Mark Smith is a referee in the CLA. Each week he looks at the challenges of being a ref.
There are some plays where a coach or player disagrees with the call the referee has made or has not made. This can cause several different reactions from different players or coaches, which can leave the referee with the tough task of calming them down and de-escalating the situation. Successful referees use their problem solving and conflict management skills in these situations, which are both crucial skills that an official must use in order to keep situations from escalating during the course of the game.
When a coach is angrily disputing a call or non-call made by an official, it is important for the official to remember to stay calm. By keeping a calm manner, it provides a chance for the situation to diffuse itself. Many times a coach will be criticizing a ref after a penalty call when the official is starting the play back up at the center of the floor. It is important to communicate with your officiating partner and switch to the opposite side of the floor as the team’s bench. This space between the official and the bench gives the official the chance to distance themselves from the coaches and not stand directly beside the bench that they have just called a penalty on. Coaches can see their emotions run high over the course of the game, which must be taken into consideration by the officials.
When a player receives a penalty they often make their way to their penalty box alongside or nearby of the official who has just called the penalty. This path to the penalty box is often used by the player as a chance to speak his mind to the official and offer their personal opinion on the game. More times than not, this conversation results in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, as players are often upset, angry or irate at the official for calling a penalty on them. It is crucial for an official to not engage the player in a verbal jousting match, as this often leads to the player getting themselves another penalty or misconduct. There are occurrences where maybe the angry player may have not escalated the situation had they not been verbally exchanging with the referee, which is why it is key to keep conversation with players to a minimum in those situations.
Coaches and players both get caught up in the intensity and excitement of the game. This can sometimes lead to tempers flaring and dramatic emotional swings, which can cause some players and coaches to give the officials a hard time during the game. There is criticism directed at officials by a large portion of players and coaches in almost every game, which is why it is so important for an official to be able to deal with the emotions of the coaches and players.
