The coach should introduce themselves to the officials (referees and scoretable) before the game (if there is time) and should thank the officials after the game. That should be the extent of the interaction with the referees when coaching young teams.

The coach should focus on their players, not the referees! The more the coach speaks to the referee, the more players are also likely to also focus on the referees.

Often in games involving young teams, game officials will also be young and inexperienced. They will make mistakes, but the coach should be supportive of the officials.

If during a game the coach needs to speak to the referee they should do so politely and respectfully. It is best to do so during a break in play and the coach should get the referees attention and ask them to come over.

The coach should then ask their question, which should be as specific as possible.

The coach will need to speak to the scoretable officials throughout the game and again should do so politely and respectfully.

For example, if a coach believes the score is incorrect, yelling at the scoretable during play is unlikely to resolve anything. Instead, the coach should approach the scoretable during a break in play and ask them to clarify the score. The scoretable will involve the referee if necessary.

Most importantly, whilst all officials strive to have the perfect game (with no mistakes), they might make mistakes, just as players and coaches might.

The role of the coach is not to berate the officials nor to blame the result of a game on them. The coach must focus on the performance of their team.