The topic of Coach Misconduct comes up frequently enough on this board, so let me offer something to everyone. I will describe how I train our officials to handle interactions with coaches. I am fully aware that our approach is not used by other associations. I will describe what we define as a Clarification Question, and what constitutes a Coach Conference.
.
Clarification Question
.
A clarification question is something a coach can ask within 2 seconds. And the referee can either answer back within 2 seconds, or decide that an Official's Time Out may be warranted (e.g., to investigate whether the scoreboard, or time remaining, etc. are accurate). A clarification question is not a DISCUSSION - it is a quick question and an equally rapid response. Coach wanted to know something and the referee gave a response - all without interupting the match. The clarification question should be asked from the bench/corner - no need to get up and go to the table and cause some sort of delay. Simply remain in your corner and ask your question:
.
Coach - "Was there near fall?
Referee - "No, wasn't in criteria. Green, take your position on the bottom....."
.
See how that works? Quick and easy. No violations or penalties involved, just a rapid exchange of information that helps all sides stay in sync.
.
Coach Conference/Coach Misconduct
.
If a coach wants something more than the 5 second question-answer exchange of a Clarification Question, the referee should ask a very straightforward question to the coach: "Are you requesting a conference?"
.
Now the coach is 100% in control of their fate. If they answer NO, then the match simply resumes and we didn't have to interrupt the wrestling at all. If the they answer YES, then the referee MUST go to the scorer's table to meet. The Coach Conference starts with the referee asking this question, "What rule misapplication would you like to discuss?"
.
At this point, there are only two possible outcomes which will result from this conference:
.
1) The referee corrects a ruling
2) The coach receives a Coach Misconduct
.
It is that straightforward. The coach has the conference as an avenue to rectify something the referee ruled upon in error. But.......that avenue carries an associated risk/cost of a Coach Misconduct if the rule application was correct, or if the coach only wanted to question the judgment of the official. This penalty exists in all sports as a means of limiting needless interruptions in a contest. If the interruption was warranted (e.g., the referee ruled in error0, then no penalty because you could basically classify this interruption as "necessary".
.
Keep in mind that the sport of wrestling is designed for continuous action, and the better conditioned athlete should have an advantage over a lesser conditioned opponent, the longer the match goes on. If we allow needless interruptions to the match, without any consequence, then we are altering the competitive balance unfairly to the benefit of the lesser conditioned athlete.
.
My last point on all of this is that it is just good hygiene to formalize the Coach Conference with that simple question, "Are you requesting a conference?". No coach should ever be caught by surprise with a Coach Misconduct penalty - it should only happen because the coach has consciously chosen to take that risk. Often enough, when asked that simple question, I find many coaches will decline to pursue the matter. But again, we want that choice to be 100% in control of the coach. And this should always be handled in a measured, professional manner - it shouldn't be a time when emotions get amped up on either side of the discussion.