sports section Defusing Coach Confrontations

By Matt Ciciarelli

The psychology of being a coach lends itself to an “us-against-the-world” mindset. As a game or a match wears on, tension inevitably mounts. Soon enough the coach who during pregame shook your hand, asked about your family and how your season was going has become a redfaced, foot-stomping, veinpopping human powder keg.

“You’ve got to be kidding me with that spot … that’s a first down!”

“She missed the tag!”

“Where’s the foul?!”

“Blow the whistle!”

Officials can see it coming from a mile away, and the ability to lower the temperature of any situation is something of an art form. For some officials, it comes naturally. For others, it comes only with experience. But once mastered, having the knack to talk a coach off the ledge is a skill that can turn a good official into a great official.

From an official’s point of view, sports are games of answers. Coaches often yell and scream because they want answers. “Why can’t we get that call at the other end?” “Are you going to let him do that all night?” “How many times is she going to push my player?” It’s possible that no answer to questions like these will be satisfactory, especially if they’re asked in a fit of rage. Answering any question from a coach, however, should always be a rules-based answer. The rulebook is the most effective defense an official can use in any heated discussion. And if the blood pressure of the conversation is rising, a properly referenced rulesbased answer will give the coach no leg on which to stand. It goes without saying the best way to counteract a over or attempt to out-yell a coach. A calm, non-reactive voice can defuse a heated exchange and make it clear that until the coach gets his or her emotions in check, the conversation will go nowhere. No official wishes to be perceived as a pushover in front of a packed gym or a full stadium, but if the coach is making enough of a spectacle, it will be clear to anyone watching who is acting irrationally. combustible coach is to not let it get to that point in the first place. In instances when that’s not possible, recall the lesson parents have attempted to teach children for years: “ Two wrongs don’t make a right.” In other words, don’t stoop to the coach’s level. Easy to say. Hard to do. But a reaction equal to the coach only makes the situation worse.

It requires an incredible amount of patience not to talk

Too often when a coach is disciplined for unsporting behavior (a technical foul, a yellow card, penalty flag, etc.), the cries of : “Q uit making it about yourself, ref!” or, “C ome on, Blue . you baited her into that call!” come from everywhere. Even if the punishment is completely warranted, officials are often accused of having too much ego. It’s a perception that officials may never shake, unfortunately. However, to make the optics of this call seem less ego-centric, a more nuanced approach can help.

Without saying a word, the “stop sign” is a simple gesture that can send a loud-and-clear message: enough is enough. To avoid the perception of baiting the coach, add distance to create a buffer. By giving a coach the stop sign when not standing next to them, it’s easier for everyone to see the conversation is over. If the coach persists and the proper unsporting penalty is assessed, the cries of baiting the coach will have less bite, as it will be clear to everyone that the official told the coach to knock it off.

Some sports lend themselves to this tactic more than others. Bigger fields naturally create distance between officials and coaches. For those played in smaller venues, however, taking a few extra steps can enhance the message, making it clear that a line is about to be crossed.

Many officials have played the sport they officiate. That gives them a unique advantage. They have a good feel for the flow of a game, the strategy, and the intensity from the team perspective as well as that of an experienced official. Coaches who have little or no officiating experience may lack that multi-dimensional point of view. Officials should use that to their advantage to increase the effectiveness of their communication with coaches. That advantage, and being the final arbiter, should not be taken lightly, but it can be a way to effectively manage a game. Without question, mastery of this skill can start an official’s career on an upward trajectory.

Try these tactics the next time a coach starts raising their voice and see how it works. Having the reputation of someone who communicates with coaches effectively and can manage games with a calm demeanor is one of the highest compliments an official can receive.

Matt Ciciarelli, Hatboro, Pa., is a high school and college basketball official.

Basketball

Stay in Your PCA Only One Piece of Pregame

By the Referee editors

The newer official may hear it in a veteran’s pregame: “Everybody stay in their primaries.” If it isn’t stated outright, the implication is clear.

