[Rich]

I've worked Varsity high school ball in four sports and here are some basketball specific comments I can provide. Other officials here are probably more accomplished than me, so maybe this will start another discussion and will highlight some regional variants:

Make sure you have the pregame stuff ready to go in your mind and make sure you and your partner cover it.

There are a lot of little things at the varsity level that you don't worry too much about at the lower levels and precious little have to do with basketball. Here's my pregame routine:

(0) Have plenty of water in you when you take the court. While the pregame and halftime bathroom visits can be annoying, nothing is worse than on-court dehydration. Especially at the varsity boys level, you need to have your jets ready at a split-second's notice. I drink at least a quart of water starting 2 hours before game time and try to drink more.

(1) Arrive early at the game site. Our association/state recommends one hour but I always show up about 10 minutes after the start of the junior varsity, if I can. Around here, schools (unless the game is radio/TV covered) can start the varsity game early and you don't want to show up in the middle of the fourth quarter of the JV game.

(2) Find the athletic director and get your gear and coat in your locker room. Check on the start time in case they want to start early. Make sure that the AD committs to having someone notify you when there's 21 minutes on the clock (or if they only put 20 on, to not start it until you're notified and on the court). Then I find a seat on the visitor's side and watch the JV game and look over the court, fans, and teams. I stay out of the locker room at halftime unless I'm really tight with the JV officials and they want me to join them. Since I'm in a new state, this is rare.

(3) End of third quarter partner and I get dressed. We dress then pregame, using a court board. We decide then who will be the R and the R does most of the talking

20, 13-ish, 12, 1:30 -- On the court observing at 20 (R with the visitors) getting the number of players for your team so the R can match up in the book, captains at 13:00, R goes right to the table and checks the book at 12:00 and meet with the scorers (while the U straddles the division line and keeps observing). Then the R comes back across and at 1:30 we greet the coaches starting with the visitors (asking if the players are legally attired). We don't "visit." I have fun on the court, but am all business. Not all partners will be like that, so we always have to adjust.

Then we head to the scorer's table. We have introductions and the anthem and THEN we remove our jackets and start the game.
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As far as the game itself, the game should be the easy part. Make sure you keep advantage/disadvantage in mind and get the fouls you need to. Nothing screams inexperience like the official that calls a rebounding foul on a little bump where the ball is cleared. Or calls the foul on an outlet pass that kills a fast break. Slower whistles are important the higher you go, in my opinion.

Stay in your primary and enjoy the fact that you know your partner has his area covered. You don't always get that with new officials that you work freshman and JV games with (especially when they blow that whistle on something right in front of you.....grrrrrrr).

Slow down. Then slow down some more. In my first few varsity games back this season, I had a tendency to be way too fast. Fist, birddog, preliminary signal, verbalize. Let your partner know the throw-in location or if there are shots. Stop before reporting. I've concentrated on these things and things have been going much better. Losing the number of the shooter or the person committing a foul is bad at the JV level, it is 100x worse at the varsity level.

Let the coaches chip at you (at this level, the coaches KNOW how to chip the right way, if there is such a thing -- only listen for one thing and that's a timeout request -- you know when a timeout is imminent and look toward the bench on those occasions) and heated coach situations when your partner is a veteran -- THIS is when a newer official (at this level) can lean on his/her partner's experience a little bit.

Most of all, have fun. For me, the intimidating part was always the pregame when you are out there with your jackets on and the gym is filling up. Then the announcements and anthem rev you up a little more. Once it starts, though, it's just basketball.

Regards,
Rich

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Jan 1st, 2003 at 01:59 PM]