is a hot call. I'd always share this with the coaches. It worked.

[Clyde]

They weren't face-to-face, but play was stopped while the 2 of them argued back and forth. The ref walked to the other side of the court, and the coach just kept on. I would have slapped a technical on him and shut him up, but this ref just took the abuse like he was afraid of the coach.

 

From the description (and assuming the coach didn't walk across the court to the ref), I don't see a T being warranted. Did he cuss?

 

A ref that can't take a coach saying "you don't know the rules" and "you should be a JV ref" won't last long.

[oldrambler]

Some officials take more than others. I obviously wasn't there but I will say that if the official walked away with the coach keeping things going then that would tell me that the official was not trying to keep arguing and the coach should have just let it go.

Seems to me that a "T" definately should have been placed on the coach and the if it continued another one leading an ejection. One thing that stands out is that this was summer league, right? Not exactly a district, regional or state tournament game, not even a regular h.s. season game.

I understand being intense and a competitor no matter what the game (I am that way) but imo a coach in a summer league, especially a h.s. coach should tone it down some.

 

JMO

[True blue (and gold)]

This was during a summer game? Wow...the coach should perhaps pick his battles a little better. Is there some summer league state championship that I am unaware of?

[oldrambler]

This was during a summer game? Wow...the coach should perhaps pick his battles a little better. Is there some summer league state championship that I am unaware of?

 

:thumb: My thoughts exactly. Being a h.s. coach I think that I would tone it down with the refs.One thing is that I would be wondering if some of these officials might remember some of these things come the regular season when it really matters .

[True blue (and gold)]

:thumb: My thoughts exactly. Being a h.s. coach I think that I would tone it down with the refs.One thing is that I would be wondering if some of these officials might remember some of these things come the regular season when it really matters .

 

:thumb:

[Big Slick]

Sometimes the heat of the summer equals a short fuse.

[jahearme]

A coach questioning an official's knowledge of the rules is like an official questioning a coach going to zone. Neither should happen.

And I've got two words for the coach.....SUMMER BALL

[madman]

From the description (and assuming the coach didn't walk across the court to the ref), I don't see a T being warranted. Did he cuss?

 

A ref that can't take a coach saying "you don't know the rules" and "you should be a JV ref" won't last long.

 

The coach definitely deserved a "T" because he made it personal and verbally attacked the official. The coach should have been run out of the gym but probably didn't happen because of the lack of experience of the JV official. The coach knew that he was a JV official and took advantage of the situation. The coach probably knew that he could do whatever he wanted without any consequences because it was a JV official. It's only summer ball. Take a chill-pill!

[Big Slick]

I heard that coaches from Greenup and Ashland have been t'd up and/or ejected this week as well, most be some heated matchups.

[steelcurtain]

I think that the coach was probably fed up with the level of referring present at summer leagues across the state. I know I am. I've seen everything this summer....I saw a team miss the front end of the bonus in a double bonus situation and the referee let play go on for about 5 minutes, then stopped the game before the half to correct the error and let the kid have the free throw. There is a big reason that these refs aren't calling varsity games, Summer league games or not summer league games. There is no summer league championship but don't discount the importance of summer league. Players need to be in game like situations, thats why we travel all over the state in summer, and some of these refs are making a mockery of the game.

[steelcurtain]

I also think some of you you are forgetting a very important thing: These refs are getting paid to enforce the rules. If it is a volunteer refereeing I think they should get some slack. If he or she is getting paid to referee it is a job. I get criticized, whether it be constructive or negative, at my job all the time, by bosses, coworkers, and colleagues I have to take that criticism because it falls in the line of my job description. Why should these paid refs not take criticism for their mistakes?