Why I love AAU basketball, a work of fiction

[Rich]

So, I'm not an off-season basketball official. I also work baseball and football and work at the varsity level at all three, although I mostly work small college and adult baseball now.

But this weekend I decided to try to expand my 3-person knowledge and attended a camp. The camp ran Friday through Sunday with Friday being the classroom 3-person part mandated by ther state and Saturday being the long day with everyone working 4 games, working the table for 4 games, and being in classroom for 4 games. Got there at 7AM and it wrapped up at 9.

In my four games, I had a coach call me rabbit ears (whack), another blow right through a stop sign and a stern "I hear you" on an obvious player control foul (whack), and a player deciding to use the ball for a purpose other than playing basketball while shouting out an expletive (whack). I also witnessed a player (while working the table) ask an official if he "wanted to go."

While working the clock (it's a hard job I'd never want to do, BTW), I saw kids talk back to "coaches" and heard brilliant timeout discussions where coaches imparted such wisdom as "you gotta get back on defense," "you're dribbling too much," "pass the ball," and "shoot the ball." I didn't see a single play drawn up in four hours. I also heard coaches and teenaged players arguing and players routinely talking back to officials. Lots of technicals.

The camp was good, though, and not a single clinician was an obnoxious jerk, which is a first for me as in my experience there's always one.

I also met an OF lurker there who recognized my name from the forum. He said that he doesn't post anymore because of being called cowardly and unethical in a thread dealing with correctable errors. Unfortunate that new posters get run off by sanctimonius blowhards, but there you have it.

I'm sore, tired, and back to baseball tomorrow. Probably no more hoops until my July camp, but I'll be around lurking, etc.

--Rich

[BktBallRef]

Rich, if you talk to Ken again, tell him to come on back by. Re-reading that thread, it appears to me that everyone supported him except for the one person who made the comment.

AAU boys is a techfest, coached by wannabes and played by prima donas. If you work, you simply do what you have to do. On the girls side, it's very good basketball. Coaches, parents and players stay pretty well in line. NC Girls AAU has a very good rule. Mom or dad gets ejected, the little princess goes with them. You'd be amazed how that little rule keeps everyone in line.

[Dan_ref]

I don't mind AAU weekends, in fact I kinda enjoy them. I do maybe a half dozen or so over the spring & summer. I don't know why but I have very little trouble with the coaches or players, but I do see some officials just get eaten alive during these things. Maybe it just takes a while to get used to the atmosphere to be able to roll with it, or maybe most of the AAUers recognize me & know what pushes my buttons. Who knows. And you always learn something at AAU games. For instance, today I had some pretty good games. There was a woman in the stands who might have played college ball or something, she was offering me all sorts of advice about how the game should & shouldn't be called. I called a travel on a player after he grabbed a rebound & went down on the floor, turns out according to my friend you can only call a travel on this type of play if the player sets himself on his feet *before* falling down. Live & learn

Seriously, I think the secret might be to separate the players & coaches who inhabit the AAU world into 2 parts: the jerks & the good guys. Work with the good guys. Keep the jerks on a very, very short leash. Anyway, that seems to work for me.

BTW, not to sound like an obnoxious jerk or even a sanctimonious blowhard but isn't there something...errr..I dunno, ironic or maybe poetic in you T'ing a coach because he said you have rabbit ears?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

BTW, not to sound like an obnoxious jerk or even a sanctimonious blowhard but isn't there something...errr..I dunno, ironic or maybe poetic in you T'ing a coach because he said you have rabbit ears?

Absolutely, it's why I posted it.

I called a PC foul on a drive to the basket. No brainer. Next time up the floor one of the coach's players, now on defense, tried for a steal and came up with arms. I had a patient whistle and the other coach start to say something right before I whistled the foul. As I'm reporting, he made the comment, "You've got rabbit ears." Instead of giving a smart remark, I simply T'd him and got out of there. We were playing 2 points and the ball for all technicals, so we didn't even have to shoot them.

I was just amazed at the ratio of jerks to good guys, but you're right -- it was the boys coaches and players. Did a girls game this morning and didn't hear a peep from anyone.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Absolutely, it's why I posted it.


I was just amazed at the ratio of jerks to good guys, but you're right -- it was the boys coaches and players. Did a girls game this morning and didn't hear a peep from anyone.

Maybe.

But the only brawl between players I've seen in AAU was during a girl's game I happened to be watching.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

Maybe.

But the only brawl between players I've seen in AAU was during a girl's game I happened to be watching.

Sorry, it was Tony that made the comment about girls.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

I also met an OF lurker there who recognized my name from the forum. He said that he doesn't post anymore because of being called cowardly and unethical in a thread dealing with correctable errors. Unfortunate that new posters get run off by sanctimonius blowhards, but there you have it.

So, did anyone ever actually answer KenThree's original question???

[BktBallRef]

Search "cowardly" and you'll find the thread.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

So, did anyone ever actually answer KenThree's original question???

The answer he got (best as I could understand over my burger and beer) was to take the unmerited free throws off the board (as this was correctable) and start the second half in the normal manner.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Search "cowardly" and you'll find the thread.

