[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

You make a good point (get the call right and who cares about this signal) but aren't you some type of teacher/clinician/instructor in your state, or local area? Do you teach proper signals (maybe referring to the manual) or do you just let the new guys free lance, or use signals that they see their partners (both good and bad) use, or see on television in college or professional games?

Forgive me, but what does my position have to do with my opinion? If I am that, I do not subscribe to the position that your signal with a certain amount of fingers is as important as you being in the right position to make a call. Or why you missed that foul or why you did not have a call when your partner was blocked? Those are bigger issues than if your thumb is tucked properly.

I also teach officials that are newer a lot. They are worried about so much because we expect them to know a lot at once. It is better to get them doing some basic things first and then later add some more detail. We have officials that cannot get their arm up to stop the clock. Why would I worry about what their hand looks like on the signal when there stop clock signal is not distinguishable between a violation or a foul?

Originally Posted by BillyMac

While there are much more important (and difficult) things for rookies to learn don't you want them to, at least, start off using the proper signals? And I'm sure that there were many officials watching you work your state final. Don't you want to set a good example for your pupils?

I want them to look like they half-way know they are doing on the court. No coach is going to care what their hands looks like if they will not even blow their whistle for the obvious foul or violation.

I remember my very first games and I could not get my hand up when I blew my whistle. So my partner and mentor who I worked several games with told me to just work on getting my arm up. Do not point, do not give a preliminary, just get my arm up and use my voice. When I was able to get my arm up, then add one thing to that sequence. When I got that sequence down, add one more thing to that sequence. It got to the point where each action would have a distinct and measured. A new official is not going to all of a sudden work high-level ball in a year or two for the most part. So they need to be doing things that help them grow, not have their minds spinning over details that no one at their level is going to expect them to master.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Was, "We are not robots", your response to your friend who had the courage to offer constructive criticism to such a highly respected veteran official as yourself?

The conversation was more extensive and the conversation was with a person that assigns games. I said a lot more to him and he understood my point.

If you have no noticed Billy, I am not a person that sugar coats my comments. One of the reasons I have the respect of many of my peers is I tell people what I feel will help them, not try to fit into some narrative of a book or organization that will not hire them to work any level of games. And I did not get up the latter either by doing all these very specific things that many here keep trying to act are not negotiable.

Peace