[Back In The Saddle]

Here's a related follow on question: What do you do to help ensure you and your partner are calling the game consistently? How do you even know? If both, or all three, of you are watching your own area and rarely have four eyes on the same players or play...how do you know what your partner called and why?

This kind of came to a head for me during a game last season. They sent four of us to work two double-headers at a school, and we all switched partners for the second game. The way things work out, I finished my first game, grabbed my partner for the second game and we headed right back out to start it without any time to pregame. But we've both worked for many years, we're friends, we've talked a lot and should pretty much be on the same page. Apparently not. The visiting coach was unhappy, and frankly neither of us really could figure out why. I felt I was calling a very consistent game, so did my partner. After the game one of the V officials (also a respected college official) gave us very poor marks for our consistency. All I can figure is that my partner and I were calling two very different games even though we both felt like we were being consistent. Ugh!