[BillyMac]

On the opening jump ball (not overtime), as the referee, or the tosser, point to the bench on your left, and say silently, or aloud, the color of the team on that bench. Then point to the jumper on the left side of the jump ball circle, he should be the same color as the players on the left bench. Then point to the right, the direction that that team is going, and say, aloud, the color of that team while pointing to the right. (For example, "White. White. White goes this way.")

Now point to the bench on your right, and say silently, or aloud, the color of the team on that bench. Then point to the jumper on the right side of the jump ball circle, he should be the same color as the players on the right bench. Then point to the left, the direction that that team is going, and say, aloud, the color of that team while pointing to the left. (For example, "Blue. Blue. Blue goes this way.")

Obviously, this will not work for overtime jump balls (Remember last year's Marquette-UConn overtime toss?).

It seems tedious. and elementary, but if you do this you will never start the game by going the wrong way (involving an error by the officials). I've been doing this for thirty-three years, and I've never started the kids going the wrong way, from fifth, and sixth, graders, all the way up to high school varsity, games.