[APG]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I still birddog and every level I work has it as a mechanic. Now it is for clarification purposes and not every time, but it is still a mechanic. And the part of being big timed is that there are people that insist on doing something from another level when it is not allowed at the level they are currently working. I would never work a HS game and work college mechanic, just like I would never go to a college game and do HS mechanics or things. I know too many college officials that make it clear in multiple sports not to do things that the HS level does. Why is that hard for college or officials that work other levels to follow the standard of the level they are working? And hands on hips thing is a stylistic thing more than anything. I rarely know anyone that cares about that kind of stuff, just like I rarely find anyone that is worried if you use 4 fingers as opposed to two fingers on a directional signal. Just because the diagram shows something does not mean the people that created the picture are sticklers for everyone showing the exact picture in their mechanics. As a matter of fact there is very little commentary from the NF as to what is the reason for those pictures.

Fair enough on the first point...you are right that it is optional. It's just something I almost never use.

You say you rarely find anyone that's worried bout four fingers versus two fingers, or hands versus fist on hips, but I've met plenty of people that care about inane stuff like that. We've had threads on the forums talk about hand up with five fingers, direction with four fingers, and spot of the throw-in with two. If we have threads like this, then there must be people who are making a huge deal about this. And if someone wanted to be "by the book," they'd have a case that you're wrong if you don't do the signals by the book even if you feel like it's mostly stylistic (I agree with you by the way on this point).

Let me clarify this, when I speak about mechanics, I'm mostly talking signals...rather than things like rotations/switches, PCAs, etc. On those kind of issues, you can deviate too much because this affects what your partners do. If a college guy wants to just point on an OOB call using just a finger, then IMO, that's just fine because 1.) the timer ain't looking for your stop clock signal anyway and stopped the clock on your whistle, 2.) you gave a direction that told me, the players, coaches, and fans who will be inbounding the ball. Mission accomplished.

The biggest example that we see is someone that tries to wear a college jacket at the HS level. Now I do not know how many ways the CCA can say this, but those jackets were changed because people would try to wear them at HS games and they wanted the style to be totally different than what is required at the HS level in many areas. But officials seem to have to wear those. I have been working college basketball for years and would never think to wear a CCA jacket at the HS level, just like I would not wear an IHSA jacket at a college game.

I can see your point here...to me, this isn't an in-game issue where the points we are discussing are noticed by no one except officials. A coach or payer can tell when one official is wearing a completely different jacket or shirt, but are completely indifferent about the lack of stopping the clock signal or two handed reporting.

Just like I feel it is a bit overstated that what is done at the other levels makes it better. I have always figured that those things are different because they levels want it to be different, not just because it is better.

Peace

I wasn't trying to make the point of one being better than the other though there are times when what they do at the next level is better. First example that comes to mind is the not closely guarded signal that was being used at the college level and being used in HS games by college officials and those copying the next level before NF decided to add it later.