I have said this a hundred times, and it is absolutely true, giving technicals, especially to a coach, provides an adrenaline rush that makes the calling official frequently get just goofy. A good thing for the pre-game, if someone calls a T, one of the other 2 guys become the QB and call the play for the crew. Conversation should go like this:
Partner: "OK, you have a T? What's the deal?"
Gunslinger: "Yeah, I whacked Coach Jackass."
Partner: "OK, white had the ball. So white shoots 2 at this end, and gets the ball that basket. Rookie, go administer the free throws."
Rookie should already be on his way getting the free throws shot.
Partner: "Gunslinger, you need to go talk to the coach?"
Gunslinger: No, nothing to say. He knows what he did."
Partner: "Great. Just go across."
Coach Jackass: "What did I do?"
Partner: "He said you know what you did. It was automatic."
Coach Jackass: "I want him to come over and provide an explanation!"
Partner: "No, you need to calm down first. Now's not the time. He has nothing to say right now."
Coach Jackass: "I want an explanation!"
Partner: "Take it up with our assignor after the game. Let's move on."
Then get away. Partner managed the situation, and made sure that the level-headed one who has no dog in the fight got the game going correctly.
There are situations where a T on a coach gets uglier. As Partner, you have to understand several things:
1. Are you the Partner who should be dealing with it, or are you the Rookie of the crew? Know your role.
2. You must deal with the coach if he is still hot after the T. You have no choice.
3. You must get the coach back into the coaches box. Walk him back there, if necessary.
4. Keep the calling official away from a coach that gets more pissed after a T. Hard to win with that. Tell the coach that if he is that upset, to deal with the assignor after the game.
5. If the coach won't get back into the box, or continues with profanity towards the calling official, you have to toss him. The calling official should not give both T's. That opens a can or worms that your assignor will not want to deal with. Make it easy, and be a team. Protect both the coach and the calling official in these situations. Be nice, but crystal clear, back into the box and calm down or he is choosing to get thrown out. If that's what he really wants (it almost never is), then oblige him.
6. Be cognizant of what a film will show. Angry coaches have bad gestures and body language. They are aggressive. Be calm and matter of fact. That's what being a non-calling official allows. Get him in the box, address him quickly, and then get distance from the coach. If he continues on, the film will show his continued aggression, your attempts to solve it, and proof of why he had to be tossed, if it comes to that. This same principle works for the initial T, too.
This happens a lot. It happened to me last year. U2 made the worst call/subsequent decision I have seen 16 years of officiating, leading to a blowout by a coach of epic proportions. U1 T'd him. Coach continued unabated at half-court while U2 kept yelling, "I'm sorry!" to the coach. U1 tells me I need to get the coach into the box, which shook me out of my state of shock and got me to manage the situation and prevent an ejection that was warranted but would have been bad for the crew and the game since we messed up in a huge way on the call that led to the meltdown.
Bottom line, help you partners when they whack someone. Even Tommy D in Goodfellas needed Jimmy and Henry to bury the bodies. Don't stand around with you thumb up your ass. Get involved, help your partner ,and help the coach or player who got whacked to gain control of themselves.
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