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As another who is just finishing my first full year, this thread has been great, and has reminded me about just how much advice (good and bad) that I have been given this year.
I have officiated from 3-4th grade kiddies to HS boys JV (this is not news to you veterans). I have tried to make it a point to cover the question of "how close do we want to call the game" question in pregame with my partners. By that I mean, are we calling all travels in the 3-4th grade game? At my level, I think it's still a relevant question to ask the veteran partner, even though the proper answer is that we aren't making adjustments to level of play- a foul is a foul etc...
The quality responses have come from the veteran officials whose judgment and advice I have come to respect during the year from working with them and seeing them as well. That advice was generally more specific- "We won't/can't call all travels at this level, but call the ones where allowing him/her to get away with it results in a basket or affects the play". Travelling outside the arc or where they are not in a position to score might not always be called.
The, um, less-quality responses (in my opinon) have been the ones where the partner says "let's see how it goes" or "don't change anything". Those were the games where we got into trouble because neither of us were on the same page in types of calls to make, and for whatever reason, we couldn't get together on the same page. I then went to my default position, and called the game as I saw it, without regard for what my partner has or hasn't done, other than to know that one of us is going to get guff from coaches for not being consistent. As communication was lacking, the game suffered. Those were the games where I thought I was on my own, my partner looked tired, disinterested and a little annoyed at having a first year partner.
Moving up levels, the best advice I have been given has been to just "call the game". For the less experienced amongst us, it is difficult to determine which player or age of player can absord what amount of contact (the "play through it" theory). I hated playing in games with "ticky tack" foul calls and I don't want to be the guy who calls inconsequential contact.
sorry for the rambing post... I'll stop now.
Z
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