Mechanics Creep

[SC Official]

Kansas Ref, do you give a preliminary on every foul you call and verbally inform the fouler? Aren't those things in the manual?

In my experience the people that get bent out of shape about this stuff couldn't care less about play-calling and game management. All they care about is that everything is done exactly by the book. Not surprisingly, they're not very good officials themselves. They're in the group of officials that likes to have 10-minute meetings with the captains and coaches.

At least 75% officials I work with at the HS level use fists and not open hands to signal a blocking foul. Who the hell cares that it doesn't exactly mirror the book? It's a much stronger signal that communicates the exact same message with more authority and confidence. The book also says to signal direction with four fingers; I work with very few officials that do it that way.

Officials (and assigners, quite frankly) that focus on this crap: get a life.