[BillyMac]

Finished up my high school season today with the #1 versus #4 seeded teams in the Eastern Deaf School Athletic Association Divison I tournament. A team from Maryland, whose coach also coaches the USA Deaf Olympics team, against a team from New Jersey.

The afternoon started with the host team athletic director, who can hear, and normally signs for the officials at the pregame coaches/captains meeting, being a a little late, so one of the captains volunteered to read my lips and sign for the others. I assume he did a good job signing, but of course I have no way of knowing. For all I know he may have signed "The officials say that they are a pair of idiots, who are only in this for the money, and for the free food, and beverages, in the lounge, and that they would appreciate it if we don't mind them walking during the game because they're still tired from last nights game".

Lots of odd calls, none that had anything to do with the players being deaf. My partner and I each called an intentional fouls on the New Jersey team for grabbiing jerseys from behind to prevent breakaway layups. My partner called a throwin violation for a player who forgot it was a designated spot and moved along the endline. We had a delayed free throw violation as the players in the first and third lane space switched positions after the ball was at the disposal of the shooter. My partner prevented a double free throw violation by asking an offensive player to vacate the first lane space. Also had a player score his 1000th point.

The Maryland coach sat in his chair the entire game, only standing to call a time out. Does Maryland have a "seatbelt" rule? The New Jersey team had two coaches standing and coaching during the first few minutes. I wondered if the assistant was signing for the head coach. Finally, I stopped the game, and using the lipreading player to sign, I asked the coaches if the head coach could sign, he replied yes, so I asked the assistant to please sit down, which he did the rest of the game.

One tough call. A1 gets offensive rebound near the basket, goes to shot the ball, and is grabbed on the forearm by B1. I blow my whistle for a foul on B1. A1 doesn't complete the shooting motion, at first due to the foul, but after B1 releases the forearm of A1, A1 brings the ball back down, in kind of a double pump motion, before shooting it again. Before the ball has a chance to go in, I yell, "No shot", because I don't want the basket to count if it goes in, it doesn't, but I do award two shots for A1 being fouled in the act of shooting, that is his first shot motion, not his second shot motion. How far does continuation continue? Was this the correct call?

Special Olympics Unified Games in a few weeks, then our board's banquet, and then, sadly, it's over until next season.