First Time on the Floor
 

Passed the written exam easily, but I knew actually being on the floor would be much harder. . .and it was even harder than I imagined!

Girls JV scrimmage, 2 cadets on the floor, with 2 experienced officials shadowing us. We had 4-minute shifts.

It was all such a blur! Way faster than I thought, and I was so concerned with where I was supposed to be, and what my PCA was, that I missed a lot of calls. I lost track of which team was going in which direction. Girls did not have uniform numbers, so reporting fouls was different than what I had practiced. Coach yelled for a time-out, I knew who had player control, but not who yelled. One time I hit a girl in the head with my signal - it was ugly!! I could go on but you get the idea. I was very discouraged last night.

I have several more of these practice scrimmages coming up - any tips? I know with more floor time and experience it will get better, but right now I am very overwhelmed!

Some people just aren't cut out for this stuff. It may be time to hang up the whistle, and find a new hobby. :D

World record - shortest career ever! :)

OK, I'm just kidding.

Seriously, starting out, one of the best things to do is find ONE thing to work on each game. For example, on every whistle, GET YOUR ARM UP. Starting out, don't even worry if it's a FIST(foul), or OPEN HAND(violation).

Also, be open to constructive criticism that will come your way. Tell those who are training you to shoot straight and not sugar coat things. AND MEAN IT!! Don't get your feelings hurt when someone is telling you where you messed up, or how you could do something better. You're a rookie. They know more than you do. If they're willing to help you, be gracious in accepting their help and critiques.

If it was easy anyone could do it. :p

A few years from now you will still be missing calls...hopefully not that many.

Last game I called the ball bounced off a shoulder and was coming right at me. I sidestep and (for some reason) started to raise both arms in an effort to get out of the way. Girl going OOB trying to save it hit my elbow and went down like a rock. Luckily she was able to shake it off and keep going. It happens.

Trust me, it gets faster every level you move up. Now when I ref MS boys it feels like I'm in the Matrix. :D

Started out 5th and 6th grade boys summer leagues - felt totally lost the first few games.

Echoing some things already said:

1. Always get your hand up -
2. Strong whistle - gives you and everyone else confidence
3. Call the obvious
4. Try whatever technique helps you to relax - (my first trainer said "keep telling yourself it's just basketball, and you KNOW basketball.") For me getting there on time or a little early allows me to get ready without rushing.
5. Slow down, slow down, then go really slow, then still slower in your responses to violations and fouls.

I could've written your original post almost word-for-word after my first scrimmage. Don't worry, it gets better.

Just wait till your actually working a game, see a foul, and your reaction is "THAT'S A FOUL! Why doesn't someone call it?" before you remember that calling the foul is your job. :)

All the advice above is good, but I'd especially like to echo the "pick ONE thing to primarily work on each game" advice. Once you've gotten the hang of one thing (raising your hand when you blow the whistle, for example), then start concentrating on the next thing (Open hand for violation, fist for a foul).

And always remember to SLOW DOWN. As my association's clinician says: once you blow the whistle, the game isn't going to start again until you're ready. There's no reason to hurry to get the ball in play again.

You're lucky in that you've got several scrimmages before you first actual game... use them to your advantage.

And remember...if you think you stink, at least you stink on both ends of the floor so thing even out :D

The "pick one thing" advice is excellent.

I can't thank you all enough for all this great advice. For tomorrow, the one thing I will concentrate on is not being afraid to make a call. Definitely had several "Deer in the headlights" moments!

To piggy-back on the other excellent advice here a few things:

1) Show up in plenty of time so you can

2) Look good (the way you're dressed -- these are "free" points you should never give away) and

3) Feel good (stretch or do whatever you need so your body isn't an issue getting to your spots).

4) Focus on one (or two, if you're an overachiever) thing to really emphasize for yourself each game, or even quarter, if you're subbing in and out.

5) If you played or know basketball, like someone earlier said, just go with it and

6) Make your calls distinct and forceful. You blew the whistle, so now you have to tell EVERYONE what's going on. There's no taking it back. (That includes speaking so your partner knows where to go next -- Remember: He/she was watching his/her PCA, and not yours.) Think of yourself as a traffic cop, not just a "judge" out there, and that will eventually frame your movements better.

