[Back In The Saddle]

If you don't work with a shot clock, you can still use the game clock to your advantage. Microwave ovens are fine, but my hot air popper makes better popcorn. And practicing my count with the game clock helps me develop a better feel for what a second feels like during play. When I'm trailing the play in transition, and there's nothing interesting happening (rec. games are really good for this), I check the speed of my count against the game clock.

One problem I have, and I've seen many other officials exhibit the same behavior, is that the speed of my count is affected by my gait (e.g., walking upcourt produces a slower count than running) and by the intensity of the action (e.g., my count tends to slow when there is heavy defensive pressure). Checking my count as I come up the floor at different speeds has helped me to reduce the "drift" in my count. Obviously I can't be watching the clock during intense play, however the awareness that I count slower in intense situations has helped me lessen the effect.