Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
Written mechanics are simply guides to how to do things. I know of no one that follows them to the letter.
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During the first twenty years of my thirty-one year career, our local board, under the leadership of our veteran interpreter, used NFHS mechanics. We followed the NFHS mechanics, positioning, signaling, switching, rotations, line responsibilities, etc. "to the letter". If a question came up as to how do do something in regard to mechanics, we went to the NFHS mechanics manual for the answer.
That interpreter has since retired, and we have switched from NFHS mechanics to IAABO mechanics. We have also lost our consistency. Out of bounds line responsibilities, especially sideline responsibilities for the lead official, vary from game to game depending on who your partner is. Player control foul signals vary from partner to partner. Team control foul signals seem to be optional. Last season I almost gave the ball to the wrong team because my partner failed to signal the team control foul punch. When the ball goes out of bounds off the offesnive team near the division line, or there's a back court violation near the division line, whether, or not, the old lead runs the length of the court and becomes the new lead doesn't depend on exactly where the ball will be put into play, but rather, depends on who you happen to be working with that night.
Every night is a new adventure. There is something to be said for dictator like interpreters.