7) A corollary to No. 5: Just get the call right. If your mechanic is clumsy or late or downright wrong, that's secondary Besides, if you do it confidently -- which you should -- you might look more like a veteran out there. You know, the kind who aspires to do more college (or NBA) ball, or who has watched too much TV, or just figures after XX years, the people will know what they're gesturing about. :D

first time
 

Stepping out for my first game (after one scrimmage) about all I remember is that it seemed like 1000 people in the stands, the game was very fast, and I did a great job :D. None of those were true. It was a girls Jr High game, with maybe 100 people attending, and though nothing terrible happened, at best I called an OK game.

Enjoy the experience.

I don't think a time will ever come when you don't make any more bad calls. But if you look good when doing it (in the right position, and use good mechanics), then you can get away with it.

It'll take time to naturally to develop those two things, but once you do things will get easier. You'll see things better, and your strong signals will back up your calls.

Chuckster: I applaud you for applying your time, effort, and energy towards helping to promote fair play and competitiveness in interscholastic athletics. I recall when I first started reffing--I was doing it like a hoops player because that is what I had been. Now, you are a bona fide Referee. It is normal to veel overwhelmed in your initial foray into live games. The forum posters here have offered you fine advice and encouragement--and indeed all of their suggestions ought be duly considered for implementation by you. I for one would advise that after your next game, simply go ask the coach or athletic director for a video of your game. Or maybe have an associate vid your game. Scrutinize yourself, laugh at yourself, and see where you can make improvements.
Videotape tells a whole different story than you might think and what other folks are saying about you. First time I saw myself on vid tape calling a game, I was like "wtf$@%& was I doing out there? why was I looking so goofy reporting a foul/violation? why was I walking away from the area where I called the foul on--and then kept on looking backwards as I was walking to make out the jersey number of said fouler? I was bumping into other players doing this action and looking all goofy; then another time I saw myself all goofy.
So, buddy, welcome to the Officiating Industry--and I wish you much success.

Oh yea...if he was discouraged just thinking about his first time on the floor a video of his effort should pick him right up. :eek: :D

Watching yourself is an excellent tool...real hard to argue you aren't doing something as you watch yourself doing it.

I felt the same way in my first scrimmage! You should get a lot more comfortable in your first dozen floor experiences. Work as many games as possible! I found I could study, practice in the mirror, watch film, etc., all I wanted. But working games helps you grow faster than anything else.

FIFY - falling onto a wood floor is much harder. :p

as mentioned, get warmed up, run around a bit, etc.

1. Be ready from the start. One of my early games there was a foul right after the tip. I didn't call it because you just aren't used to blowing the whistle that fast. And at the end if you are trail know if you have the shot at the buzzer. Again, first season. Luckily the shot missed because I was not ready to call it.
2. Had a new partner last season. He was involved in a play where an intentional foul should have been called and went up to me asking what should be done. If you have a play like that, learn when to make that call but there could be times when you can rightfully ask a question about what to do. If you know basketball you'll know when something is out of the ordinary like that and best to be on top of things and make the call yourself.
3. Not to get ripped here, but usually best not to call games too tight and never go into that "let them play" mode. That will vary of course but the best refs find some middle ground. Most people are fine to work. But if you don't like working with a few refs just get them off your list. Trust me it will make things easier but again something that probably should wait until at least a couple of games. A few refs are primary jerks. Meaning they get all offended if you call something in their area. Your job is to watch your areas. But you know what, sometimes calls are missed like a foul or a violation that your partner may not have seen. Again this is a balancing issue and most crews work well and learn to trust each other. they don't care if someone calls a foul in their primary because it could have been something they didn't see. Don't be afraid to step in at times. That starts becoming natural and most crews learn how to work with that and when not to make a call out of area.
Some coaches are just jerks. They will be nice to you before the games, then essentially try to tar and feather you. Bah humbug to them. That's just their Modus operandi. Talk to them, warn them, and just know when to give out the T if it is warranted. That reminds me, don't be overly concerned about 3 seconds, communicate with the players, hands off etc, but then be prepared to call fouls if it continues. There are minor fouls like that off-ball especially that can be avoided with communication but that only goes so far otherwise there can be freedom of movement restrictions. If you are trusting yourself, communicating when needed with the players, they will see that and I find things go smoother.
I always like having two whistles, extra laces and maybe a banana or something. You'll keep learning. And there will be some fun plays where you'll have no idea what to call. I remember some girls games where I was "wtf did I just see" I have no idea if that was even basketball. The good news is that well coached girls games can be the easiest ones to ref. One of my favorites game I ever did was a playoff game that went to OT, full crowd, and just a breeze to officiate. We could have reffed another game after no problem. It just varies. Try to stay on top of things, even games that are boring just work on things and stay interested/moving because assigners watch that.


