Quote:
Originally Posted by buckeye38
New official here. I am having a tough time, especially as lead in 2 man crew, judging if slight contact...
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I might have missed this in the replies, but I'm curious as to why the OP specifically mentioned 2-man crew. Honestly I missed that the first time I read the post. I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't anyone offering advice about mechanics, so I went back and read the OP again worried that I missed something.
Since the OP stated a concern about having more difficulty with this judgement from lead in 2-man mechanics, I'm wondering if your positioning might be part of the issue. Being in the right position to fully assess the play is crucial and getting to the right position starts before the offensive player even starts the drive. If you are trying to get into the right position after the offense initiates the drive, you're probably not going to get there.
Other aspects to consider:
Where are the drives that you're having the most difficulty with being initiated and where are they going? Baseline drives from the wing can be challenging if you get too close to the play. I worked with a guy that thought the lead should camp out on the lane line extended. He hustled to get there, but anytime the ball was on the wing on his side, he was only able to see the ball handler and his defender because of his positioning. When there was a baseline drive toward him, I had a better angle to see contact from the trail position on the opposite side of the court. Drives from the top of key down the lane (or along the lane) have different challenges as there is typically more activity in the lane to watch (defensive post players reaching and offensive post players trying to screen) and the increased possibility of having your view obstructed by all the additional bodies. Sometimes there isn't a position the lead can be in to see everything, but that is why there is a trail to help.
Are the drives occurring during transition plays or during the half-court offense? Since you didn't mentioned in the OP, I'm wondering if you have considered how the difference between these situations impacts your positioning? Do you race back down the court trying to get to the baseline in front of a fast break play and find yourself with the added challenge of trying to look over your shoulder to see the entire play? If you can beat the play to the baseline and maintain a good angle to see the entire play, so be it. Sometimes you get a better angle from the sideline while allowing the play to finish in front of you rather than beating it to the baseline and having a bad angle.
If you feel you are more capable of making these calls from the trail or in 3-man mechanics, remember the principles by which you make the call are the same regardless of where you are or how many officials there are, so the judgement aspect of this is the same either way. Just work hard to get in the right position so you can see what you need to see to apply that judgement. Lastly whether the issue is your positioning or your judgement, follow the advice of others here and study (watch games, watch film, read the books, etc) and seek feedback from other officials.