No Surprises

[Freddy]

Bad things happen when an official gets surprised by what just happened.
I'm compiling a list of things to do and think in order to minimize those surprises. Please help me by adding to the list according to whatever input and insights you have to share. I'll start the list and you can add your contributions.
Looking forward to your responses.

I'M NOT GOING TO GET SURPRISED . . .

1) . . . by any block/charge call as Lead, because instead of watching that dribbler who started outside my area, I'll be observing the secondary defender, assessing his LGP or lack thereof before the crash occurs.

2) . . . by any illegal action at the rim/backboard while as C in transition because I'll be hustling in transition to get a good look at action at the rim so I can accurately call anything illegal that occurs.

3) . . . (add your contribution here . . .)/

[mutantducky]

when ninjas storm the court

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

I'M NOT GOING TO GET SURPRISED . . .

3) ... by the end of a period.

Many veterans on my local board were trained by an outstanding official who had a "by the book" philosophy that if there wasn't an "official" (NFHS, or IAABO) signal an official could give to another official to watch for the end of a period, that we shouldn't use "any" signal to signal such. His philosophy also said that good officials should always know when one was getting close to the end of the period, again claiming that no such signal, official, or unofficial, was needed.

He retired several years ago, and many of our veterans, unfortunately, still follow his philosophy. We still haven't come up with an accepted signal. Some will point to the clock, or hold up one finger, others will tap their heads, or point to their wrist, or point to the ceiling making a clockwise signal. Many, especially veterans, will do nothing.

Even though it's in my pregame to help each other out with this situation, I am still surprised by the buzzer once, or twice, a season, no matter how hard I try to pay attention to the clock.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

3) ... by the end of a period.

Duly noted!

Originally Posted by BillyMac

We still haven't come up with an accepted signal.

NFHS has this, plus a new approved signal in the new Officials Manual: "Officials should communicate when there is one minute left in each quarter by raising one arm straight up above the head and extending one finger in the air. All officials should give the same signal.
Te opposite side official (Trail or Center) is responsible for making the call on any last-second shot and should communicate this to his/her partners by signaling with the hand-on-chest signal when the game clock is near 15 seconds confirming responsibility for the last second shot. Such communication should be repeated on any change of possession."
IAABO doesn't have either of these as approved signals?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

NFHS has this, plus a new approved signal in the new Officials Manual: "Officials should communicate when there is one minute left in each quarter by raising one arm straight up above the head and extending one finger in the air. All officials should give the same signal.

The opposite side official (Trail or Center) is responsible for making the call on any last-second shot and should communicate this to his/her partners by signaling with the hand-on-chest signal when the game clock is near 15 seconds confirming responsibility for the last second shot. Such communication should be repeated on any change of possession."

IAABO doesn't have either of these as approved signals?

Thanks Freddy.

IAABO added the hand-on-chest signal few years ago. It's in the mechanics manual, but it's not on the "official" signal chart.

I just sent a email to my local interpreter to tell him about the recent "one minute left" addition to the NFHS mechanics manual. Hopefully, he will send the information up the IAABO ladder to get it "officially" approved for IAABO officials.

Also, I can't find the new "one minute left" signal in the 2015-16 NFHS signal chart. Is it only in the NFHS mechanics manual?

http://www.nfhs.org/media/1015648/ba...gnal-chart.pdf

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Also I can't find the new "one minute left" signal in the 2015-16 NFHS signal chart. Is it only in the NFHS mechanics manual?

It's included in a PDF of a PPt used as a rules meeting lesson and can be accessed here: See Officials Manual Lesson, page 16

[Kansas Ref]

1 ... I won't be surprised when the scorer table confuses the direction of the AP arrow because I will be mindful of the AP arrow and know when it should/not be changed (e.g. "4.42.5 Situation") --I will take vigilant leadership on such issues.

2 ...I won't be surprised when for a game I am officiating in February 2016 (i.e., after we've been playing basketball for 3 months already!) regarding "fashion policing" sitches---that coaches will be upset with me and tell me that "well, the other refs let us wear such and such colored headbands/writsbands and nobody told us we can't play until we fix the non-conforming color accessories".

3...I won't be surprised when my ref payment is delayed due to some office secretary having mis-managed my paperwork after confirming all details with that office prior to.

[bob jenkins]

I will learn to expect the Spanish Inquisition.

[crosscountry55]

Nooooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!


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