“Don’t go fishing in my pond.”

“Leave the calls in front of me up to me.”

“Stay in your own area.”

Most of the time, especially when the new and learning meet up with the veteran and experienced, that intimidating injunction alone leads to compliance.

However, is “Stay in your primary” enough? Unfortunately, no. Your pregame might well need to go beyond mere familiar phraseologies and into the concepts behind the sayings.

Many times, when “Stay in your primary” is expressed in pregame, the underlying message is this: Ball-watching officials keep ball watching and even become progressively adept at it every game, it’s just that they grow even more careful not to call the fouls or violations they clearly see occur in their partners’ primary coverage areas. Ball-watching officials have practiced their craft so well they strive to observe the play “over there” well enough to then make a fully conscious choice to withhold a whistle because, they maintain, “That’s not in my area.”

That takes effort. That takes focus. That takes attention. But that’s all wrong.

For that official to see that play well enough, that means his or her eyes are focused on a place where they ought not be. Instead of maintaining surveillance of the action in his or her primary coverage area, maintaining off-ball observation and looking for illegal activity in his or her own area, the official was ignoring all that and instead observing what wasn’t his or her duty to observe.

That official is following the pregame point of emphasis, in a way, but isn’t doing what either the two-person or threeperson officiating systems are designed to do: provide off-ball surveillance. That official is ball watching. To the detriment of the crew and the system and the game, there are too many eyes on the on-ball matchup.

It’s not good enough to say, “Stay in your primary,” only to have it interpreted as, “Be sure everyone calls only what’s in his or her primary.” It’s more in accord with the purpose of both the two-person and threeperson systems to say, “Let’s be sure everyone knows when to turn off-ball and provide surveillance on the action in his or her primary coverage area when the ball is in a partner’s area.”

When the ball passes from your primary coverage area (PCA), turn off-ball and trust your partner to decide whether to call whatever violation or foul does or does not occur in his or her area. Chances are, there’s plenty of action for you to keep your eyes on away from the ball. For a good game to result, you can’t afford to have four eyes (or six!) on the ball when two eyes will do just fine.

That means knowing where the PCA boundaries are. That means trusting your partner(s). That means visually communicating with your partner(s) when you’re on-ball and when you’re off-ball. That means you’re not a ball-watcher. That means you know what PCA principles mean for the game. That means you trust that, “The system works when the crew works the system.”

Many times, “Stay in your primary” still results in four — maybe even six — eyes on the ball. “Stay in your primary” as a pregame point of emphasis isn’t good enough. Where officials’ eyes are when the competitive matchup is over in a partner’s area — when off-ball — is the important thing!

Keep your eyes on the action in your primary coverage area. Don’t just be a ball-watcher who doesn’t call what he or she sees in his or her partner’s area. 

Football

Legitimate Question or Gamesmanship?

By George Demetriou

At least once a season, you are likely to encounter a coach who will warn you before the game that the opponent does something illegal or untoward. Sometimes it is framed as a legitimate question; other times it takes the form of a specific request for vigilance.

Those situations can have a negative effect. Many officials look at that scenario as a no-win situation. If you accommodate the coach, he may think he has you in his hip pocket. If you don’t, he may either feel ignored or later say, “I told you so.” Probably the worst thing you could do is let the coach know that’s how you feel about it.

Here are some possible responses for those situations, along with an analysis of their plusses and minuses.

Response 1: “Thanks for your concern, coach. We will watch that closely for both teams.”

Analysis 1: Mentioning that both teams will be monitored is a good idea, but thanking the coach for his concern falls somewhere between smart aleck and patronizing.

Response 2: “Coach, we’ve worked your games before, and I assure you we will not tolerate illegal acts from either team.” Analysis 2: If you’ve officiated for the coach before, he probably remembers and there is no point in reminding him. The second half of that statement smacks of apple pie and motherhood.

