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Old Tue Mar 07, 2000, 11:55am
Brian Watson Brian Watson is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2000
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True. The first thread seemed to reference a reserve or varsity game, although D1 would be included, and my theory is you really shouldn’t overlook a violation at that level. Because the of the skill expectation of player and officials it should be called. I would never (and I don’t) call every “by-the-book” violation for middle school and some freshman games; I have an aversion to 6 hour games. I wish that NBA (and even some D1) ref(s) could come see some of these games at the middle school level. They should see the kids who have few skills, (purposely?) taking two or three steps to impersonate their favorite star.

It is interesting that BK says most refs move up when they start letting the “marginal” violations go. It has been my experience, and this may be a difference in the state or region, but most middle school coaches don’t mind when you look the other way on a “marginal” violations as long as your consistent. But at the higher levels these calls are where the coaches bust your chops.
I had a situation earlier this year where a jumper went hard off the back of the rim, almost straight up. I was the lead, but I had moved out far enough that I saw the ball touch that strap that connects the top of the board to the supports to move it up and down. My partner should have called it from the trail, but didn’t, so I made the call about the same time the coach started to go off on my partner. By the book I really should not have made the call as the lead, however I did see it. My partner was a little put off because he said “it barley touched”, but it was a reserve game and everyone saw it. My opinion, it was the right call for that level and it prevented problems later in the game. There are a bunch of what ifs but…What if I hold my whistle, and my partner T’s up that coach on the next trip down? That’s situation would be life, but I would have felt like I didn’t do my best because I ignored a call. I am interested, what everyone thinks, should I have held the call and overlooked an obvious violation?
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