Referee Educates the crowd

[theboys]

Funny incident Saturday.

My son plays in a HS varsity fall league. At one point, the referee called a double foul underneath. After reporting the foul, they proceeded to administer the throw-in by giving the ball to the offense on the baseline. The opposing coach, and a few people in the small crowd (also, a small gym), started complaining that he should go to the arrow. The ref stopped before he gave the ball to A1, walked out to the FT extended, and told the assembled crowd about the rule change. He then asked if anyone learned anything "today". Most of us raised our hands. My wife leaned over and said, "I learned two things. I didn't know the previous rule, either." It was a smart, nice gesture by the ref. Unfortunate that rules knowledge can't be dealt with that way more often.

Another funny - funny, peculiar - thing: throughout the game, both refs (two-man) had "apprentice" referees shadowing them. The apprentice refs mimic'd the calls, the counts, etc. It was strange to watch. I think I would have been embarrassed to do it. It was useful, though, in that, at every break the refs would explain things to the apprentices.