What's in your pregame?

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Over 90% of our high school level games use NFHS rules. The other 10% involve private prep schools that use an odd set of hybrid NFHS/NCAA rules (sometimes the coaches don't even know the differences). When we work these private prep school games the "Prep School Handout" always comes out (initiated by either me, or my partner) because both of us need reminders about the rules that we're going to use that night.

Billy, officials in the DMV are in the same boat. The bigger private school leagues use rules that are a hybrid of NFHS and NCAA (dunking is allowed in warmups, the coaching box rule is copied from college, boys games use the NCAA men's rules on inbound spots, and the shot clock and related rules (backcourt counts and closely guarded counts) follow NCAA rules of the appropriate gender). Public high school games in DC and MD use the shot clock (VA does not), so the related rules (backcourt and closely guarded count) also differ between leagues, and the mercy rules for each league are different. This means that officials must be absolutely sure as to what set of rules they are using that day, and why every pre-game begins with a reminder of today's rules. You have "Connecticut only" quirks, I have DMV quirks that I need to take into account in my games.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

This means that officials must be absolutely sure as to what set of rules they are using that day, and why every pre-game begins with a reminder of today's rules. You have "Connecticut only" quirks, I have DMV quirks that I need to take into account in my games.

Forgive me, but wouldn't they know this already if they showed up to work the game?

I have never needed someone to remind me what the procedures are for an NAIA game compared to a JUCO game that has some different rules in pre-game for example. So why would I need you to remind me of that fact? Now if you want to discuss a very unique difference of that level that you do not normally go by, then I can understand that part. But I do not need you to go through an entire diatribe about what rules are being used. Hell the levels I just mentioned required different shirts to be used. I think if I put the shirt in my bag, I probably am aware of the difference.

Peace

[ilyazhito]

JRut, if you don't believe me, go to any scholastic basketball game in DC or the immediate suburbs, and sit in on the officials' pre-game conference. This may not be the way you personally do things, but this is what I have experienced in every pre-game conference I participated in or sat in on in the DC Metro Area.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

JRut, if you don't believe me, go to any scholastic basketball game in DC or the immediate suburbs, and sit in on the officials' pre-game conference. This may not be the way you personally do things, but this is what I have experienced in every pre-game conference I participated in or sat in on in the DC Metro Area.

This is not about belief. I asked why that would be necessary when many of us work different levels, rules or procedures and we do not go into a diatribe every game about those differences.

And it appears to not be the way a lot of other people do things based on their experiences either. Honestly, you do not have a lot of experience either, so you seem to be talking from a place of stubbornness rather than general practice. IJS.

Peace

[ilyazhito]

Any other things that you gentlemen (and ladies, if there are any female users or readers of this website) mention in your pre-game discussions? If you get games from other teams on film, you would go over anything that you saw on video. Does anyone use video for the pre-game conference itself? I know from all-access videos of Big 12 and Big 10 officials that officials at the D1 level watch video in their post-game conferences, and NBA officials watch video in their pregame conferences, so I'm curious if any users also do the same things. The only reason I haven't seen this done is because high school games are not often filmed in a way that is accessible to the officials, if at all.

[sdoebler]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

The only reason I haven't seen this done is because high school games are not often filmed in a way that is accessible to the officials, if at all.

Almost every game is filmed it just takes a little more effort on the officials end to get the tape from high school games. I often put an email address on our pre-game card and ask the home coach for the tape. If I don't get the film within a week I follow up as the coach or ADs email is always listed somewhere on the school website. Gotten every film I wanted if I put the effort in to obtain it.

[SWMOzebra]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Any other things that you gentlemen (and ladies, if there are any female users or readers of this website) mention in your pre-game discussions? If you get games from other teams on film, you would go over anything that you saw on video. Does anyone use video for the pre-game conference itself?

Yes, as a general rule I use video in pre-game conferences when I am the R. Early in the season, I will show a couple of clips of plays from the previous season (but only plays in which I was directly involved). Maybe a RA/LDB play or two plus a few unusual plays (unsportsmanlike, tech, double foul, etc) mostly to emphasize the importance of crew communication, but also remind everyone of floor positioning and working for angles (I have many, many clips of myself being caught out of position ). Early season non-conference games often involve rookies and I believe this helps to relax them a bit watching someone else (me) make mistakes or miscues and then recover.

As we get deeper into the season and current film is available about the teams in the contest we're getting ready to work, I'll show clips of the teams from previous games to highlight their styles and tendencies of key players.

When I'm not the R, then I let the R run the show. S/he may or may not use clips and that's entirely up to them.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

... if you don't believe me, go to any scholastic basketball game ...

I believe you ilyazhito. As I stated earlier, here in Connecticut private prep schools use hybrid NFHS/NCAA rules that often change from year to year. I have never left a private prep school dressing room without both of us (two man Connecticut) reviewing the differences between the "normal" NFHS rules that we're used to and the weird NFHS/NCAA rules that we're about to use that night. Even grizzled veteran referees who would normally have a pregame of "Let's not screw anything up" (they usually substitute another word for "screw"), or, "Good eye contact", and nothing else, go over the rule differences. "How many timeouts do they get?". "Who gets a closely guarded count?". "How many feet for closely guarded? Boys and girls?". "Do the girls get a ten second backcourt count?". "Does the coach sit when he gets a technical foul?". "Do we use the shot clock for ten seconds?".

We only work one, or two, private prep school games a year (I worked none last season). The weird rules often change from year to year. The few NCAA rules that they use may delay a few years to make their way down to this level. We didn't know until just before the most recent season started that they, i.e., the private prep schools, switched the girls from three feet to six feet for closely guarded. Even the guys that do both high school and college have trouble with the rule differences. I would never go on the court without reviewing the rule differences, and neither would any of my partners.

I always have problems reading the scoreboard (who's close to the bonus) even though we pregame that the visiting team would always be wearing white. Stupid private prep school rules.