I think Mark's comments are what most officials, at that level, are trying to do. It would be great if we could just officiate the game, but at the 3 - 6 grade level you end up doing a lot of coaching. I don't mean calling plays or telling players how to dribble, shoot, or other basketball skills that will develop over time. Let me give you an example recently I worked a 4th grade girls game. Several of the girls got so excited when they got the ball they took off running and then the light went off and the dribble started. My partner & I talked to the girls during the whole game and by the 4th quarter they were doing better. If we had called traveling everytime it occured, I'd still be on the court trying to finish that game or most players would never get to stay in the game because they traveled everytime they got the ball. Both coaches thanked us for being patient with both teams. Final score 6 to 4. And nobody really cared. The kids had fun and learned a little.
I realize there is a thin line between coaching and officiating. How many times do we tell players to get out of the lane? That is coaching to a degree. Or we tell a player "spot throw-in", why not just give the ball to the player and call the vioations when they occur. Officials are usually the only ones in the gym who really know whats going on on the floor even to the attitudes of the players and we try to prevent things from happening before they explode or we have a game like Mark described in an earlier post where nothing was going right.
Most coaches on lower levels let the officials call the game as they see it as long as it is fair on both ends of the court. My favorite comment to a coach at that level is "do you really want me to call the game the way they are playing it". Once a coach said yes and we did. But at the half he said he was sorry for the comment and for us to call the game the way "we" saw it. Second half smooth sailing. Long winded way of saying every game is different, every level is different and we officials have to adjust to every game accordingly. Later.
Jerry
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