[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by ChuckElias
Posted a couple weeks ago about a situation regarding slapping the backboard, where I got the call right and my partner told me I'd be better off calling it wrong. http://www.officialforum.com/thread/12067

Yesterday, same gym! New partner, tho. Very early in game and the home team goes scoreless for a while. After they finally score, the drummer from the school band gives a drum roll and cymbal crash. Not a solo, by any stretch, but there it was.

I'm thinking. . . He can't do that, right? It's only supposed to be during TO's right? Or is it any dead ball? No, just during TO's. So then I think it's probably just for the first basket, like some teams used to stand until they scored.

Nope, next basket, same thing. I turn and make a quick gesture like "no more". Next basket, same drum roll. I turn again and make a more emphatic gesture, like waving off a basket.

Finally we get a TO and the conductor comes over and says we've been doing this for 5 years. (Yeah, and yesterday's ref let the girls play with earrings, too ) I said, "Well, please don't do it today. Thank you."

Wait...you were there a few weeks ago? Did you not notice the drumming then (maybe the 30,000 fans drowned out the drum?) or was the conductor stretching the truth a bit?

So when we go to the table at halftime, somebody from game management comes over and asks what the deal is and I tell him. My partner, who's the R, says he didn't even notice it and as long as the visitors don't complain, he doesn't care if they drum. So I went along. Then we looked it up in the locker room, and decided that the rule really is that they shouldn't do it; but again, as long as nobody complained, we wouldn't stop it.

He said that he felt it was his job to be aware of the court and if he took his focus off of that to be aware of the band, he's not doing his job. I feel that it's my job to be aware of everything.

A few weeks ago B travelled a loooong distance too play in a gym with no supporters. Not even their bus driver cared. Now, normally the games I work have at least 300,000 people in the stands but for some reason there were only 30 in attendance for this one. It was a close game and to open the second half B's bench would hoop it up after each B basket. Nothing vulgar or unsporting, just loud yelling & cheering and there was one kid who yelled this high pitched "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY". Man, was that annoying! I was getting to the point where I might have to say something to coach B...I had no idea what though and I decided I should just ride it out. Luckily the 30 fans started their own cheering after every A basket and soon enough the entire thing settled down. Point is yes we do need to be aware of everything but there's so much to be aware of sometimes we need to filter some stuff out. Clearly in your case the rule was violated but as long as the visitors didn't complain... :shrug:

I don't want to be pidgeon-holed as a "rulebook official". Yeah, that guy knows the rules, but you sure don't want him on your game. But this was such an obvious infraction that would take so little effort to correct, why let it slide? I'm frustrated by knowing the rule and not having my partners support me on it. The more I think about these couple of incidents, the more they bother me. I just can't seem to find the right balance, and it bugs me.

Lastly, I know I should've just gone to game management first. But I hoped that one small request would take care of it.

I think it might have been better to have said something to your partner, at least he would have been prepared when asked about it and might have backed you up when questioned by game management...or not.

BTW, for Mr Big Ti...errr...Rookie Dude: I've actually worked with Chuck, and unless he's really improved I doubt seriously that the games are easy for him to call...