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Show LGl ! fJOCEl) ; Gal CJi DansCi? By DAVE WIGHAM One of the high school coaches, a diehard Aggie (an who always wants points, brought a subject to my attention at-tention that many other coaches had commented on. THE SUBJECT is the officiating of basketball games. These coaches weren't criticizing the Job that these officials of-ficials are doing, although some might have good cases, but they were down on a new rule and the problems It is creating. That new rule is that a coach cannot get up off of his seat during the game. Right away a problem arises in that the efficials interpret the rule in different ways. I talked to several officials and they agreed on the letter of the rule but some admitted that they won't call it to the letter. THE COACHES have valid points when they say they are the only sport in high school athletics that are penalized in such a manner. A football coach can storm up and down the sidelines and say something and nothing is done. A basketball coach gets up and it's a technical foul. A baseball coach is at third base yelling his lungs out, that's also out in basketball. Officials say that when a basketball coach stands up and argues a call it insights fan reaction. Believe me if it was a questionable call the fans need no help. MOST OFFICIALS say they won't call the technical if the coach Is coaching his players, but how do they know the difference. One coach related this story. "We were playing a team that has a mild mannered coach, he's quiet. He was talking to his team when he stood up to shout so they could hear, one of the officials called him for the technical." He went on to say he was almost embarrassed em-barrassed to have his team shoot the two shots. Another coach pointed out that he felt that certain officials of-ficials pay too much attention to the new rule. "They'll let anything go under the boards but stand up once and they won't miss that call. They tend to look more toward the benches with the new rule, looking for the coach to pop off rather than paying full attention to the game." THIS ISN'T saying that all officials are In these categories but the coaches do have some good points. The rule is supposed to be imposed In the college ranks too, but they don't call it. One observer says it's because the home team coach has a lot to do with selecting the officials of-ficials while in high school, the coaches have nothing to say or do with who officiates his games. The rule seemed like a good one when they wrote it but enforcing it seems to be different in every game. |
