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Originally Posted by muxbule
I have had to work alone a couple times and I don't think I would have found any guidelines to be useful in these games. The only hope is a good pre-game conference with the coaches and then a good one with the captains. After the tip the only thing I tried to do was continue to move and give myself every opportunity to have as good a look at the ten players as possible. Sometime that would mean being high and other times you got caught low because of the flow of the game. Afterward the coaches have made it a point to let me know they appreciated the effort I made in the game. Working alone happens so rarely that putting together guidelines just does not seem like time well spent. I still had a parent in one of the games yelling for three seconds and all I did is turn around and say "you're kidding me right?"
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Your right. Three seconds may be the hardest call to make in a one person game.
Your second sentence is included the guidelines that I posted, so in essence, you are following some of the guidelines:
Coaches and Administrators Conference
The first thing that you should do is to bring both coaches, and the game administrator, together, explaining that your partner has not shown, or is injured, and that you will be officiating the game alone, to make sure that everyone is in agreement that the game will be played under these circumstances. Set the parameters for the game at this time. This will give them an idea of what to expect if they agree to play the game with only one official. Be honest and upfront that you are going to miss calls because there will be things that you will not be able to see. Request coaches cooperation, express advance appreciation for them assisting you in keeping themselves, and the game, under control. Tell them that you may even ask them for help on out of bounds calls in front of them. This is a great time to stress and remind them of the importance of good sportsmanship and the example that they can and should set for their players. Advise the game administrator that the cooperation of spectators will also be expected.
Pregame Captains And Coaches Meeting
In the pregame meeting with the captains and coaches, explain that you will appreciate, and expect, the cooperation from all ten players on the floor. You may ask them for help on out of bounds calls. Tell them that if you do not know who caused the ball to go out of bounds, and both sides try to argue that it was off of the other team, then the possession arrow will be used. If you tell them your expectations up front, they will work with you. Let them know that you expect the players to retrieve all loose balls out of bounds, since you are observing the players on the court.
I remember my first one person, back then we called it one man, game. I tried to go baseline to baseline, trying to be the lead as much as possible. I quickly became exhausted. I also tried to call all the out of bounds by myself, never thinking to ask the players, or coaches, for help. When I wasn't sure, we had a jump ball, back then we didn't have an arrow, we had jump ball at the foul lines as well as the center circle, so we had a lot of jump balls that game, and you know how much fun those can be, especially with only one official.
I wish that someone had suggested some guidelines, not mechanics set in stone, to me before my first one man game. I would have had, as you suggest, a really good pregame with the coaches, and the captains, and would have included the site director in the conference. I would have avoided, as much as possible, trying to go from lead to lead, and instead, with few exceptions, spent most of my time going from trail to trail. I would have used the players, and coaches, to help me on some out of bounds calls. Without any guidelines, I was forced, after doing several one man games, to come up with my own "mechanics" by trial and error. The guidelines that I borrowed from the Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials (IAABO Board 106), and the Topeka Officials Association (Kansas State High School Activities Association), weren't new to me. I, as well as any other official who has done more than just a few one man games, already know these common sense guidelines. Our local board justs want to write them down so that the first-timer has a little head start on his, or her, difficult task.