ALL SPORTS

Umpire Eric Nilson, Kirkland, Wash., treats both coaches with the same level of courtesy and professionalism at the pregame meeting. In that way, neither coach will have a reason to feel the opponent is somehow favored.

MEET OF THE MATTER

Be Cordial but Professional During Pregame Visits

By the Referee editors

Pat the referee arrives at Hometeam High School for a basketball game. With Chris, the inexperienced partner, in tow, Pat approaches Hometeam Head Coach Johnson. “Hi, Coach Johnson,” says Pat, giving the coach a vigorous handshake and a slap on the shoulder.

“Pat! Great to see you!” replies Coach Johnson, returning the shoulder slap.

“How’s the team look this year, Coach?” Pat asks. “Not bad. Not bad,” Coach Johnson replies. “Hey, Pat, I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about it, but see number 30 warming up over there?” Coach Johnson points to a visiting team player. “Big trouble. Dirty player. Got a bad reputation. Mouths off all the time to the referees and they let it go because of all the college scouts showing up every night.”

“Oh, thanks for letting me know,” Pat says. Their conversation continues for several more minutes. Never does Pat introduce Chris, the inexperienced partner, who has been a spectator to the conversation. Another interested spectator to the reunion is visiting team Coach Smith. When Pat approaches him, there’s no familiarity. Pat only exchanges a brief greeting, gains the required information and offers a quick, “Good luck,” while walking away, again leaving partner Chris in a lurch.

Coach Smith is not happy. The game hasn’t even started and Pat and Chris are already in for a long night.

Take care of business. So what did Pat do wrong? Pat was congenial and approachable with both coaches.

Unfortunately, Coach Smith saw way more cordiality and familiarity with Coach Johnson. Not to mention Pat twice putting the less-experienced and less well-known partner in an uncomfortable position.

Officials should introduce themselves to each coach equally. Some coaches will engage in friendly comments toward an official he or she knows during the pregame meeting. It is important for an official to downplay that relationship.

You may like some coaches more than others. But you want to convey the message that once the game starts, all that friendliness means nothing and you are just going to call the game the way you see it. That helps establish your credibility.

After introductions, officials should complete sport-appropriate pregame duties, such as reviewing ground rules and obtaining coach confirmation regarding legality of player equipment and uniforms.

Keep them out of your head.

Many coaches will attempt to warn officials in pregame meetings of certain characteristics regarding the opposing team. For example, a football coach may tell a referee that review of game film reveals the opponent is prone to holding along the offensive line. A good response to such a comment might be, “Coach, we always watch for holding.” After that, if the coach wants to continue the discussion, it’s best to cut him or her off and disengage from the conversation. If the coach persists, calling the opposing coach over to include him or her in the conversation will most times quickly bring an end to the discussion. While you don’t want to dismiss such warnings out of hand, you don’t want to promise extra vigilance.

Coaches may ask about the legality of certain plays or strategies. That may or may not be a backdoor method of dishing dirt on the opponent. A good reply might be, “The rule on that is …” without pledging to call it one way or another. Coaches will sometimes manipulate the situation to their benefit or leave out a key element in order to trick you.

Other potentially inappropriate subjects a coach might broach include promises or attempting to glean information on how you’ll call the game. A coach might say, “If you do a good job tonight, I’m sure you’ll get more games next year,” or “The last crew we had called things really tight. How are you going to call it tonight?”

For less-experienced officials, let your partner or crew chief handle the pregame meeting with the coach. You only need to introduce yourself and listen as your more-experienced partner conducts the meeting. Early in your career, you may still be a novice official, but you might find yourself the senior member of your crew, especially in lower-level contests. When that happens, keep your meetings brief and don’t let the coach draw you into a drawn-out conversation.

Meeting the game manager.

Just as important as your pregame meeting with coaches is meeting with game management personnel. Ideally, the game manager will seek out the officials when they arrive. The game manager is often the school’s athletic director or other administrator, but in some cases — particularly at the lower levels of competition — that person may be the home team coach. Or there may be no game manager at all.

The game manager’s three basic responsibilities pertaining to officials are security, communication and support. When you meet with the game manager, you should cover the following: • Introduce yourself and your partners or crewmates. • Confirm the game’s start time. • Find out where the game manager will be during the game so you can locate him or her quickly if need be. • Inform the game manager that if there are any problems with fans, the game will be halted and the game manager will be asked to take care of the problem. • Inform the game manager he or she may be called upon to help remove any coaches or players who are ejected. • Thank the game manager for his or her support. *

SIDELINE

A Berry Good Year

Charlie Berry had quite a year in 1958: He officiated the NFL Championship Game and the World Series. On the gridiron, Berry was the head linesman as the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23-17, on Dec. 28 in what many historians believe was the greatest pro game of all time. Earlier that year, Berry worked the Fall Classic as the New York Yankees defeated the Milwaukee Braves, four games to three.