I always like chatting a bit with the table. But also know that they could be parents of the players so keep that talk appropriate. Yes I may have given little Johnny jr a technical while Papa Bear was doing the books:D
Don't anticipate the foul. By that I mean, sometimes you'll think a foul is coming. I've seen refs blow the whistle on plays when it appeared that it was going to be a foul, but maybe at the last second the defender steps out of the way or makes a clean block. Ref calls a foul, and you know he's realized he's made a mistake. I'd rather a ref go with an inadvertent whistle but good luck with that :rolleyes: Learn the euro step, some refs get travel happy when a player just makes a fast move or one in the post. If you like reffing, then by all means stick with it. If not, it may not be for you and move on. I've known a few really good basketball players who just couldn't ref. They stopped which I credit them because there are others out there who keep at it when they should have passed that whistle on years ago.

Don't Beat Yourself Up ...
 

Girls junior varsity games are always really tough to call.

Scrimmages may be tougher to call than real games. Real games will have a real table crew, and players will have real uniforms.

Note: If I work a scrimmage where the players don't have numbers, I always report "Zero".

You lost track because you were off the court half of the time. When you work a real game, with the players going one direction for two periods, and then switching direction for the rest of the game, with you on the floor the entire time, it will be a lot easier to figure out who's going where. In the second half they go in the same direction as their bench. Opposite in the first half.

My VERY first time on the floor was a boys JV or frosh team scrimmage that only lasted a few minutes. About 5 days later, I showed up for a boys varsity scrimmage between two schools in the largest class. The speed was much faster, but I got through it. I didn't make a lot of calls, but a kid ran over a defender and I managed to call a charge. My mechanics looked a little hesitant, but I did make the correct call. Within about 3 weeks, I had a decent grasp of what I needed to be doing during a live ball -- at least for lower level games. Later in the year, I even worked both a girls and boys varsity game on the same night and managed to do fine. You will too.

Ahhhh... memories...

First scrimmage---- our entire newbie class is working a top level BV game with a future NBA player in the game...

Made a GREAT:D call on a block/charge play, rushed to the table and went absolutely blank... nothing, zip, zero....

Our "top dogs" who were teaching the class were doubled over they were laughing so hard....

Reading all of your supportive comments, and the stories of all those first scrimmages, has put me in a great frame of mind for today's scrimmage. I know I have a long way to go, with a lot to learn, but I am definitely less nervous today than I was on Monday. Thanks to all again!!

Welcome Chuck. Thanks for your story. Happened to many of us.

My first Rec game many yrs ago, all I knew was what I thought I knew. No training. never read a Ruels Book, Case Book or Officials Manual. My P was experienced, but, let's say "well beyond his prime."

Part way through the game, he comes up to me at a time out and asks, "Why do you keep Ting up the coach?" Oh, you mean that's not the time out signal? What did I know?

Another first timer, I had many yrs later was a HS kid. I had refereed him for many yrs, and after graduation, he decided to try it. After the 1st qtr, he handed me the whistle and said it wasn't for him.

Like anything else it can be very discouraging at first. Parents, players, coaches yapping. You feel unsure, etc. Keep at it and give it a try and maybe good things will happen in time.

I have a great deal of respect for people starting out. I've been doing this so long now that I don't have a great number of memories about that first couple of seasons. I can only imagine how bad I was.

It's a reason there's zero chance I'll take up a new sport now -- I'm 46, I work a sport in each season (football, basketball, baseball) already, and the only temptation I have had was to learn volleyball and that passes quickly.

1. Study your rule book.
2. Practice your mechanics, by watching basketball games on youtube or television; then watch yourself on video and compare.
3. Have fun: If you can't enjoy doing officiating, then you probably shouldn't be doing it.

