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Originally Posted by rsl

Sorry for the long post. I had the worst game ever this week (Soph Boys) due to my own mistakes, amplified by a rookie partner, rookie scorekeeper, rookie timer, and a pair of howler monkeys. But ultimately these were my mistakes, and I'd like some advice:

At start of second half, throw-in goes into backcourt and within about two steps I call a quick hand check foul on the defense. As I report the foul, I check the clock and realize it never started. Since the ball went into the backcourt, I had started a ten second count, but in the process of getting the foul I can't remember what count I reached. Without definite knowledge, I don't take any time off. Defensive coach goes ballistic and says if I don't take time off I have to take away the foul, too.

I don't suffer idiot coaches well. I'd have told him something like "sure, coach; but that makes the foul technical so they get 2 shots, the ball, and the arrow now. You sure that's what you want me to do?" Of course, that's not exactly factual, but I doubt the coach knew that.

Originally Posted by rsl

In the middle of the fourth, we have a rebounding foul in the double bonus, so we walk from one end to the other and line up the players. I bounce the ball to the shooter and immediately notice the scorekeeper holding up five fingers indicating the player has five fouls (No horn, even though we have walked the length of the floor). Rather than take the ball back, I let the player shoot the ball. After the shot misses, the coach (same coach as above) says his player gets another shot because the other team had an ineligible player on the lane. I respond that he is not ineligible until I notify his coach and the shot stands.

The only thing I might have done here was let your partner know what you had told the coach, which would have probably prevented the next situation. I find it infinitely helpful to fill in your partners on conversations you had with either coach.

Originally Posted by rsl

Here is where it gets really ugly. We get the new player in, and I bounce the ball for the second shot, the shot misses, and my partner blows his whistle before team control. Apparently the coach has convinced him he does get another shot. So now we have a whistle with no control, and we have to go to the arrow and the shooting team gets the ball back.

This is definitely live and learn. The good news is that, since you wrote this thread, you actually lived; so whether you learned is still kinda up in the air, I guess.

Originally Posted by rsl

Now both coaches are ticked. One thinks he should get another shot, the other knows he would have got the rebound and now doesn't get the ball. About two minutes later another player fouls out and the other coach refuses to provide a sub as a protest over the whole thing, so I have to T him up.

Sounds like you did what you had to do there.

Originally Posted by rsl

The T finally settles things down, and we ride out the last two minutes. Here what I think I should have done:

(1) taken two seconds off the clock just for appearance sake at the start of the second half. That is where the coach started getting agitated. Not sure that's a good precedent to set. It could come back to bite you in the butt later in the game when they expect you to guess again at a more critical juncture.

(2) Blown the whistle when I realized the player had fouled out, rather than letting the shot go. Also, make sure I follow the procedure exactly for a player with five fouls, i.e., notify the player, then coach, then start the 20 second clock. Ball was alive; not your job to automatically know the number of fouls; ball was to become dead following the shot. No reason in the world to interrupt the sequence because the scorer is fruity.

(3) Had my rookie partner administer the shot and been table side myself to deal with the coaches. Also, just had better communication with my partner. You might be onto something there.

Any thoughts? Live and learn (this has my vote), or quit altogether?

Over all it sounds like the coaches were trying to play you, and, although you're doing some second guessing, you really didn't get played. Partner has some maturing to do, but that's why they're called rookies. I wouldn't be too hard on yourself.