Why Aren't You On TV?

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The best officials I work with are guys that have college experience. Why? Because they will not be shy to call hand-checking and other freedom of movement fouls, be aware of the clock and often use common sense when applying rules. Not to say that there are high school only officials that are not very good, but many of them have only a perspective that is limited if they never attended a college camp or got outside of their comfort zone.

And what is so funny, all my career I see high school officials use signals that are not in the book. Heck, I can hardly find a single high school official that signals a team control foul properly, but we get upset if an official uses a signal that actually describes the foul that took place every now an then. We are funny sometimes.

Peace

What would be an example of a signal that is "not in the book" at the high school level? I typically give "by the book" signals, and then say what exactly happened (e.g. arm bar) and an additional signal, if needed to clarify. AFAIK, it isn't too difficult to give a team control foul signal (fist up to stop the clock, then punch in the direction where the fouling team came from).

About camps, what type are typically available in your area? Are they more tryout or teaching camps? I'm looking to go to a three-man teaching camp in Annapolis this June, and possibly to the Level One Basketball Officials Camp in August in DC (Que'z Crawford runs that camp). I might go to college-specific tryout camps in the future, when I have varsity games under my belt.

[Multiple Sports]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What would be an example of a signal that is "not in the book" at the high school level? I typically give "by the book" signals, and then say what exactly happened (e.g. arm bar) and an additional signal, if needed to clarify. AFAIK, it isn't too difficult to give a team control foul signal (fist up to stop the clock, then punch in the direction where the fouling team came from).

About camps, what type are typically available in your area? Are they more tryout or teaching camps? I'm looking to go to a three-man teaching camp in Annapolis this June, and possibly to the Level One Basketball Officials Camp in August in DC (Que'z Crawford runs that camp). I might go to college-specific tryout camps in the future, when I have varsity games under my belt.

If you are searching for the best teaching camp in the area, I suggest Sean Hull's camp...he has one at U of M abd one at Towson. PM ME and I will get you his xontact info. Quez's in August is also a good choice.

[bucky]

Although I will go along, I never understood the use of many signals. I have discussed this. Some signals are clearly necessary, offensive foul but others seem like a waste of time, specifically those surrounding defensive fouls. The fist in the air indicates illegal contact, period. Why is it necessary to signal a hold? Push? Handcheck? Etc? Some yes, but not a majority. Maybe just an irritation point for me. Speaking of signals, when was the last time you saw an official give the correct signal for illegal use of hands? I can't recall one. Oh, and as far as NCAA refs, what is the deal with the bent-elbows-fists-near-center-of-chest-and-then-extend-fist-out signal? I have seen it in the NBA and in college and it seems silly to me. Don't believe that is an approved signal. Correct me if wrong.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by Multiple Sports

If you are searching for the best teaching camp in the area, I suggest Sean Hull's camp...he has one at U of M abd one at Towson. PM ME and I will get you his xontact info. Quez's in August is also a good choice.

Go ahead and make your own decision, but I would respectfully disagree with Multiple Sports about Sean Hull's camp (at least the Towson one). I went in 2014 and I left with a mostly bad impression. One of the guest speakers was cool (NFL white hat), but it was a lot of games (racket) and some of the clinicians were downright rude. One of them even downgraded me for not going to the arrow on a clearly POI situation. The clinician and one of my partners clearly didn't know the rule, and I ended up looking bad for it. It took every ounce of my soul not to be a "yeah but'er" at that moment. Right then and there I knew I'd never go back to that camp.

I wasn't a Baltimore area official at the time; I went to the camp looking for some JUCO visibility that I could perhaps parlay into some work closer to my area in Tidewater, VA. Didn't find it. There was a Pennsylvania JUCO guy there as a clinician, but other than that it seemed like the camp was mainly geared at Baltimore area HS officials who needed to pay their dues for schedule purposes. So if that's you, so be it. But you are forewarned.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Go ahead and make your own decision, but I would respectfully disagree with Multiple Sports about Sean Hull's camp (at least the Towson one). I went in 2014 and I left with a mostly bad impression. One of the guest speakers was cool (NFL white hat), but it was a lot of games (racket) and some of the clinicians were downright rude. One of them even downgraded me for not going to the arrow on a clearly POI situation. The clinician and one of my partners clearly didn't know the rule, and I ended up looking bad for it. It took every ounce of my soul not to be a "yeah but'er" at that moment. Right then and there I knew I'd never go back to that camp.

I wasn't a Baltimore area official at the time; I went to the camp looking for some JUCO visibility that I could perhaps parlay into some work closer to my area in Tidewater, VA. Didn't find it. There was a Pennsylvania JUCO guy there as a clinician, but other than that it seemed like the camp was mainly geared at Baltimore area HS officials who needed to pay their dues for schedule purposes. So if that's you, so be it. But you are forewarned.

I went to Sean's camp years ago at Mount St. Mary's. I had a better experience than you had and I've even ended working games since then with guys who were observers. But, yes, those B-more/DC guys can tend to be cliquish.

And as I've mentioned plenty of times here and on FB, there are a lot of college guys (way too many) who simply don't know the rules that well. And it is worse with older guys, especially observers, b/c they are not going to listen to someone whom they don't know.

If you want a GREAT teaching camp, go to a camp that is run by NBA guys. Joey Crawford and Mike Callahan run Next Level camp every year at Villanova the week after Father's Day. It is short, but fruitful, and not as expensive as most camps.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

What would be an example of a signal that is "not in the book" at the high school level? I typically give "by the book" signals, and then say what exactly happened (e.g. arm bar) and an additional signal, if needed to clarify. AFAIK, it isn't too difficult to give a team control foul signal (fist up to stop the clock, then punch in the direction where the fouling team came from).

Easy. There are signals like arm-bar (which you referenced), hooking, not vertical signal, walling up, two-hands or hit on the arm.

Also, a lot of people do not give the team control foul in the proper sequence or do not give the preliminary at all when they make such a call.

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

About camps, what type are typically available in your area? Are they more tryout or teaching camps? I'm looking to go to a three-man teaching camp in Annapolis this June, and possibly to the Level One Basketball Officials Camp in August in DC (Que'z Crawford runs that camp). I might go to college-specific tryout camps in the future, when I have varsity games under my belt.

All camps are try-outs for someone. All camps teach things too. There is no one versus the other that I can tell. The level might affect how much those things apply, but you can learn and try out all at the same time.

Peace