Things the Mechanics Manual Doesn't Tell You

[ilyazhito]

Newsflash: The NFHS manual actually DOES say that, in both the 2-person and 3-person sections.
4.3.6. Last-Second Try for Goal:
... D. Making the Ruling:
1.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.
2.The Trail official (2-person) is responsible for making the ruling on any last-second shot and should communicate this to his/her partner by signaling with the hand-on-chest signal when the game clock is near 15 seconds.
5.3.6.D (The 3-person Last-Second Try for Goal, Making the Ruling) is the same, except opposite side official (Trail or Center) replaces Trail.

AFAIK, how to judge contact is partially a function of knowing the rules and partially a function of experience/watching video on how similar plays are officiated, not necessarily a mechanics issue.

Supplemental books, like the "Basketball Officiating Mechanics Illustrated" and "The T: Technical Fouls at the Right Time in the Right Way", explain various stuff not covered in the standard manual (U's stand on the blocks for quarters, it does not matter where; calling official for technical fouls can go opposite the table; when to rotate;transition coverage), but how much do you actually find their suggestions useful in games?

On a different note, what are good sources to consult for philosophy? IMO, the casebook explains why certain plays should be ruled a certain way, but I don't know how much officials actually apply casebook interpretations to real game situations, just like officials sometimes go off the script set by the NFHS manual.

Do men's or women's college officials go off-script at their level as much as high school officials do? What other things might college officials do in addition to what the CCA books describe?