Yelling at the referees - benefit or drawback?

[Rain Man]

The thread about best coaches for some reason got me thinking about sideline demeanor.

I like that Andy doesn't yell at referees. Assuming that they haven't been bribed by Robert Kraft, referees are trying to do their job, and they're part of the football ecosystem. In the Super Bowl, Andy was minding his own business and the Rat's child was throwing tantrums, and it made me really glad to be a Chiefs fan.

However, it got me wondering about the most effective strategy. If I'm a ref, I'm going to like Andy a lot more. But the old saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" is often true.

What's the best strategy on handling the officials if you're a head coach? Should you more or less ignore them like Andy does, and occasionally educate them on the rules when they're wrong? Should you violently argue every single call? Does it make any difference, because an NFL official is immune to outside influence?

[eDave]

More flies with honey, or something like that. I live that.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by eDave

More flies with honey, or something like that. I live that.

I like his style, refs are going to make mistakes they are human and humans hold grudges so in the long run his style is more beneficial to the team I think.
most of the major mistakes get overturned these days and well the others were judgement calls.


As a fan am I going to still yell at them, absolutely .

[Dartgod]

This should be the default reaction anytime the refs get involved.

[Rain Man]

I think you politely point out the error on close calls against your team, and you politely acknowledge all calls against the other team. If you argue against all calls against your team, then you lose credibility, and if you acknowledge only close calls against the other team, then you're acknowledging that they were close, which may have some competitive disadvantage on a makeup call or something.

I would also politely argue my case on replays, but only if I felt that I had a good argument. Again, you don't want to lose credibility by advocating something that's obviously incorrect. You want the officials to take it to heart when you point something out, because they know that you're probably right.

[Monticore]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

This should be the default reaction anytime the refs get involved.

Classic Kelce.

[digger]

just ignore them...

[Dayze]

I try not to get too upset with people who are incompetent to begin with.

[SAUTO]

I coached a couple of flag football teams this past season and I made it a point to never complain about calls. I thought it was a bad look to the kids.


But parents would act like fools and it always seemed like more bad calls started after that.

Hell I thought I was going to come to blows with 2 of my own players parents during the championship game when they were trying to fight the refs (who are all just kids).

[seclark]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

I coached a couple of flag football teams this past season and I made it a point to never complain about calls. I thought it was a bad look to the kids.


But parents would act like fools and it always seemed like more bad calls started after that.

Hell I thought I was going to come to blows with 2 of my own players parents during the championship game when they were trying to fight the refs (who are all just kids).

coaching kids is a no win situation when their parents are shitheads.
sec

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by seclark

coaching kids is a no win situation when their parents are shitheads.
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Dude...


Making it even more difficult was we were an out of town team playing in their league. Yelling at those kids whose brothers were on the teams we were playing against wasn't going to help at all.


What really ground my gears was the fact that out of 18 kids no one would coach a team and I had a right hand in a cast. But I agreed to coach a team, ended up coaching BOTH teams and then they had the ball to show up and act like assholes.

They would show up to about every third practice and try to get involved and I put an end to that really quick.

[Bill Brasky]

I don't think constantly berating refs actually helps. Picking your battles and being selectively vocal seems like it would be more effective.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Bill Brasky

I don't think constantly berating refs actually helps. Picking your battles and being selectively vocal seems like it would be more effective.

I liked to use the style of mentioning it between plays just to the ref. Just politely asking if what happened was a penalty, or pointing out what were penalties and asking them to just keep an eye out.

[Ubeja Vontell]

I have never in all my years of watching football at all levels ever seen a coach attack an official with verbal abuse and have that official pick up the flag and wave off the penalty. So why bother with it? And, everybody knows it all evens out anyway.

Refs don't give a shit about who wins or loses, they do their best.

[DrRyan]

Originally Posted by SAUTO

I coached a couple of flag football teams this past season and I made it a point to never complain about calls. I thought it was a bad look to the kids.


But parents would act like fools and it always seemed like more bad calls started after that.

Hell I thought I was going to come to blows with 2 of my own players parents during the championship game when they were trying to fight the refs (who are all just kids).

Generally this was the case with me when coaching my son's team last season. Except during the end of season tourney... The team we were playing was getting physical, using stiff arms, etc (all not allowed) so I brought that call the refs over at halftime to discuss it. First play of the second half my son is coming up to pull a flag, the worst offender on the other team literally puts a right cross on his cheek/eye. No call. I am close to losing it at this point, ref says he didn't see it. Again, I tell him what is happening and "would you keep an eye on it?" 2-3 plays later it happens again, no call. The parents are losing it, the kids are a losing it. I bring both refs over again showing them the already bruised face. Their response, "how do I know that isn't a sun burn?"

It was pretty absurd.

Edit: my answer should have been strongly arguing close calls. I think I tends to apply more to basketball than football, but I frequently see the coaches riding the officials getting calls.