Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac
I only get two, or three, varsity prep school games (only eight such schools in our local area) a year. My local interpreter makes available a handout on prep school rule differences (NCAA/NFHS hybrid), including a short synopsis of shot clock rules. I just downloaded and read through the handout yesterday knowing that I have a varsity prep school game next week. I keep the laminated handout (with a short synopsis of shot clock rules) in my bag and make it part of every varsity prep school pregame conference. I sleep well at night knowing that I've done enough to make me a pretty good prep school official.
However, I've been officiating with NFHS rules for thirty-five years (thousands of games) and I'm still stymied by a few of the rules, and interpretations, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that I'm occasionally stymied by NCAA rules, especially shot clock rules.
And it doesn't help that there's usually a poorly trained kid at the table, usually pulled out of the bleachers, working the shot clock that knows less about shot clock rules than a tree stump.
I feel that I've done my job preparing for such games, but it's still great to get an NCAA partner to confidently deal with the shot clock problems that often arise.
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I just do not agree with the approach that since you only work a limited amount of those games that you should not be held to same standards as a college official working those same games.
We would not accept a college official working a NFHS game to say "I hope my partner is a seasoned HS officials because I don't know HS rules as well as I know college rules."
And the fact that poorly trained shot clock operators are at the table is all the more reason to dedicate yourself to knowing Connecticut prep school shot-clock rules as thoroughly as you should know NFHS/IAABO rules.