A Conversation With Coaches and Captains

Before each game begins, officials will meet with captains for each team. The meeting with captains will generally take place between 4-8 minutes prior to the game beginning. At this time officials will explain if there are any issues with the court or location and offer insight regarding the officials' expectations of captains as leaders of their teams. After I make my expectations known I will close with, "Do you have any questions for me?" This season I have only heard one question from a captain. Otherwise, the most common answer is simply, "No."

With roughly two minutes remaining before game time I will approach the coaches for each team and offer my expectations of each coach. Generally I will say, "Coach, please let me know if you want a full or thirty second timeout when you make the request. And, please control the bench so we can remain focused on calling the game." Then, I follow with, "Do you have any questions of us?" Again, the most common answer is, "No."

Before the game, each coach and captain is given the opportunity to address any behaviors or concerns, and more often than not, neither coaches or captains take advantage of my undivided attention. This is significant since this may be the only time of the game where the attention is undivided. Once the game begins, everyone will have a job to perform, so questions and responses will need to be direct and quick. The time for general conversation is over.

In working with officials (or at least this official) I offer coaches and captains the following advice:

1. Learn and use the officials' names. At each meeting I will introduce myself as Adam to both the captains and the coaches. Speaking with me by name rather than "Ref" lets me know the question or comment is coming from someone who is involved in the game, and has met me for a reason. It's a gesture that demonstrates a desire to work together. For instance, with coworkers we tend to address each other by name rather than title, and the game doesn't have to be any different. A name means we want to work together, and it's a courtesy I like to extend to coaches and captains as well.
2. Use the meetings before the game. Pregame meetings are great for asking an official about philosophy regarding calling a game. For example, ask for clarification about common complaints such as three-seconds, hand checking, etc. Personally, I like to try and communicate with players to "get out of the key" or "get the hands off" before I start blowing my whistle. As a coach or player, if you hear me say "get out" or "hands off," then it's a cue to tell players to "move" or "play with your feet." Knowing how an officials calls a game could help a coach understand the best to play a team based on a crew's philosophy.
   
   The pregame meeting is also a good time to ask when is the best time to bring something to the officials' attention, and ask how much time can be expected per conversation. This can provide coaches and captains an opportunity to reflect on how to frame a question or conversation to maximize the feedback that can be offered by an official. One official may prefer timeouts as a time to address a question. Another may prefer to speak during free throws. Knowing you have an official's attention should help in receiving the desired information.
3. Not even the best officials get 100% of the calls right. I have heard and read that the best NBA officials will have a call accuracy of 90 percent. That means one out of ten calls will be incorrect. That also means that a 90 percent call accuracy is coming from someone depends on accuracy for their livelihood.
   
   Keeping that in mind, if an official is an accountant by day, and an official by night, if he blows his whistle 50 times a game for fouls and violations, then missing five of the calls would be fantastic. I would go on to say that a high school basketball official that makes 80 percent of the right calls is a good official. An official may miss a slap on the wrist, but will get the travel, hold, push, and block.

Overall, I enjoyed the game of basketball as a player, and I appreciate the level of commitment made my coaches and players to go out and play a game. As an official, I now appreciate the amount of time needed to study rules, watch film, and attend meetings in order to improve play calling ability. The goal of a good official is to enforce the rules so no team gains an unfair advantage, and maintain proper levels of courtesy throughout the game. Hopefully the advice here helps coaches and captains understand how to better use the officials for that purpose.