[Mwanr1]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Jr. high tourney started today at a local high school. The guy keeping the book has done so there as long as I can remember. He also coached some, I know in jr. high, and I believe even coached varsity girls. Well, at the beginning of the first game, they were lacking an extension cord, so had no power for the possession arrow. No big deal. Every held ball he quickly yelled "blue" or "black." (yes, those were the colors) At halftime the guy said "I changed the arrow in the book," and smiled. I thought he was kidding and started to let it go. No, let's take nothing for granted. I asked, "You didn't really change it in the book, did you?" (wait, let me see) "How are you keeping up? Do you have little arrows drawn or what?" He turned the book around so I could see. He had alternately written the words blue and black in the margin, just like everybody else does it. "It was blue. I changed it to black." I said, "No, you don't change that. If it was blue, it stays blue. The only thing that changes is the direction they are going." He was unconvinced. "No, you can lose a possession when the arrow changes." I assured him that you couldn't. He threw up his hands and said, "You the man," and erased the word black. Well, guess what? By the time the second half started the arrow was working. It pointed toward........black. I stepped up. "Didn't you say it was blue's ball?" He threw up his hands again. "You told me not to change it!" My splainer was used up by now so I simply said "Blue ball," and we proceeded without further incident. How about that?

Middle School = whole lotta jumpball.......