Bias Refs

[hahahaha]

I coach high a school team, and it seems we are getting treated a little unfairly. Throughout the year one of my assistants has been very vocal about calls that he thought were unwarranted. Not being extremely condescending towards the ref, he would say something towards the effect of, "You gotta make that call ref" or , "C'mon let the kids play". Since there is really only one ref in our area, he told me before our last game, "One word out of him today and I am throwing the flag for a 1 minute non-releasable." Well, as a staff we made sure that only the head coach was talking to the ref, and on a push to the back on one of our players, the ref correctly called the push and then one of our coaches yelled, "Good Job, Doug". The ref immediately threw the flag and gave our sidelines a 1 minute non-releasable penatly because he thought he heard, "Good job, ref" and he deemed that enough to give us a penalty. I don't believe this comment, even if our coach did say "ref" warrants a 1 minute penalty. Anyways, my question is: We have a playoff game coming up and I know the same referee will be doing our game. How do I approach him before the game and tell him to act as a professional and not let his prejudgements or anything that has happened in the year before affect what he does for the game? How do I tell him to let the kids decide the game and not him without adding fuel to his fire?

[Kyle Berggren]

Well, this is from a coach that rides officials pretty hard when they're not doing well or I feel they are inadequate... Cut your losses, video tape the game, be so focused on coaching your team and getting them into it & your intensity that when the wrong call is made/missed, you just move on. This is something that I am currently struggling with, when things don't go your way, or a call or two may have effected the game, don't waste your energy or voice... Actually, very recently I was at a 2 goal game with 3 minutes left, and the officials missed a crucial off-sides (7 men on D), and a goal immediately followed... now a 1 goal game. It's hard, but jumping on them doesn't always help, the game still has to be finished, you'll have a video tape to help them learn later if they're that bad.

[Lax_Stats]

I coach high a school team, and it seems we are getting treated a little unfairly. Throughout the year one of my assistants has been very vocal about calls that he thought were unwarranted. Not being extremely condescending towards the ref, he would say something towards the effect of, "You gotta make that call ref" or , "C'mon let the kids play". Since there is really only one ref in our area, he told me before our last game, "One word out of him today and I am throwing the flag for a 1 minute non-releasable." Well, as a staff we made sure that only the head coach was talking to the ref, and on a push to the back on one of our players, the ref correctly called the push and then one of our coaches yelled, "Good Job, Doug". The ref immediately threw the flag and gave our sidelines a 1 minute non-releasable penatly because he thought he heard, "Good job, ref" and he deemed that enough to give us a penalty. I don't believe this comment, even if our coach did say "ref" warrants a 1 minute penalty. Anyways, my question is: We have a playoff game coming up and I know the same referee will be doing our game. How do I approach him before the game and tell him to act as a professional and not let his prejudgements or anything that has happened in the year before affect what he does for the game? How do I tell him to let the kids decide the game and not him without adding fuel to his fire?

I was once told several years ago by our league Head referee that "Assistant coaches are like children; they should be seen but not heard!" Most of us however will allow the assistant some latitude to speak to us if he is doing so in a gentlemanly fashion, displaying good sportsmanship, and simply asking for clarification of something. If the assistants are bickering, being condescending, making comments about the officiating, riding the officials, etc, then they are going to get flagged in a heartbeat for either a conduct or USC foul, and the head coach instructed to "muzzle his dog"! As a head coach, you should make it clear to your asst coach to do his job as an asst to help your team, but to lay off the refs no matter what. While officials are to remain professional and unbiased at all times, there is no quicker way to perhaps have that black and white area become a little gray when it comes to getting the call or not getting the call. Let the official keep his head in the game by telling your asst coach to just keep his mouth shut. He is there to asst YOU, the head coach, and NOT to ride the officials. Remind him it is YOUR job to address the officials on any issues you feel need addressing and NOT his.

As far as how you approach the ref in question before the game to share your concerns with him, YOU DON'T!!!! Approaching the official in this manner would be highly inappropriate!!! If you have some concerns, you need to address those with your Head referee, district assigner, league administration, or governing body, and let them deal with the situation and your concerns.

[LaxRef]

The assistant coaches should not be giving the officials a hard time, or talking to them at all. However, this incident does illustrate the danger of the "not one more word" threat: you either need to penalize, even if the person is agreeable, or you have to back down.

As usual, we don't know what happened exactly. The assistant could have yelled a mocking "Good call, Ref!" with a mocking, unspoken undertone of "It's about time you got one right!"

BTW, I think Sonny is about to kick your butt for violating the forum guidelines, since I'm pretty certain this official could figure out you were talking about him.

Oh, and LS is right: you talk to the assigner if you think there's an issue with this official's objectivity. Personally, I try not to come into a game with any baggage against anyone, but if someone has been a real jerk in the past it's sometimes hard. I've been surprised on occasion, too, when coaches that used to be over the line are perfect gentlemen!

[semilaxed]

I think the problem here is that lax has become to legal rather than right and wrong. I personally feel since playing lax for 12 years I know the rules better than most refs. If i wanted to i could find a penalty every 30 secs. on the field. But after playing maryland rutgers and nyit last year i realized a much better way of reffing. The refs in those games only called things that were either dangerous or had potential to change the game. In my mind a tap on the helmet isn't a slash. A hard hit on the arm touching the stick isn't a slash. I feel like the club refs and the high school refs might as well make the kids play with nerf sticks.

Now that i said that back to the topic. Im trying to say refs calling all these calls makes the coaches start to look for every little call. But the coach shouldn't be telling the ref he missed any small call. They should be telling there players what to do better. When i hear a coach doing that, he just sounds like Lionel Hutz looking for loop holes.

Now i don't mind refs that played lax but there are alot who never played and don't realize that when the adrenaline is going most stick checks to the arm don't hurt. I can't believe how many times i have seen slashs called on things that haven't even phased the opposing player. Im not advacating changing the rule book im just saying stop affecting the game.

sorry for typing so much i don't want it to be a attack on refs i would just like them to think about it.

[DIEHARDLAX]

In our conference the refs that we have are tremendously biased...I asked both of our regular refs why he wasn't calling obvious slahing and push from behind calls. He then told me since we were beating them so badly he just wanted to get the game over...I then commented isnt your job to call the RIGHT game...he then gave me a one minute technical penalty...so you dont have it so bad.

[laxfan25]

I coach high a school team, and it seems we are getting treated a little unfairly. Throughout the year one of my assistants has been very vocal about calls that he thought were unwarranted. Not being extremely condescending towards the ref, he would say something towards the effect of, "You gotta make that call ref" or , "C'mon let the kids play".

Well, you're first problem is that you shouldn't be coaching high - it sets a bad example for the kids.
The next sentence is the root of your problem. As LaxStats pointed out, the job of asst. coaches is to help coach the team, period. I will tolerate some talk from a head coach, but I don't want to hear anything from the rest of the bench.
Shut up the asst and you'll be better off for it all around.
Your second comment is interesting - "vocal about calls that he thought were unwarranted". His next comments though are paradoxical - "C'mon, let the kids play" would indicate that he thinks too much is being called, but "You gotta make that call" says that he wants more flags. Which way do you want it? More on their team and less on yours?
If you are that short on refs that you have the same person every game - you'd better learn to recognize his style and limits and coach accordingly.
Talking to him before the game and telling him to be professional is certainly NOT the way to go - conducting your own and your assistants' business in a professional manner WOULD be a wise choice.
What happens if he decides that putting up with the grief from your bench just isn't worth it anymore and quits - are you better off? Will you have the coaches just make the calls from the bench? (Which it sounds like you're doing already). Just food for thought.