Hi all,
The Savannah Junior Derby Taunts and Savannah Sirens will hold a junior scrimmage at this year's Blocktoberfest hosted by the Savannah Derby Devils. We really need some refs to help us with our scrimmage. It will be a mixed- level junior scrimmage. It starts at 12 noon. October 27th, 2018 @ the National Guard Armory in Savannah. We will provide a gift basket to each ref as a token of our appreciation and also offer a gas card to any ref that travels from outside of Savannah.  You can contact me here or at  theurbanashram@yahoo.com or IM me on the Derby Taunts FB page
Thanks in advance,
Terry Thomas, ILC
Savannah Junior Derby Taunts

I agree a straddling skater doesn't have a position to lose. They lost it the momment they went straddling, and cannot lose it from contact initiated to them after becoming straddling.

Does directional contact from an IB player that keeps a straddling playing from fully reentering in bounds count as loss of position?

I honestly think the only inappropriateness is questioning/hindering this.

If an outside ref is asked to and does review the officiating after a bout/tournament, the only outcomes I could see are a disgruntled coach, if everything's on the up-and-up, or an avenue to more accurate reffing in the future, if there was indeed gross error.  Since the coach is already miffed it's a no-lose scenario, if one really cares for the sport.

And who better than another ref to maybe explain to the coach that, okay, in hindsight or from the bench, that was the wrong call, but taking into account the angle of view from the ref lane and how fast the calls need to be made it's completely understandable why the call was made.

I do get the feeling that this action was not presented to you in the best manner, and I'm sorry you had to go through that.  Your work is being questioned and that never feels good.

...but to be honest, that's what we do to skaters.  We second-guess their actions.  They may think something they did was legal, we see it - from a different angle - and we call it illegal. And our word goes and they have to go to the box or risk insubordination.  It's the same thing - you're seeing things one way, and the coach is seeing things another.  You're actually in the role we place most skaters in many times, and you should be able to handle it with the same level grace we ask of skaters.  You can make a face in the box, but don't stand on the track and argue.

If a coach at my league pulled that I'd respond by asking an outside coach to watch the team and making a list of flaws with their team's strategy.  Admitted,  I come from an area densely populated with leagues, but my local officials have a "we're not going to take that shit" attitude.  We're always open to constructive feedback.  We are not open to pissy coaches pursuing personal vendettas against us.

"Blame the refs" is a defense strategy for coaches as old as there have been organized sports, and it's not going away anytime soon.  So in that manner, the coach is likely to pull stunts like this again and again.  Channeling his behavior in a more construction fashion is key to addressing it.  League leadership might be able to help with that -- if he's running his mouth with the officials, he's likely doing it with others as well.  It might help if you point out that another incident or two like this from the coach and the league will no longer have officials willing to work his games.

All this being said, there might be something to what he says.  It may be well worth asking an outsider of your own -- an official with a good eye and a strong mastery of rules and procedure -- to watch the game and provide you their own list of feedback.  I suspect you and your crew would be the first to admit there's room for improvement; the coach is just being a douchebag as they point this out.

TL;DR -- Coach is being a douchebag. Come up with a proactive plan for both curbing their behavior, and improving as an officiating crew.