Dealing with the coaches and the bench
The Coach’s Job
• To convey tactical instructions
• To make decisions on substitutions
• To control the team’s attitude and behavior
• To control an individual player’s attitude and behavior
• To manage the bench area
It is NOT
the coach’s job
to
Sometimes they just need to be reminded…
COACH REFEREE
SO…
Before the game begins:
• Be cordial
• Be confident
• Be professional
• Do not put yourself above the coach
• Do not put yourself above the game
• Do not be confrontational
• It’s all about ATTITUDE
Referee Needs to
• Introduce yourself • Ask who will be conveying tactical instructions • Who will be asking for substitutions• Have the substitutions in bibs all the time.• Set a location for the bench area unless one is marked
How to Deal with Coaches
During the game:
• Be in position to make the critical decisions
• Use a hard, strong whistle
• Use strong signals
• Show confidence in your decisions
How to Deal with Coaches
How to Deal with Coaches
Comments
We need to decide if the comments are
• Emotional Outbursts
• Dissent
• Offensive, Insulting, or Abusive Language
Emotional Outbursts
• Said in the heat of the moment
• Usually confined to one comment
• Does not persist
• Not a personal attack on the referee or his/her authority
• “Come on, ref!”
• “That was a foul!”
Emotional Outbursts
• Ignore the comment
• Give a quick, stern look
• Give a quick comment
• “No, coach!”
Dissent
Persists past the one comment
• Not a personal attack, but starts to challenge the referee’s authority
• May throw or kick things at the bench area (clipboard, water bottles)
• Makes a spectacle of the situation
How to deal with Dissent
• At a stoppage, go to the coach
• Ask – Tell – Dismiss
• Be calm, confident, firm, and professional
• Do not get into an argument…Make your comments and get out of there!
If we give a final warning (Tell) and the problem persists,
WE MUST
FOLLOW THROUGH!
Why Coaches Dissent
In the eyes of the coach:• The referee does not appear professional• The referee does not know the Laws• The referee is not in the correct position to
make a decision• The referee does not recognize a foul• The referee is not recognizing persistent
infringement• The referee is not recognizing tactical fouls
Offensive, Insulting, or Abusive Language
• The comments/behavior have gone beyond dissent
• Inappropriate language or gestures are used
• The comments have crossed the line and are now personal
Offensive, Insulting, or Abusive Language
• Whether you stop the game or wait for a natural stoppage, the coach MUST be Dismissed
• Go towards the bench area (but keep a safe distance) tell the coach he is being dismissed from the game and must leave the field and its vicinity
• Be calm, confident, firm, and professional
Offensive, Insulting, or Abusive Language
• Do not restart the game until he or she has left the field
• In a youth game, if there is no assistant coach, the game must be replaced by an adult with ID
• If the game was stopped to remove the coach, play must be restarted with a dropped ball
• After the game, be sure to include a detailed account of the incident in a supplemental report
Higher Levels of Coaching
Today’s coaches are:
more knowledgeable
recruiting higher skilled players
developing better teams at younger ages
Dealing With Spectators
Before the game begins:
• Deal with spectator issues through coaches
• Have spectators moved from the bench area to appropriate areas
• You may ask spectators to move back from the touchline before you start the game and during the game
Dealing with Spectators
During the game:
• Never engage a spectator in conversation
• If the spectator interferes with the game or your ability to manage the game:– At a stoppage of play go to the home team
coach and get them to deal with the spectator– Have the coach or administrator remove the
problem spectator
Dealing with Spectators
• After the Game:
• If game was contentious:– Wait for the spectators to leave– Leave with security – Always leave as a team
• If game was not a problem– Leave quickly as a team– Write report away from the spectator
It is NOT
the spectator’s job
to
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