Preliminary Signaling

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Rich

I couldn't care less if officials give a prelim.

I love it when my partner gives a good preliminary signal. That way, I know if it's a shooting foul, or a non-shooting foul, which tells me to start getting the players ready for a free throw, and to identify a shooter; or to get the players ready for a throwin at a spot indicted by my partner.

When a partner fails to give a good preliminary signal, I'm forced to guess, or wait until he gets to the reporting area to find out what happens next.

Around here, the "hit and run" (not giving a good preliminary signal) is high discouraged, and frowned upon.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I love it when my partner gives a good preliminary signal. That way, I know if it's a shooting foul, or a non-shooting foul, which tells me to start getting the players ready for a free throw, and to identify a shooter; or to get the players ready for a throwin at a spot indicted by my partner.

When a partner fails to give a good preliminary signal, I'm forced to guess, or wait until he gets to the reporting area to find out what happens next.

That's not what a preliminary signal is.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Adam

That's not what a preliminary signal is.

If I have to wait for my partner to get to the reporting area and report the foul to the table for me to find out whether it's a shooting foul, or a non-shooting foul, that's certainly a bad preliminary signal.

[bob jenkins]

It's a reasonably big deal here in HS to give the preliminary signal at the spot of the foul.

In NCAAW, only if needed (which usually means block /charge).

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It's a reasonably big deal here in HS to give the preliminary signal at the spot of the foul.

Same here, except maybe the "reasonably" part. It's all about communication, and as Billy said, it helps your partner know what exactly you had.

Besides, without preliminary signals, we're denied THE MOMENT, when the home crowd is cheering your fist in the air, because they don't yet know the hand is about to go behind your neck.

[jpgc99]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Same here, except maybe the "reasonably" part. It's all about communication, and as Billy said, it helps your partner know what exactly you had.

Besides, without preliminary signals, we're denied THE MOMENT, when the home crowd is cheering your fist in the air, because they don't yet know the hand is about to go behind your neck.

I give a preliminary on all block / charge fouls, and will punch all team control and player control fouls so it is obvious when we are going the other way.

I'll give an occasional prelim signal at the spot for an off-ball foul, but other than that I don't give a preliminary signals.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jpgc99

I give a preliminary on all block / charge fouls, and will punch all team control and player control fouls so it is obvious when we are going the other way.

Exactly!!!

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If I have to wait for my partner to get to the reporting area and report the foul to the table for me to find out whether it's a shooting foul, or a non-shooting foul, that's certainly a bad preliminary signal.

Preliminary signal is showing the type of foul at the spot. Stating the number of free throws or the throw-in spot is part of ALL foul calling procedures.

[ODog]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Stating the number of free throws or the throw-in spot is part of ALL foul calling procedures.

I only do high school, but I've had multiple NCAA-M officials (one of whom has done Division I) tell me the "two shots" indicator at the spot isn't even necessary on "plays where it's obvious to everyone in the gym we'll be shooting."

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ODog

I only do high school, but I've had multiple NCAA-M officials (one of whom has done Division I) tell me the "two shots" indicator at the spot isn't even necessary on "plays where it's obvious to everyone in the gym we'll be shooting."

I don't see how. If you do not tell anyone, it is possible that people might assume the wrong thing and be surprised when you are going to the line. Not everything you think is obvious to you is obvious to everyone.

Peace

[jpgc99]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I don't see how. If you do not tell anyone, it is possible that people might assume the wrong thing and be surprised when you are going to the line. Not everything you think is obvious to you is obvious to everyone.

Peace

I always will give the number of shots or the location of the in-bound. Advice to not give this really doesn't make any sense. Even if "every one in the gym" knows it is a shooting foul, your partner might not because he might be watching a competitive matchup in his area and might not have seen the foul.

[constable]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If I have to wait for my partner to get to the reporting area and report the foul to the table for me to find out whether it's a shooting foul, or a non-shooting foul, that's certainly a bad preliminary signal.

Signalling the shots or the spot should be included in all fouls. Whether it is a hold, hit, handcheck is irrelevant.

IAABO wants prelim signals for all fouls.

In FIBA, we only give them for block/charge, T, unsporting ( int/f1) or DQ ( flagrant/f2) fouls.

[#olderthanilook]

My area supervisor and, of course, the state association where I work preach the importance of showing a good preliminary.

I like the use of a preliminary more so than not when officiating, mainly because there are those times when we as a crew are focused on a matchup or secondary match up in our primary and we don't "see through" a play or maybe don't have it in our peripheral view, thus we don't know why a whistle was blown and play stopped.

The quicker the entire crew knows why play was stopped, the more efficiently a crew can move the game along.

[EarnYourStripes]

First time poster guys but have been lurking for a while. Looking forward to good discussion with you guys. I think giving a preliminary is a very useful tool in the right scenario to lend credibility. Obviously I think preliminaries should be used in block/charge scenarios but they can really help sell a certain call that may not be obvious to everyone in the gym. Some examples could be a slight hit to the head on a drive to the basket or an elbow tap on a shooter. Have also used a preliminary on an illegal screen play where everyone sees the illegal screen but there was a push from the offensive player on the screener that not everyone may have seen.

[Dad]

Originally Posted by EarnYourStripes

First time poster guys but have been lurking for a while. Looking forward to good discussion with you guys. I think giving a preliminary is a very useful tool in the right scenario to lend credibility. Obviously I think preliminaries should be used in block/charge scenarios but they can really help sell a certain call that may not be obvious to everyone in the gym. Some examples could be a slight hit to the head on a drive to the basket or an elbow tap on a shooter. Have also used a preliminary on an illegal screen play where everyone sees the illegal screen but there was a push from the offensive player on the screener that not everyone may have seen.

Welcome to the forums!

These are some good examples. In my experience, it's the different definitions everyone has of preliminary signals that causes argument. Someone may say they're horrible while another says they are pivotal; All the while they both are meaning something different but will ***** about it during pregame.