[Rich]

Originally Posted by A Pennsylvania Coach

We got underway and the home coach was on us from the beginning. The gym was at least half full and it was fairly loud, so he could get away with more volume in his voice than normal because there was a lot of noise in the gym. The first chance I got to talk to him, he was complaining about contact on a rebound and he wanted a foul. I told him I saw it but I thought the contact was incidental and didn't affect his guy. His response? "Incidental huh? Since you are going to use words like that, let's see how much incidental contact you call tonight?"

Was there a question here? If he's just making comments, it's probably not worth addressing right here. Although you found out he really wasn't going to be civil at this point, so maybe it was useful.

Later in the first, I am lead. H1 is attempting a three from my corner. V2 is jumping out at him. I can't get deep enough (wall four feet behind end line) so I'm pretty much looking at waist down because V2 looks like he might land under H1. He doesn't and the shot is coming up short as my partner calls a foul. From the trail opposite, probably 50 feet away. Ugh.

Ugh is right. Nice ball watching.

Now into the second quarter. Home commits a foul in the act of shooting. We are lined up for a visitor FT. I am lead, and after giving the ball to the shooter (V1), I see something in my peripheral vision. I turn and see V2 and H1 above the arc on my side in each others' face, and V2 shoves H1. I hit the whistle, look at the shooter who still has the ball but has it cocked, give the "no shot" mechanic, and hustle over to V2 and H1. Both guys sort of "squared up" before I got there, but neither raised their fists. H1 pulls up his shorts a little, that "I'm ready to fight if you are" move. V2's teammates pull him away and nothing more happens with me in between. So I start toward the table when I hear my partner hit his whistle. He has a T on H2. So now we are both going to the table.

Here's something: Anytime the two officials have to get together like this, and especially when there's a contentious situation just prior, get the players to their benches EVERY TIME. Problem with letting them on the court is that you can't concentrate on your conversation with your partner OR the players well enough.

At first I have enough sense to keep my eyes on the players. I'm trying to think about several things: Do I have a tech on V2 only, or V2 and H1? And if I have one and he has one, do we shoot them and what do we do with the ball? And, was V1 shooting his first of two for the original shooting foul, or the second? Meanwhile the home coach is in our faces as well telling us it shouldn't take this long as we start to discuss. Then the visiting coach wanders in because he doesn't want to miss out on whatever lobbying is taking place. Somewhere in the middle of this H1 has wandered over in front of the visitors bench, but the visitors' assistant coach is shooing him away, highlighting for me the fact that I had my eyes off the players.

Double T it and move on. Use the book if you're not sure on the FTs.

One last thing from the first half. I report a foul on the home team, and the ball has gone to the opposite end of the floor, with no one moving to get it. I decide to get it myself. As I'm reporting, the home coach is complaining. Just as I turn and run to get the ball, he says "I just want to know if this is intentional", meaning are we intentionally shafting his team. That made me hesitate, but I already had my back to him and had made a couple steps away. I thought it would look bad if I wheeled around and pinned him, rabbit ears or something, I don't know. So I passed and just got the ball.

Don't be a ball chaser. Stand there and stare at it until a player gets it. And on the coach's comment, you should've whacked him.

Third year? You did a lot of things right, IMO. You'll learn from the rest.