Response 3: “Coach, I’ll get the visiting coach and we can discuss your concerns and his together.” Analysis 3: That is asking for trouble. If the coaches wanted to talk to one another, they did so when the teams took the field to warm up. Only in the most unusual circumstances should a referee bring the coaches together and in that situation, it is a response in kind. You’ll be beating him at his own game. The most likely outcome is the first coach will be intimidated into withdrawing his remarks or modifying them. Your success in eliminating the issue is hollow because the coach will remember you negatively. If he persists in making a face-to-face accusation, you run the risk of being caught in the middle of a shouting match between coaches.

Here are examples that actually came up.

The visiting coach mentioned the other team’s tight end has been known to block below the waist and wanted to know if that was legal. The referee explained that could be legal or illegal depending on whether the tight end lined up in the free-blocking zone and the opponent being blocked was in the zone at the snap. The coach’s comments were passed on to the wing officials, but not to the opposing coach. The game was played and no illegal blocks were observed.

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In the second situation, the home coach complained a film review had shown that in punt formation, the opposing team’s snapper would lift the ball before passing it backward. He thought it was either illegal or that his nose guard should then be allowed to bat the ball from the snapper’s hands. The umpire explained the forward movement of the ball made that an illegal snap and he would watch for it.

In the first quarter, it happened exactly as the coach had described: The snapper lifted the ball and the nose guard knocked it loose. The dead-ball foul was charged against team A.

Most coaches are reasonable and responsible individuals. Many of their pregame questions will be legitimate requests for information or clarification. On occasion, some coaches will vie for an advantage and the official must be prepared to respond professionally without falling victim to the gamesmanship. George Demetriou has been a football official since 1968. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Softball

Look-Back Rule Mechanics and Myths

By the Referee editors

The look-back rule can be confusing and misapplied if umpires do not stay focused when runners are on base. It is imperative umpires do not go to their next position until the ball is in the pitcher’s circle and all runners are stopped on bases. Umpires should see the ball go into the circle, then look at all runners and make sure they are stopped on their bases and then move to their next position.

It is important that at least one umpire has a set of eyes on the field at all times when other umpires are moving. Once a play is completed, the plate umpire should wait until the base umpire gets to the next position before turning back to the plate. That doesn’t mean the plate umpire can’t move. The plate umpire can walk back toward the plate while watching the field. The plate umpire should focus on the field until the base umpire has gotten into a new position and is able to take over focus of the entire field. The base umpire, while hustling to the new position, should keep an eye on the pitcher to make sure she never leaves the circle. If the pitcher is not in the circle, no umpires should be moving.

As a base umpire, once the batter-runner reaches first base, it is important to open up and see what direction she turns if she overruns the bag. The base umpire should never be in a hurry to get to another position and must keep an eye on the batter-runner.

One particular instance where umpires must remain alert is when the pitcher receives the ball back from the catcher and walks to the back of the pitcher’s circle. If she steps out of the circle completely with a full foot, the look-back rule is no longer in effect and baserunners may advance with liability to be put out.

Another potentially tough call is when there is a runner on third and there is a base on balls. The batter-runner often will hit first and then go straight to second to either draw a throw or just simply get into scoring position. It is extremely vital that the plate umpire keeps an eye on the runner at third. If the ball goes back into the pitcher’s circle and the batter-runner touches first, the runner on third either has to head back to third or run home. If she pauses, she is out. It is a dead ball and the batter-runner would go back to first base since that is the last base she legally touched at the time of the violation. In this situation, the base umpire has the responsibility of the batter-runner and the plate umpire should clear the catcher and open up to be able to see the ball in the circle and the runner at third base. The plate umpire can say, “I’ve got lead,” to let the base umpire know they can solely focus on the batterrunner and all runners are covered.

One big misconception is that any fielder can be in the pitcher’s circle with the ball and the look-back rule goes into effect. This is incorrect as the rule only comes into play if the pitcher has possession.

