[BillyMac]

Second draft.

Suggestions for improvement?

Preliminary Signals – What Happens Next?

"Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity." (Nat Turner, 1831)

"Communication is paramount. You can’t be a good team without it." (Doc Rivers, 2008)

If you're a basketball official who has "been around the block a few times", how often has this scenario happened to you? Your partner sounds their whistle, and you're left to wonder, "What happens next?”.

"Do I initiate a switch? Do I line up players for free throws? Do I prepare players for a throwin? Which way are we going after an out of bounds violation?" These questions all hinge on one critical concept, communication, particularly non-verbal signaling.

Effective signaling is a fundamental tool for good basketball officiating. Basketball officials must work together as a cohesive team, not as individuals. The ability to clearly and consistently communicate, including using non-verbal signals, especially with one’s partner, is what turns individual officials into a successful team. Good signals create good teamwork, and good teamwork results in a well officiated game.

Basketball officials use signals to communicate with a wide range of audiences, players, coaches, table personnel, fans, and, most critically, with each other. The primary purpose of signals between partners is to answer the essential question, “What happens next?”.

Many times, officials are so intent on observing competitive matchups in their own primary coverage areas that they may not see what happens in their partner's primary coverage area, and all they hear is their partner’s whistle, having no idea what caused the whistle to be sounded. Here’s where good signaling skills kick in.

Whenever an official sounds their whistle, they must simultaneously display a signal to stop the clock. A signal to stop the clock, which does more than just stop the clock, provides vital information to one’s partner about what type of infraction or stoppage has occurred, a foul, violation, held ball, or timeout.

An open hand signal to stop the clock tells the non-calling official that the whistle was sounded for a violation, a held ball, or a timeout, situations likely resulting in an ensuing throwin from a designated spot. Subsequent to an out of bounds violation, the calling official must properly signal both the direction of play and the designated throwin spot.

A closed fist signal to stop the clock tells the non-calling official that the whistle was sounded for a foul, and knowing that, the non-calling official knows that a switch is imminent and that the non-calling official should be ready to initiate a switch.

After sounding a whistle for a foul, it's imperative that the calling official follows up the signal to stop the clock with a clear preliminary signal, indicating the nature of the foul. Clear preliminary signals after a foul allow the non-calling official to understand what is about to happen next, and to act appropriately, even before the foul is reported to the table.

For fouls that will not result in subsequent free throws, the calling official must designate an out of bounds throwin spot before leaving the area. As the calling official reports the foul to the table, the non-calling official, after initiating a switch, can prepare the players for what is to follow, an ensuing throwin from a designated spot.

For fouls that will result in subsequent free throws, the calling official must signal whether, or not, if applicable, to score the goal and indicate the number of free throws to be attempted. Clear preliminary signals by the calling official will allow the non-calling official to communicate to the calling official if a ball went in the basket, if applicable, to identify a free throw shooter, and to then initiate a switch. As the calling official reports a foul to the table, the non-calling official can prepare the players for what is to follow by lining up the players for free throws and identifying the free throw shooter.

Clear signals from the calling official allow the non-calling official to support the flow of the game smoothly and confidently. Failure to give clear, timely signals can create confusion between the calling official and the non-calling official, and this can result in a breakdown in crew coordination, hesitation, and ultimately, a loss of credibility with players, coaches, table personnel, and fans.

Preliminary signals may seem unimportant, but they are a crucial aspect of officiating. When used consistently and effectively, they promote clarity, build teamwork, and ensure that everyone, partners, players, coaches, table personnel, and fans, know what’s happening on the floor. Good signals lead to a well officiated game.

Poor signals often result in poor communication which can lead to the kind of breakdown situation as described in the famous quote from the classic 1967 Paul Newman movie “Cool Hand Luke”, "What we've got here is failure to communicate". Basketball officiating crews should strive to avoid such breakdown situations by utilizing good signals.