I had found the thread alright Correactable error, but the only one who appeared to answer the question was Ken himself.

I can understand the crew's reluctance in this situation b/c the correctable error rule is horrible as it applies to this situation. Basically, the team loses the points from the unmerited free throws and the possesion they should have had as a result of the foul while the offending team is allowed to keep its 2 points.

The correctable error rule needs a major overhaul.

[KenThree]

Here's the ruling as interpreted by the folks mentioned in the brief artilce that appeared in Referee Magazine during the basketball season:


The following play was brought to our attention at Referee and illustrates the need for understanding team control and the correctable error rule. After sorting out the specifics and being unable to find an appropriate caseplay or ruling, we were amazed to find the incredible number of intricacies within the play. Through discussions with Mary Struckhoff (NFHS assistant director and basketball rulebook editor), Ed Bilik (NCAA men’s basketball rules editor) and Barbara Jacobs (NCAA women’s basketball rules editor), Referee was able to secure the proper ruling and interpretation for the play. This play can and should serve as a valuable learning tool for all officials.

Play: Team A brings the ball over the division line with 13 seconds left in the first half (second quarter). A1 is dribbling the ball near the top of the key when B1 knocks the ball away toward the sideline. In the scramble for the loose ball, A1 is whistled for a pushing foul with 6.5 seconds remaining (team A’s seventh team foul). Erroneously, the officials issue a bonus free-throw attempt to B1 who proceeds to make both free throws. The ball is then inbounded to A2 who dribbles the length of the floor and puts in a jumpshot from the free-throw line extended. The ball passes through the hoop and is bouncing on the floor when the horn sounds and the quarter expires. No player from team B had picked up the ball. The officials switch the possession arrow to indicate team A will have the ball to start the second half and head to the locker room. The officials discuss the play in the locker room and determine that the last foul should have been a team-control foul. But now, can the still correct the error and is so, what is the resulting penalty?

Ruling: In determining whether or not the error can be corrected, the timeframe and action after the error must be examined. The error occurred during a dead ball and involved the awarding of unmerited free throws. After the unmerited free throws, the ball became live when team A grabbed the ball to complete the inbounds pass. The ball remained live until the ball passed through the basket on A2’s shot attempt, at which time a dead ball ensued. The ball remained dead when the horn sounded and quarter expired serving as the point of interruption. The halftime period now became the longest dead-ball period possible within the game. Since a second live ball had not occurred, the timeframe to correct the error was still available (NFHS 2-10-2; NCAA 2-11-1). Team B loses the two points that were gained from the shooting of the unmerited free throws. The points are taken off the board and removed from the scorebook. Team A is allowed to keep the two points from the final basket since points scored prior to the recognition of the error shall not be nullified (NFHS 2-11-5; NCAA 2-11-3a). The point of interruption was halftime. For that reason, the ball will be put back in play via the AP arrow and possession is awarded to team A.

Team B’s coach is undoubtedly not going to be real pleased. Correctable errors are always bound to leave one team feeling like they got the shaft. However, to make the best of an unfortunate situation, it is extremely important to understand how to properly apply correctable errors when they have occurred.

[rockyroad]

Thanks for posting that Ken...while I would like to think I would have been smart enough to figger that all out during the 6 min. or so we get to talk at halftime, I must admit that the way you handled it in the original posting made sense to me also...

[blindzebra]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Rich, if you talk to Ken again, tell him to come on back by. Re-reading that thread, it appears to me that everyone supported him except for the one embecile who made the comment.

AAU boys is a techfest, coached by wannabes and played by prima donas. If you work, you simply do what you have to do. On the girls side, it's very good basketball. Coaches, parents and players stay pretty well in line. NC Girls AAU has a very good rule. Mom or dad gets ejected, the little princess goes with them. You'd be amazed how that little rule keeps everyone in line.

The embecile sticks by his take from that thread 100%.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by blindzebra

The embecile sticks by his take from that thread 100%.

Then you aren't cowardly or unethical. You are worse.

[Junker]

Since we're on the topic of crappy leagues....today the director of the local Y emailed and begged me to work the season ending all-star game. The regular season is over, this game is supposed to be fun and all but of course there's one jerk. With about 20 seconds left, a player from blue, who by the way is up 20, gets the ball on the break and possibly gets fouled (I heard a small slap, but couldn't see where and when the contact was since we were working 2 man) which I no called. He immediately starts complaining, I ignore him. A few seconds after the buzzer as I'm leaving the floor he tells me I know nothing about officiating. I tell him the game isn't over until I leave the visual confines so he needs to stop talking to me. He continues to complain telling me I can't do anything because the game is over, so I T him up ($15 dollar fine in the league, $30 for 2 and so on). The look of shock on their faces was hilarious. I go report it and grab my stuff. The director asks me what he said and I told him the whole situation. I also told him if the fine isn't imposed, don't bother calling me to work again. I probably won't go back anyway. I just don't get some of these people at all. Ok, done venting. Hopefully I have a good first night out on the baseball diamond to help get this last game out of my head.