Another big myth is the runner is unable to stop. In reality, a runner can round the base, go 59 feet toward another base, stop, and then return to the previous base without violating the rule. The runner has the ability to stop so she can pick up the ball and make a decision which direction she wants to go. Provided she only stops one time and then immediately chooses a direction, she has not violated the rule. 

Volleyball

Multiple contacts (Double Hits)

First referees must ascertain whether or not the ball contacted a player using two or more successive contacts. In most of those situations, a double hit fault is called. When multiple contacts (double hit) occur, the referee will blow the whistle, signal the point, followed by two fingers extended on the hand of the side of the team at fault.

When is a double contact legal? Remember, double contacts of the ball are allowed on any first team contact — as long as the player makes one attempt to play the ball. That can occur, for example, if the ball crosses the net and a player allows it to roll up the arms during a forearm pass. As long as the ball does not visibly come to rest (prolonged contact), the contact should be deemed legal and play should continue. Or, if a player receives the first ball over the net with an overhead set, the ball may legally contact two body parts at different times, as long as only one attempt to play the ball is made. Finally, during a block, the ball may bounce back and forth any number of times between any parts of the body. Since the block does not count as a team hit, the blocking team is entitled to three more hits.

So when is a double contact illegal? While there are certain double contacts that are permitted by rule, there are others that should be called without hesitation. If a ball is hit with two separate, consecutive motions, it is a fault. For example, if a player contacts a ball by swinging with one arm and then swings a second time with the other arm, a double hit should be called. Similarly, if the ball hits a player’s arms and then hits the player’s chin (assuming it’s not the first team contact), a double hit fault has occurred.

The most common type of double hit fault — and the most difficult to judge — is an attempt to play the ball using the overhead set. A prolonged contact was described as overcontrol; a double contact is called on a play in which the ball is undercontrolled. Typically, a double hit fault occurs when the ball is poorly played, resulting in a less than perfect contact. In that case, undercontrol of the ball often creates additional spin on the ball. However, referees must not call a double hit based on spin. Many novice referees think that spin is a surefire way to determine a double hit, but that is not the case. Just like an overhand attack or forearm pass without being hit twice can have spin, an overhead set can be contacted legally and create spin, too.

See it, call it. Keep in mind that obvious double hits should always be called. If a player makes illegal contact with the ball due to a lack of skill, poor setting technique or clumsiness, the fault should be called regardless of the reason. Consistency in that same call should be maintained throughout the match. While no referee wants a match or a good play to end on a judgment call, the referee must maintain the same standard of consistency from the first play of the match to the last.

Furthermore, if a double hit is made on the second team contact, regardless of whether or not the double hit was an attack, the fault should be called. Double hits that stay on the same side of the net are still double hits.

A referee may allow slight double contacts of the ball in the interest of continuing play for two reasons. First, because of the difficulty of the overhead set, if players are of a novice skill level, allowing double contacts may be necessary for player development.

Second, there is an exception to the double contact rule that applies in NCAA women’s and USAV volleyball rules. In an effort to allow play to continue to an obvious end and to create greater consistency in ballhandling judgment, both of these codes allow some leniency on slight double contacts that are made during an especially challenging or spectacular play. That directive creates a little more subjectivity in the decision-making process as to what plays fit that criteria. However, any ball that results in a blatant double hit should still be called as a fault.

The challenge to the referee in making that type of judgment decision is in maintaining consistency. Consistency in applying the double hit fault throughout the match, from player to player, set to set, match to match, between officials, across different levels of play and within geographic regions may be the most difficult aspect of officiating. Good judgment is a murky notion, but necessary to be a top official.

One thing is clear: Judgment of the legality of the double hit is both an art and a science. Adapted from Net Gain: Officiating Volleyball’s Tough Calls, available to NASO members for $12.76 at store.referee.com. 