QUICKTIP

Officials are an integral part of the competition. Just as the athletes are expected to hustle, so should the officials. But the officials have a different responsibility than players and must use controlled

(good) hustle as opposed to running all over the field or gym

(false hustle). The difference is clearly noticeable.

DID YOU KNOW?

NCAA Division I men’s basketball referee Ted Valentine has been in his share of run-ins with coaches. But the shoe was on the other foot and he got the boot in 1979 as an assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team at Weston (W.Va.) Junior High. He took over for one game when the head coach took maternity leave. Valentine drew three technical fouls and was ejected before halftime. As Valentine left the gym, he passed Weston’s principal, who said, “You just coached your last game.”

Tourney Crew Has Much to Do

By the Referee editors

It’s finally here: The day of your big postseason assignment. You’re physically and mentally ready. You walk into the locker room and see … strangers. Sitting there are two (or more) people you’ve never met before. But in the next hour or so you’re going to take the court or field and work one of the biggest games of the year.

While some tournament games are worked by officials who are familiar with each other from the regular season, it’s not unusual for state, regional or national events to bring together officials from places near and far. If you find yourself in that situation, here are some tips to make the experience less daunting. • The pregame is extra important. It’s up to the referee or plate umpire to make everyone comfortable. That person needs to create an environment in which officials understand their roles. That means taking a team approach, asking questions and listening. Follow up to make sure what you said was heard. Ask the same question in a different way to ensure the messages get through. • Tournament time often means more officials on the court or field. The first time most baseball or softball umpires work the threeumpire system is in the state tournament. The same goes for a crew of six or seven football officials. One pregame topic to cover could be, what happens when a play isn’t covered? All officials need to be aware of what is happening on the court or field and either alert the partner who’s responsible for the play to cover it or fill the gap and deal with the mechanics flaws in a postgame discussion. • Set the tone. It starts in the pregame and continues through the early part of the contest. Decide what you will allow in terms of contact. How much jersey grabbing will you allow among offensive linemen? How much leeway will you give pitchers before you call a balk? Seek consistency. If you stray early, confer with your partners to get back on the same page. • Once the game starts, look for adjustments or tweaking. Get together if necessary, and keep your concentration and focus. Don’t expect officials from different parts of the state or district to immediately jell. Get everyone involved. Use the Michael Jordan motto, “Seek to make everyone around you better.” • Keep in-game conferences to a minimum, but confer when necessary. By rule in most sports, officials cannot substitute their judgment for that of another official. But if you have definite knowledge a call is incorrect by rule, you can go to that official, provide the necessary information and allow the calling official to correct the mistake. • The ending moments of a game are about sustaining intensity and finishing strong. People tend to remember the last few minutes or innings, so communicate to be in the best position to make the most accurate calls. *

All for one and one for all. That’s the attitude displayed by tournament umpires (from left) Bruce Musburger, San Antonio, Texas; Kerry Cripe, Goshen, Ind.; Michael Lechnar, Mukilteo, Wash.; and Troy Kipe, Lake Wales, Fla.

Is It OK to Coach Players?

The saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Nowhere is that more true than when an official tries to advise a player. The difficulty is compounded when you consider officials are taught from Day 1 to employ preventive officiating.

How much an official can or should “coach” depends on the level of competition. The higher the level, the less acceptable.

A generally accepted theory at the lower levels is it’s OK to prevent a player from committing a non-safetyrelated rule infraction. At those levels, games should be about participation, learning the sport and having fun.

Coaches have a say in what they’ll accept in the way of coaching from an official. If an official crosses the line, or if an official doesn’t provide the same assistance to each team, many coaches will be quick to point out the transgression.

Another, perhaps better, option is to go to the coach and tell him or her what needs to be corrected. Most coaches will be grateful if a heads up can avoid a penalty or violation.

A sensible place to draw the line at all levels is playoff games. Offering advice of any kind in a game where the losers’ season ends makes the wellintentioned official an easy target for postgame blame.

Another thought is to desist when the coaching becomes more strategic than practical. For example, telling players where to stand, how to rebound or how to set their feet go well beyond what an official should be talking about during a game.

Safer are comments that help prevent problems — the true preventive officiating types of statements. A common example in football is to tell a lineman he would have been flagged for holding but the play went to the other side of the field. As long as such help is made to both teams in limited quantities, you won’t encounter many problems.

At all levels, the amount of coaching an official gives the players during a game should never be at the expense of a consistently officiated game. What was a warning for one team must be a warning for the other. What is a foul for one team must be a foul for both.

It’s common for people to become officials after having coached a number of years. It’s sometimes difficult to leave that part of the game when the job changes. But it’s essential to do just that if you intend to advance in officiating.

To quote another well-worn phrase, “Coaches coach, players play and officials officiate.” There really is no better formula for a successfully played game. *