Here's my two cents: Join the local association and ask your leadership to put you on a watch list. For the first couple of months I refereed basketball, I probably had two evaluations a week. LISTEN to what others you! Don't be so proud of your performance that you don't take feedback -- even from angry coaches. Occasionally, you'll get bad advice or a rule interpretation that you know to be wrong, but listen anyway. Take it into consideration and then double-check the book to make sure. You may have just remembered wrong. You may think that admitting to human frailties makes you a weak referee, but it can write pages in the coach's respect book to say something like, "You know coach, I may have missed that one. I'll work harder to get a better angle on it."

Be confident
 

I always tell rookies to look confident, and be confident.

Take the court standing tall and with a smile.

Once you blow the whistle to make a call, make the call 100 percent. Don't oversell it, but let everyone know with your body language that you have it right.

Go to games and watch other officials in your association. Watch how they move, how they carry themselves, and how they communicate with others. How do they handle certain situations. Watch their mechanics. You will pick up so much just by watching the veterans.

Accept the fact you are going to make errors and don't beat yourself up when you do. It happens. Store it away in your mind as something to work on, but regain your focus on what is happening on the floor right now.

And when in doubt, always, always, always hustle.

Welcome to the Brethren.

That's How Easy It Is ...
 

Our basketball guys who work volleyball in the fall say it's like stealing money.

Like printing money baby and I love it!
Rules will challenge your socks off though... but VB officiating is much easier to fake than hoops; only because most fans, players and coaches don't know VB rules enough to even question many of the calls. Not like the average hoop fan yelling: "travel", "3 seconds", "over the back" or "that's a foul".

Don't hate on VB!

For any scrimmage, camp, etc. games where players are wearing shirts or plain practice jerseys, I report fouls on anyone without a number as #0. That way, I can still report something and work on keeping good reporting habits.

For my first game, I saw two players fighting for a loose ball ball on my sideline and came in with an emphatic held ball signal... only to have my partner tell me it was two players from the same team! :eek: To make matters worse, I called a travel instead of an inadvertent whistle :o. I'm surprised I didn't get yelled at by the offended coach.

I won't repeat what others have said, but I'll offer something i haven't seen mentioned. In the past, someone suggested keeping a journal of games and using it to keep track of times to work on and improve in future games. if you have the time, I suggest it and using it to record a couple of things you think you did right and a couple of things you want to improve for next game.

Although I don't use that format as much now that I'm in my fourth season, I still journal each of my game dates, especially as veteran partners give me feedback so I can process what feedback is most useful and apply it in future games.

Your first season will be rough; it comes with the territory, so to speak. That said, if you study the rules, remain open to constructive feedback, and work hard at improving each time you're on the court, you should do fine. And just maybe you'll have some fun in the process.

Good luck this season. :)

Just take all the great advice given and simplify it for yourself. Work on one aspect each game and have fun.

I'll add one thing that helped me as a player and even more as an official:

Find a random game you want to watch. Watch it in 2x speed. Do it again and again until you can break down plays and actually see what's going on. Probably will seem impossible at first, but after a while you get used to it. This isn't for everyone, but for me it makes games in slow motion.

When you go to games, especially involving officials from your association, ask if you could sit in on their pre-game and half-time. If the opportunity arises so you don't interfere with their game mind-set, ask questions about why they did things you didn't follow.

My football association actively encourages rookies who wouldn't be getting varsity games to ride along with a varsity crew on Friday nights to soak it all in.

So I survived my first week of scrimmages, and all of your advice and encouragement played a big part in that! Felt a little more comfortable each time out.

Avoided any major issues. . .but obviously still a LOT of minor ones!

-My first jump ball was perfectly straight up. . . .but WAY too high!
-As trail, called an illegal dribble, had all my signals correct and in order, but stayed to administer the throw-in
-As Lead, ball-watching reduced to almost never...but I know it has to be never
-Still sometimes have trouble visualizing my PCA..."free throw line extended" means I feel I need to glance at the FT line to get my point of reference, but that can't be correct, if it takes my eyes off of where they need to be
-During free throws, I need it to become automatic if I see a violation, knowing if it was on the offense or defense
-All my foul calls were "pushes" LOL I need to expand my repertoire!!
-I always reported fouls on the division line, not taking advantage of the entire reporting area
-They told me at our last scrimmage that as Trail, close down when the shot goes up, and you can call any fouls you see outside of your PCA. I know during the entire game you can call outside your PCA, but they said when the shot is up, PCAs do not exist.

