[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Time to vent.

Today, my partner (and I use the term loosely) did not show up for a girls H.S. freshmen game until the intermission between the first and second quarter. Team A is the Home team and Team Be is the Visitor team. The second and third quarters went reasonably well, but the fourth quarter did not go so well.

First problem: Early in the fourth quarter, my partner had on ball coverage during a scramble for the ball. A1 came up with the ball while on her back. As she started to sit up B1 jumped on top of her and knocked her backwards onto the floor. My partner signaled a held ball. I could not understand how B1’s actions could be nothing but a foul until I heard him yell to a fan that it was okay for one player to jump onto another player during a scramble for a loose ball.

Second problem: Later, while I was reporting a foul, he yelled at the players to hurry up because he had to get to work after the game was over. Both coaches and the home team’s assistant athletic director heard him.

Third problem: Team A had a twelve with less than three minutes left in the game. As one faces the Scorer’s Table Team B’s bench is to the left of the Scorer’s Table. Team B has the ball in its frontcourt, Table Side, above the free throw line on the weak side. I was Lead opposite the table. After I had moved Ball Side, B1 passed the ball toward B2 in the low post in front of me. A2 stepped in front of B2 and intercepted the pass. As I face A2 and B2, B2 is to my right and tries to reach around A2 and grab the ball, B2 hacks A2 across her left arm, which is closet to me. From my position, B2 is more less between A2 and myself and A2 is between B2 and the Trail official. I sound my whistle for the foul by B2, at the same time I am sounding my whistle, my partner sounds his whistle. It would seem that since I had on ball coverage that I would have the primary call, especially when I was only about nine feet away from the play, my partner was about 25 feet away, and there was no way that my partner could have seen B2’s illegal contact let alone see a possible held ball between A2 and B2. But my partner is signally a held ball. I immediately go to him to let him know that I am taking the call. To my surprise, he tells me his whistle was first and that his call is the only one that counts. At this point, I quietly tell him, that we are going with my call. He told me that we were going with his call because his whistle was first. If his whistle was before mine, the time differential would have to be measured in nanoseconds. I told him that our whistles were close enough to be simultaneous and that we were going with my call because I had the best possible look at the play not to mention that I had on ball and primary coverage on the call. He insisted that his call was going to prevail. I reminded him that I was also the Referee for the game and that in this situation I would have the final say. He would give up and threatened to walk off the court if he did not prevail. This is all taking place in front of the scorer’s table, and everybody in the place can see that our discussion is not going well. I finally told him that the foul call was going to prevail and then I proceeded to report the foul and got the players lined up for the free throws (Team A was in the one-and-one bonus). He refused to leave the scorer’s table unless we did it his way. He even threatened to end the game (I still cannot figure out how he could do that since I was the Referee) if he did not get his way. Finally the home team’s assistant director entered the court and wanted to know what the problem was. How does one explain the situation to someone who does not understand officiating mechanics and really does not care except that she has an ugly situation unfolding on her court. To make a short story long, I surrendered and let him have his way just so we could get the game finished.

Thanks for letting me vent tonight.