[mick]

Originally posted by Marty Rogers

My concern was with the attitude of being satisfied with a wrong ruling, as long as most people didn't know you blew the call. Perhaps the goals I set for myself are too high.
I want to know every rule. If I'm not sure, I look it up, and study it again and again. I want to follow every mechanic and procedure expected of me for a NFHS referee while officiating a HS game. When referees aren't striving equally as hard do their best, it hurts the game for everyone involved.

Marty,
Not surprisingly, we're probably on the same page.

Regarding:

"Yeah, if anyone knew the rule, the whole crew looks bad. But what are the chances?"

When we impose ourselves, without being asked, into a situation where our partners made a bad call, we are telling everyone that is watching, that "we" have erred. Now, everyone knows, not only the 1%-10% that know the rules, but also the 99% that only know that they are at a game.

Ideally, we know all the rules and all the implications because, as you said, we wear out our books by turning the pages.

But, we are gonna have partners that kick a few more than we kick ourselves. It is bad if the partner doesn't know he goofed. It would be better if the partner asks for help if he really feels bad. More likely, he made the call and then asked himself, "Did I kick that one?"

Our experience helps us when we make an "ugly". We weigh the game situation (score, time, place). Then we decide whether, or not, we should say anything or whether, or not, we should leave it alone. Either way, I think we all agree, that eventually we will discuss the play. There are times when we can go to a partner, without being asked, to bail 'im out, when everyone in the gym knows he murdered a call. I know, I have said thanks more than once when a partner came down and asked if I "got a good look at that one?"

Other times, we can know we were so wrong on a big'un, that we may go confer with our partners just to tell them, "Hey, I'm gonna change my call because I'm stoopid, and I would like you to nod your head in agreement."; and that conference appears to the audience like we actually determined something correctly.

But then, you're an Ump, you know this stuff.

mick