Sticky Situation

[Kegger]

With out offending the men in stripes, what is the best way to approach the following situation? There is a hotly contested High School game being played and the sticks are being swung hard and out of control by both teams and you fear that it is going to get ugly. A) you are a coach of one of the teams B) you are a parent of a player with no grasp of the game C) you are an interested bystander with a lot experience and knowledge of the game. Please give your opinions of each of the situations.

[3rdPersonPlural]

With out offending the men in stripes, what is the best way to approach the following situation? There is a hotly contested High School game being played and the sticks are being swung hard and out of control by both teams and you fear that it is going to get ugly.

As a ref, I start calling every little infraction which establishes that me and my partner are the authorities on that field and we have stopped being patient with sloppy play.

A) you are a coach of one of the teams

The best official in our ranks is also a coach of one of the local prep schools. As a coach he pulls players who are getting frustrated and perhaps dangerous before the refs notice his play. As a ref he includes 'have fun' as an element of his line up speech, and if he sees a player getting chippy he'll get into their face and remind them that having fun is part of his requirement.

B) you are a parent of a player with no grasp of the game

Find a parent who seems to know the game and sit next to him/her.

C) you are an interested bystander with a lot experience and knowledge of the game.

I've done this a lot. Yesterday I had game 2 & 3 at a field and has carpooled down with the ref who had games 1 & 3. i COULD HAVE SAT AT THE SCORER'S TABLE, BUT i SAT IN THE STANDS WITH THE PARENTS AND HELPED THEM UNDERSTAND THE GAME.

(sorry about the caps loc.... Inadvertant)

I was brutally honest. However, I educated those parents that the refs had a better view as well as a mandate to maintain safety that was a mystery to those of us who couldn't see and feel the emotion on the field. I explained about the rules ( the stands called for an offsides when an attackman chased a dribbler into the defensive end - even though all of the middies stayed in the attack end.....), and explained the calls that the parents had no clue about (FTA comes to mind).

If the game is getting ugly and the refs aren't doing anything to stop it and you're an educated observer, all you can do is whip out your cell phone and call the local assigner and tell him that you're looking to add yourself to the ranks of officials.

[CardinalPuff]

a) keep your mouth shut
b) keep your mouth shut
c) keep your mouth shut

[Woodenstick]

IMHO, as a parent or observer (cases B&C) you cannot and should not do anything AT THE GAME (you could make a complaint to the league, AD or assignor afterwards). If you attempt to directly intervene, no matter how well intentioned, well mannered and well informed you are, I don't see how you can do anything but make matters worse. No referee is going to allow spectators to tell him how to officiate the game, no matter how smart the spectator thinks he is.

As a coach, you could request that the officials call the game tighter. If you voice your displeasure politely, maybe you won't get a penalty. Plus you can try to keep your own players under control.

[LaxRef]

a) keep your mouth shut
b) keep your mouth shut
c) keep your mouth shut

I think it's okay for a coach to say they'd like the game called more tightly, if done in the right way, say before the start of the second half with the other coach present. But they'd better not complain when their team gets assessed a UR, a slash, or an IBC.

[Carroll81]

I am new to Lacrosse Officiating this year (hockey for 12 years), and would like to expand the question. What are some techniques for the official to tighten a game like this without disrupting the flow too much. In hockey we might start by talking to the captains between periods, then start handing out 10 minute misconduct penalties. In a really bad situation we might talk with the coaches between periods, and have found that the coaches can quickly intervene if you work with them. Any suggestions for a newbie?

[LaxRef]

I am new to Lacrosse Officiating this year (hockey for 12 years), and would like to expand the question. What are some techniques for the official to tighten a game like this without disrupting the flow too much. In hockey we might start by talking to the captains between periods, then start handing out 10 minute misconduct penalties. In a really bad situation we might talk with the coaches between periods, and have found that the coaches can quickly intervene if you work with them. Any suggestions for a newbie?


Welcome to the forum!

I'm doing a series of articles on Game Management in the MDOC Newsletter "Stripes." Much of it is based in the material in this thread:

http://www.lacrosseforums.com/showthread.php?t=62464

You can find back issues of stripes at:

http://www.uslacrosse.org/mens_div/mdocnews.phtml

I hope that helps!

[CardinalPuff]

I think it's okay for a coach to say they'd like the game called more tightly, if done in the right way, say before the start of the second half with the other coach present. But they'd better not complain when their team gets assessed a UR, a slash, or an IBC.
yea, i know but an official can dream, can't he?

[Kegger]

Thanks for the answers. I have been the coach who had to deal with MANY upset parents most of whom were seeing their first or second lacrosse game. There was one parent who had played division 1 who was so incensed that he became an official. I also have been the coach who went to the officials at the half and asked/ warned them if they did not tighten it up it was heading down an ugly trail. I also was the official who was asked to tighten it up and I did with one caveat that if I hear one complaint about a slash call then it would be 3 minutes. The latest I was watching two local rivals go at it and after the game I approached the officials as they were leaving and offered congratulations to them on being very consistent through out the entire game with my observation that the game was bordering on a riot because of the lack of those slash calls and they both took the criticism well.

[WALaxRef]

With out offending the men in stripes, what is the best way to approach the following situation? There is a hotly contested High School game being played and the sticks are being swung hard and out of control by both teams and you fear that it is going to get ugly. A) you are a coach of one of the teams B) you are a parent of a player with no grasp of the game C) you are an interested bystander with a lot experience and knowledge of the game. Please give your opinions of each of the situations.

Thanks for the answers. I have been the coach who had to deal with MANY upset parents most of whom were seeing their first or second lacrosse game. There was one parent who had played division 1 who was so incensed that he became an official. I also have been the coach who went to the officials at the half and asked/ warned them if they did not tighten it up it was heading down an ugly trail. I also was the official who was asked to tighten it up and I did with one caveat that if I hear one complaint about a slash call then it would be 3 minutes. The latest I was watching two local rivals go at it and after the game I approached the officials as they were leaving and offered congratulations to them on being very consistent through out the entire game with my observation that the game was bordering on a riot because of the lack of those slash calls and they both took the criticism well.

I believe a coach should come to me with concerns. Presumably the coach at least owns a rules and maybe even has opened it a few times. I would expect the coach, the role model he should be, would approach me with respect as I do all coaches. Yes my voice is heated but I am never disrespectful; I expect the same in return.

A parent can come up after the game and ask me a question and as long as it is done in a non-threatening manner I will do my best to answer the question. I have twice been followed to my car by an angry parent since becoming an official. Call it hypersensitivity or what you will, but I just wanted to leave as I fear that I would A) something I would later regret or B) end up a victim. I have at some games, particularly MS games, gone to the parents at half and asked the Parents if they had any questions. More often then not I get a 'No' but every so often I get "down here in the corner there was a <insert whatever> and you called <blank>.. what was that?" I will do my best to answer the question.

Is there such a thing as an innocent bystander? But like a parent (how would I know if a person was a parent or not for that matter), if I was approached in a non-threatening way I would gladly answer any question.

[Skubala]

a) The WORST thing is for a coach to start yelling - it incites ignorant (not a pejorative) fans. Flag him EARLY. You will save yourself untold pain and your fellow refs will thank you that they have not inherited the bad behavior that you turned into a habit. The best thing (if you MUST do SOMETHING) would be to privately and discreetly ask the ref to tighten up on the wild stick play.

b) Novice LAX parents should find something to chew on besides the ref.

c) Gear up or shut up.

[spenny]

c) Gear up or shut up.


niiiice...
can i get that put on the back of our coaching shirts, you know, the side that the parents will see during games? :worship: