[stripes]

Originally posted by Brian Watson
So...are you agreeing or disagreeing with me.

I am doing some of both.

As I said, I believe I am in the minority on this one, but I have used these terms with coaches for years and will probably continue to do it. I don't feel like I am doing any future crews a disservice by doing it, either. Using terms that they are familiar with to explain calls/non calls makes everyone's life easy. Coaches that understand why "over the back" fouls are called (or not called) have never brought it up with me again and I haven't heard them do it with others.

Originally posted by mick

stripes,
It has been my observation that people understand the following:

Over the back: a non-contact foul when a player reaches into an opponents vertical space.

Moving screen: a non-contact foul when a screener shifts his weight or moves.

mick

This has not been my experience. Coaches that I deal with already understand that no contact = no foul.

Originally posted by self
What I would add to this and why I feel it is important is what they believe matters a great deal. Our credability is at stake in explaining the rules & terms properly, if coaches believe moving screeens are illegal and we use the terminology we are contributing to the problem. If we say "over the back" is a foul we are not only contributing to the problem, we are wrong. Part of what we do is educating, would you have wanted one of your teachers to have taught you incorrectly?........

As I run across coaches over and over again. I communicate to them correctly and explain the importance. If we all did this wouldn't that make life easier? Take the time to educate.

Maybe you have time to hold lengthy discussions with coaches on this subject (somehow I have never found this time ), but I disagree with this. I don't believe we are teaching them incorrectly. If they understand what a rebounding foul is after we let them know why an "over the back" foul is called, have they been taught incorrectly? Not in my book. We go to great lengths to use our signals correctly, but how many coaches could replicate them or give their proper names? Very few. Have they been taught correctly? Absolutely, but I highly doubt any of them really care what the referees terms or mechanics are. They are going to "learn" from us only what they want to. I don't see the problem in using terms they know.

Please don't get the impression that this is the only set of terms that I use with coaches. More often than not, I use the word "foul" in my discussions with them--they use the terms like "over the back". I never correct them about the words they use--that is the original problem I brought up--we appear to be aloof and all-knowing.

I know that I am unlikely to swing anyone over to the "dark side", but conversely, I will not be swung either. We'll have to agree to disagree.