Quote:
Originally posted by glind
Maybe I am not going about this the right way but I try not to let a score ever influance the way I call a game.
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Game management. If you ignore the score as you officiate, you will inevitably have games where you are "out of touch" with how the game should be called. The little anecdotes a couple guys gave are great examples of how "ignoring" certain violations can benefit the game and let a kid feel better about him-/herself. Certainly at the junior high level or lower it is important to have a feel for the game and what should be called and what not called. How many times have we had blowout games where the losing team just don't have the skills and can't do anything right. If we call every travel, every step over the free throw line, every bump, etc., the game becomes an unending series of whistles that is no fun for anyone. Experience is the best teacher, and over time an official will get a feel for what can be overlooked and what SHOULD be called.
Even at the high school and college levels, though, game awareness is very important and CAN and SHOULD have some influence on how you call the game. I've heard prominent Div. I officials talk about this, including "passing" on certain calls in a blowout game or giving borderline calls to the team getting hammered. It's not that you have to be constantly debating what to call and what to let go, but if there are minor things that can easily go a certain way that will aid game management, then do it. I can almost guarantee that most successful high school and college officials are keeping game management in mind as they work.
Oh, BTW: Give the kid the last second bucket if it's at all close, and a reason to smile.
[Edited by Todd VandenAkker on Jan 8th, 2001 at 10:09 AM]