Sorry for the lengthy post, but I know you have all had this pleasure in your officiating career.
Maybe it is end of season burn-out, but I was EXTREMELY frustrated with my "partner" tonight.
(Insert the "I am venting now" animated image here
)
I have worked with this individual several times this year. (read: was on the same court in the same game as this veteran official who has unlikely opened a rule book in several years).
The Pre-game This is a Girls JV game.
Pre-Game consisted of him arriving at the officials' locker room approximately 10 minutes prior to the game. He is a teacher in the school of this game. I have taken an hour of personal leave to get to the locker-room 1/2 hour before the game.
As he changes into his Byron collar shirt, he comments, "I probably shouldn't be doing this game, because I strained my calf in the last game I did Tuesday.
The Game
Midway through the 1st qtr, home team player rebounds and starts flailing her elbows to create space. He whistles and raises an open hand. I anticipate he is going to call an excessive elbow violation. Wrongo! JUMP BALL! Visiting coach is perplexed by the call and vocal about it (I too am not happy with his call.) I hustle down to have a brief, low key chat with the partner. I remind him of the option of an excessive elbow violation. He gives me the 1,000 mile stare of confusion. It quickly became clear he had no clue as to the new rule, nor did he have any interest in changing his call. Me thinks, Oooooooh boy, its gonna be a long night.
My assumption proved to be painfully true.
Consistently, he would come out of the lead (after a turnover) on the same side of the court as I was on the trail.
If that was all, I can adjust.
Consistently, he would not make it over half court as trail and would rarely beat any steal and break away back to the basket.
This leads to my frustration in several situations.
Situation #1
Break-away situation for home team, opponent hustles back and has a clean pick as she passes the dribbler. In frustration, home team player retaliates with a solid push on the opponent. "Partner" whistles and calls a common foul. I hustle over and politely suggest that he might consider an intentional foul. You guessed it. I get a Mind your own damn business glare from him.
Situation #2
Following a missed FT by visiting team, he broke from his trail position for the other end of the court. The ball was outletted to his side of the court and pushed forward. Just past mid-court, right in front of him, the defender arrived late and we had a train wreck. I hesitated, generously, to let him whistle until it became evident he was not going to make a call. Then I took the call. Both coaches are yelling about how horrendous the no-call/call is. Fortunately, my partner did not publicly demonstrate a reaction to me taking his call; which he is known to do on frequent occasion.
Additional "salt in the wound"
This was two cross-town rivals playing in this schools last game EVER in the old school. They are moving to a newly-built school next year. I did not want my last game on this court to be so $hitty!
Thanks for tolerating my vent.
Ooooh WAIT! It is Friday the 13th. Could this all be a Nightmare? (Pinches self. Ouch!)
Nope, it REALLY did happen.
[Edited by One-Whistle on Feb 13th, 2004 at 10:14 PM]