Anyone watching sports has surely witnessed an argument between officials and coaches. Some conflicts are handled amicably, while others escalate or even get out of hand. The relationship between a coach and an official is important no matter what is disagreed upon.
Coach Tom Bass, a 30-year NFL coach who worked the sidelines with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers, explained his perspective on effectively communicating with officials.
"Basically any time you think a bad call has been made, you should wait until there's a timeout or break in the action," Bass said. "It doesn't do any good to do it in heat of the moment, and it sends the wrong message to your players if you're yelling at the official."
The importance of setting a good example for the players makes it necessary for coaches and officials to forge positive relationships despite their differences at times.
"What you do is try to build mutual respect for each other's job," Bass said. "Coaches have to respect the officials and officials have to respect the coaches. The big thing is that the players have to understand this is something that must be done."
Bass said a coach's relationship with an official is also influential on an individual players' conduct. Coaches set forth the example for how players should treat other coaches, teammates and opponents.
"The number one priority other than teaching the game is to show the players how to conduct themselves. You have to do that not only through your words but through your actions."
But sometimes coaches can get let their passion for the game stir up emotions about a particular call that leads to them taking their feelings out on an official. Bass said there's one such experience that stands out to him most when he was coaching in the NFL.
"I was yelling at an official once," he said. "He never looked at me, but backed up and said, 'Tom, I have both books of your poetry. I take them with me on every trip. I enjoy reading them, and if you're going to yell that stuff at me, please make it rhyme.'"
After the official's comments, Bass said nothing else.
"I started laughing and I shut up. It was the best put down I ever had."
Arguments over game calls are going to happen. They occur all the time in sports, but Bass said questioning an official isn't always necessary. First and foremost, coaches must be well aware of the rules before they argue with an official about a call.
"Number one, you have to try to know the rules yourself before you start questioning calls," Bass said. It bothers me when I hear coaches complaining about officials when they're not sure of the rules they're complaining about."
And as in most cases, arguing with an official doesn't likely lead to a change in the call either. As frustrating as that can be for coaches, the game must continue and coaches have to remain focused on their team.
"They're not going to change your calls, so it's better just to learn to live with them. Just know things are going to even out somewhere along the line."
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way"-the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found at http://www.coachbass.com/.
