Quote:
Originally posted by BktBallRef
Slow down. Slow down, slow down, slow down!
And I'm not just talking about on fast breaks. Start slowing yourself down in all phases of the game. When you're at lead during a half court and have a foul, make yourself slow down. Blow the whistle. Raise your fist. Point to the player. Call your foul. Give your preliminary signal. Tell you partner who the shooter is. Proceed to the table. Stop. Verbally and visually signal the foul. Give the # of shots. Return to your spot.
Start with fouls and move to violations. Soon your entire game will have slowed down. It will translate over to fast breaks and intense situations. You'll also stop making marginal calls that you could have passed on or fouls where, if you hadn't blown the whistle, the players would have played through it.
Oh, did I mention that you need to slow down? 
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Great advice! Telling myself to slow down is one thing that has really helped me this year, (I am also a first-year official). As a player you anticipate, as an official we must react to fouls and violations as they occur. I too have found my arm half way up as I anticipated contact (coaches LOVE that)
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Another thing I do is put my tongue over the mouthpiece of the whistle. It helps remind me to wait until I know what I have seen before I blow.
Mike