[Rich]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

I have seen ball-side mechanics mentioned in both 2 and 3-person mechanics manuals (NFHS pp. 17, 44-45, IAABO pp. 25, 27 for 2-person ball-side mechanics, NFHS pp. 77-78, 80, IAABO 133-137 for 3-person ball-side mechanics and rotations), but officials tend to place more emphasis on 3-person ball-side mechanics (perhaps because rotations are also involved when Lead moves ball-side in a 3-person game) than on 2-person ball-side mechanics. Officials are often not taught about 2-person ball-side mechanics (those that use it, including myself, learned how to go ball-side from reading the mechanics manual and applying ABC principles).

Seeing this, and reading various online resources on basketball officiating (some of which encourage officials to go ball-side in both 3 and 2-person games) made me wonder what the purpose of ball-side mechanics are. Is the information on 2-person ball-side mechanics just dead words printed in a manual that will not see the light of day, or is there some higher reason for information on ball-side movement to be included in both the 2 and 3-person sections of high school mechanics manuals?

The most common situation where I have seen (or used) ball-side mechanics in 2-person games is on frontcourt throw-ins where the ball and most of the matchups are on Trail's side of the court. I have also gone ball-side if there is pressure in the frontcourt on Trail's side, and there are multiple matchups on Trail's side, or if a drive/pass to the post is imminent. In the 3-person games I have worked so far, I haven't had to rotate frequently, because the ball would either move quickly from one side to the other, or there would be a quick shot shortly after the ball moved away from the Lead's side, making a rotation unnecessary. In your experience, what is the most common situations for moving ball-side (and some reliable cues for ball-side movement/rotation other than ball position)?

I haven't worked a 2-person game in years, but when I did I rotated over frequently. It threw off some partners, didn't throw off others. But there's no reason to put up an imaginary wall at the lane line and let the trail officiate post play on his side using an inferior position.

If you ever watch NCAA officials work down a man...or NBA clips from the old days....the L worked wherever he needed. The difference is when the ball goes the other way, you have to switch sides once in a while.