So once again, I thank all of you for taking the time to offer me so much valuable advice. My first real game is Dec 22, doubleheader, Freshman Girls, then JV.

Perhaps some of our vets can shed light on this? I've never heard that. :confused:

Nifty Trick ...
 

Somebody taught this (below) to me thirty-five years ago, and I've been doing it ever since.

As either the lead, or the trail, on every free throw, I look at the color of the shooter (let's say it's blue), and I say to myself, "Blue whistle. Blue whistle. Blue whistle ...", over and over, until the shot is released. This reminds me to immediately sound my whistle for an offensive lane violation, while also reminding me to have a delayed violation for a defensive lane violation (to see if the ball goes in, or not).

Like the Alka-Seltzer commercial used to say, "Try it, you'll like it".

Job well done, good luck in your first game(s).

As for PCAs not existing, you may want to ask them to elaborate. It's definitely not an FFA, and doing so will result in poor coverage. Trail's coverage includes basket interference, goaltending, and perimeter rebounds. If the shot is on your side it's your job to see if the shot went in or not. IE: Lead has a call and isn't watching the basket -- I would hope.

He Probably Needed The Exercise ...
 

So you made your partner run the entire length of the floor, while you just stayed in the same place. Well done grasshopper. You're already learning all the veteran tricks.

I worked a scrimmage with a young buck yesterday. I tried to talk him into working endline to endline while I stayed at the trial the entire six period scrimmage, but he wouldn't go for it.

These young guys aren't as gullible as they used to be.

My daughter played with a first time official on the floor yesterday. Fifth graders.

A dad was yelling at her. I was a bit too close, cause I turned and asked him how big a man he was for yelling at a teenaged (my guess - HS sophomore) girl doing her best.

I got an elbow from my wife and for once I told her she was out of line for shushing me.

When I went to camp last summer, one of our association's veterans/officers suggested closing down on shots as the T by taking 2 steps towards the basket. I find this keeps me more engaged with the play and not wanting to change directions prematurely like I had the tendency to do as a rookie.

I've never heard the item about PCA's not existing during rebounding. Our state's mechanics manual shows diagrams where officials should be watching during rebounding action. They may not match the PCAs exactly, but each official has responsibilities during rebounding action.

Well, to a point, that is true since PCA is more about on-ball coverage.

In 2-person, If the ball is in your PCA, you're on ball and if the ball is not in your PCA, you have off-ball, even outside of your PCA. Example: Lead is covering a matchup in the corner, the trail has the action in the paint. It's the lead's PCA but the lead can't cover the corner action and the paint at the same time.

In 3-person, the same idea applies to some degree as well, but not quite a extensively since the Lead isn't going to get pulled into action that far from the paint. However, there are plenty of times the C goes out of their primary for off-ball action....such as when the T might have a play in the corner but there is screening action around the top of the key.

Once the shot is released and the shooter is down, there is no on-ball coverage any more....and rebounding coverage is a lot more about angles than PCAs. If the rebound comes to the Trail's side with one player behind the other (as is often the case in a good boxout), there is a good chance the Trail will be straightlined. The C has the best view to see if there is a rebounding foul there. (Likewise for a rebound that comes off the rim towards the C).

His Daughter's Full Ride To UCONN Was Riding On That Game...
 

Go Saint Mary's ...
 

We have a new Catholic middle school assignment commissioner, some guys left, I decided to try it for, at least, another year.

Girls "junior varsity" game yesterday. Fifth, and sixth graders. Blue team with white numbers against blue team with black numbers. Same exact color blue. My partner and I have almost sixty years of experience between us. We can handle this. We'll go black versus white. One minute into the game, held ball, easy, until we discover that the teams are going the wrong way, so we turn them around. Rich's teenage official could probably do a better job than my crew yesterday.

Same game. I turn to the crowd during a timeout and state "I've got twenty bucks that says that the blue team wins".

Next game, I turn to the crowd during a timeout and state, "I've got twenty bucks that says that Saint Mary's wins". You guessed it. It was Saint Mary's versus Saint Mary's.

Sure, the thinking is that Lead doesn't have a very good look at rebounding coverage. It is better for the Trail to be closing down and help Slot with rebounding coverage than for the Lead to be guessing about displacement.

