Quote:
Originally posted by just another ref
This will probably not be a popular post with the masses.
I get almost as tired of officials criticizing the phrase
"over the back" as I do coaches using it. Don't we all know what it is the coach is yelling for when he yells
"over the back" or "reaching in" or whatever?
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Well,Justa,I've been told before that I'm usually one "m" short of a "mass",but I'm gonna answer this one anyway.
Officials tend to use the terminology that's also used in the rulebook because it tends to reinforce the (oft mistaken) idea that we're the only ones in the building that really knows and understands what we're doing.It's like being part of a Secret Society,where we each get a decoder ring along with our rulebooks-and nobody else in the gym gets to have one.It's also the exact same reason that we try to use standardized mechanics,too.In other words,it's got a lot to do with the concept that every official should know exactly what every other official is doing by just simply observing them.The saddest part is that,if you happen to be a young official,and there's an evaluator in the crowd when you're calling the "reaches" and "over-the-backs",you might end up doing JV games at Podunk H.S. for the rest of your officiating career.It might also make the difference between you and another official,when they're trying to decide who to send to the next round of the State play-offs.You could be equal in ability,but the other guy/girl is gonna go every time.You might not like that either,but it's a fact of life. JMHO.