Referee question here.?

Question

I am a volleyball referee and I just had a very bad game where I got a lot of verbal abuse. The calls I made were valid and still the coaches yelled.

But can anyone give tips for watching the plays to how to deal with this stress?

Answer 1

punch that coach in the face if he yells

Answer 2

coaches are going to yell if the play isn't in favor of their team.  don't let this change your call.  your call is what you see, not what the coach HOPES what happened.  make your call, and get onto the next play.  if the coach/fans/players don't like it...SO WHAT!  you saw what you saw and that is the call that you make.  

just make sure to watch closely.  don't have anything else on your mind right then except for what the ball is doing, and what the players are doing with it.  just ignore the coach....it will be over soon enough.

good luck

Answer 3

u r the ref. forget the coaches. unless they're REALLY mad.  okay, if the line judge hesitates on the answer in our out, go with whatever you think. s***w them. if they weren't watching don't let it ruin the game like so many have done to our team. sigh.

Answer 4

you are the ref...you call it if you think it's right...admit if you made a mistake...but don't play their stupid games...we do it just so you will possibally call it in favor for us. and if it gets really bad...YELLOW CARD them...they should know better. People prob look up to these players...they should act like it.

Answer 5

Did you have a very bad game or did you get a lot of abuse?  

If you had a bad game, just mentally decide that you are human and you will do better next game.

If you had a bad game because the coaches yelled at you, the only thing you did wrong is not bringing out the cards.  If they give a quick and minor disagreement, let it go as part of a reaction.  If it is overt, loud and continues, try the yellow card.  Sometimes a stern verbal warning is enough.  I will call the captain over and tell them that I have heard enough from their coach.  Sometimes, the coach is smart enough to change their tactics.  Sometimes, they think I am bluffing and will not card them.  (I am too old to bluff.  I will give them their yellow card.)  Never threaten and not follow through.  If I sent the message that I have heard enough and I let the coach continue, they will continue forever.  They will start yelling at you at the start of the next time they see you.  (I did a rating on a referee last year.  There was one player that yelled at him non stop.  I could see the referee chewing on his whistle.  I asked him after the match why he did not card #6.  He said that #6 might have been right.  The rule book does not say that the players and coaches can yell at you if they are correct.  As fate would have it, the team that had #6 was playing in the finals.  So was the team that had the referee that I rated.  And I was the first referee.  About 4 plays into the match, #6 started yelling at me.  I called the captain over.  I gave #6 his card and explained to the captain that the next word out of the mouth of #6 other than calling the ball "mine," he would be gone.  And the team did not have any legal subs for him, so it they would also lose the game.  The captain went over to #6 and grabbed him by the shirt and told him to 'SHUT UP" or they would lose the match.  And he did.  The referee I rated just shook his head.)  

It used to bother me when people yelled me.  Now, I realize that people are going to yell at me.  It really bothered me when I had to throw out a coach for the first time.  After talking with other referees, I decided it was not my fault.  It was the fault of the coach.  He wanted to get thrown out.  Every time he got thrown out, his team came from behind and won.  He thought it was because they got fired up without him.  It was really because the players relaxed.  He was more obnoxious to his team than he was to the referees.  With the new stricter rules for the NCAA and NJCAA, he would have been tossed for the rest of that match, PLUS the entire next match.

If you have more questions about refereeing, please feel free to email me.  I am a National USAV referee and a state rated PAVO referee (NCAA) and I teach refereeing clinics all over Texas.