It's also related to the weak-side block being one of the three areas in which we miss the most plays -- both Lead and Slot have bad angles looking at displacement from their positions and despite being the furthest official from the play the closing-down Trail has the best look.

I did the same thing in a Varsity game on Friday night... it happens.

You will, of course, be ball-watching when the ball is in your PCA as lead (well, you'll be watching the player with the ball and the defender guarding her, but you know what I mean).

This gets better with time... and at FTLE, when in doubt, let the trail take it.

Most of the time, nobody cares what you signal as a foul when you report it, so don't get too worked up over this yet.
As for always going to the division line... better that than some guys who won't even attempt to get to the reporting area.

Definitely close down when a shot goes up. Yes, this means that you're going to occasionally get beat on a fast break going the other way. Them's the breaks. Besides, it's much easier to officiate fast breaks from behind than it is to officiate rebounding action when you're at the division line.

You're welcome. Sounds like you're off to a good start... Just remember the three simple rules: "Slow Down. Call The Obvious. Don't F- It Up"

You're missing the most important rule, however. :D

This cannot be overemphasized, but it can be overdone. You can see the ball without watching it, just like a number of other things. You do always need to know where the ball is.

Journal - Sorry, very long!
 

Thanks to all of your helpful comments and support, I am surviving my rookie season. One of the suggestions was to keep a diary, which I have done. Then, since I love to write, I made it into a journal. I thought some of you might want to read it – but I must warn you, it is very long!

Maybe it will bring back memories for you veterans. Maybe it can help a fellow rookie. I just hope it is enjoyable reading.

But most of all, I did it as a way to thank all of you for your invaluable advice. You all have helped me more than you will ever know.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...VBS--W3D0A/pub

Congrats. I appreciate how you listed out areas you wanted to improve on. It can be overwhelming. Someone else mentioned it, but I also recommend focusing on improving one thing at a time. At some point, I accepted that there was no better way to learn than experience. The more I saw, the more comfortable and better I got. YMMV, but that helped me slow down and just focus on learning and doing one key thing really well instead of trying to improve everything at once. I knew I was going to get better just by doing more games. Also, with more experience (or is it age?), you start to appreciate hot moms more.

You might (most likely) have some degree of ups and downs. Just know that it happens to everyone and have faith in yourself. Most importantly, remember it's just MS/HS basketball and that no matter world some coaches or fans live in, it's still not an accepted social norm to be a jackass up about MS/HS basketball. Don't let the bad shit get to you - treat it like you would if some idiot on the street who didn't know you started cussing you out - who the f*** cares what someone who doesn't know you says.

Before I started officiating basketball, when I watched basketball games, I didn't appreciate all the little details that went into an official's duties. When I watched game live or on TV after I first stepped on the court as a ref, my perspective completely changed. If you have the opportunity, I'd seek out local officials that are respected, and watch their games. You can learn a lot by just watching how they position themselves, their mechanics and signaling, and how they communicate. For example, you mentioned you had a lot of pushes; go watch a game and see what the officials call for different types of fouls. Pretend you're the lead and forget about the ball - just focus on the lead's PCA. It is weird to go to a game and watch the refs instead of the ball, but I picked up a lot quickly from that. Even watching NCAA games on TV helped, though more from observing what they deemed as advantage/disadvantage on fouls and signaling moreso than mechanics/positioning (w/ their 3-man crews).

It will be a lot of fun, and it will change the way you view the game of basketball - in a good way. Best of all, you can clearly correct your idiot friends when they complain about calls on TV.

Best of luck!

Thanks, wildcatter, for all of your suggestions. I agree, I found watching other officials was very helpful, once I trained myself not to follow the ball!

+1 Amen!

And, no matter how far you go with your officiating career, remember this:

"You're never as good as you think you are and you're never as bad as they say you are."

Like anything else, it's a continuous learning experience. Embrace everything that comes with the endeavor with a good attitude. You'll make a bunch of friends, make good memories and have a lot of fun along the way.

:)

I have been so preoccupied with rules, mechanics, and trying to do the right thing, that I never even considered the social aspect. Almost every partner has been really nice, and after just a few minutes of chatting, it seems like we share a common interest, or have a mutual friend, or our kids attend the same college, etc....I can definitely see making new friends!