Something good that I've heard Rick Hartzel say every time I've seen him speak is, "Think globally, officiate locally." What I take from that is call what I see in my area, but for consistency you have to be aware of what calls have been made in the game. I learned last season that possibly the worst thing you can do is let how your partner is calling the game affect how you call it. I worked a college game and one of my partners made a couple of calls on one team for handchecks and blocks out front. I overthought (not usually a problem for me
) and called a foul I wouldn't usually call to try to look consistent. The coach knew me, knew how I called the game, and got up my rear about the call. In this case, I deserved it for being a moron. The point is, there is a balance between the two modes of thought. Achieving this balance takes some time and experience.