Your Opinion Sought: "Strong Side"

[Matt S.]

Ideally, strong side and ball side are one in the same. However, as AremRed notes above, strong side has L & T, whereas weak side only has C.

[Raymond]

THE definition is whichever side has the Lead & Trail.

Often confused with ball-side.

[Kansas Ref]

I hate it when my Lead stops rotation in the middle of the lane right underneath the basket instead of establishing a "side" to be on

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Two-Person or Three-Person: Strong Side is the side of the court on which the Lead is. That has always been the definition of Strong Side.

MTD, Sr.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Two-Person or Three-Person: Strong Side is the side of the court on which the Lead is. That has always been the definition of Strong Side.

MTD, Sr.

We have been going on for two pages now and I do not wish to sound like a curmudgeonly old coot, BUT read what I highlighted above in RED! And then go to the 2017-19 NFHS Basketball Officials Manual, 2.35 STRONG SIDE, on Page 19. I do not have access to my Men's and Women's CCA Manuals but I will bet dollars to donuts that the definition of Strong Side is exactly the same.

Strong Side has only one definition and it is the Side of the Court on which the Lead is. It has absolutely nothing to do with Ball Location, the T's Location, or match-ups!

MTD, Sr.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Camron:

I missed your post with the CCA Manual Definition. Thank you.

MTD, Sr.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

We have been going on for two pages now and I do not wish to sound like a curmudgeonly old coot, BUT read what I highlighted above in RED! And then go to the 2017-19 NFHS Basketball Officials Manual, 2.35 STRONG SIDE, on Page 19. I do not have access to my Men's and Women's CCA Manuals but I will bet dollars to donuts that the definition of Strong Side is exactly the same.

Strong Side has only one definition and it is the Side of the Court on which the Lead is. It has absolutely nothing to do with Ball Location, the T's Location, or match-ups!

MTD, Sr.

I do not dispute your objective evidence and points. I am simply saying that it (the manual definition) is very inefficient, inconsistent, and not what the writers meant.

Doing an internet search for "basketball strong side" will reveal hundreds of thousands of results and I could not find one (not that I looked at them all) that mentioned it was the side of the L official. They (most of the initial relevant results were involving definitions) all included it to mean the side of the ball. If anything the writers should correct it but no one cares enough to put up a fuss over consistency/efficiency any more.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by bucky

I do not dispute your objective evidence and points. I am simply saying that it (the manual definition) is very inefficient, inconsistent, and not what the writers meant.

Doing an internet search for "basketball strong side" will reveal hundreds of thousands of results and I could not find one (not that I looked at them all) that mentioned it was the side of the L official. They (most of the initial relevant results were involving definitions) all included it to mean the side of the ball. If anything the writers should correct it but no one cares enough to put up a fuss over consistency/efficiency any more.

The writers meant exactly what is there. It has always been that way. The fact that you found thousands of references to another meaning in a different context is irrelevant. Again, we're talking officiating terminology, not player/coach terminology. They're meant to describe two different things for two groups of people.

I also fail to see how it is in any way inefficient or inconsistent.

You're arguing that they should change a definition to match your misunderstanding. Are you going to argue that they should put over-the-back in the book next because many players and coaches use that term?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

I hate it when my Lead stops rotation in the middle of the lane right underneath the basket instead of establishing a "side" to be on

Is s/he "stopping the rotation" or "pinching the paint?"

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Matt S.

Ideally, strong side and ball side are one in the same.

Connecticut is still, for the most part, a two person state. While I’ve observed dozens of three person games, I’ve only worked two actual three person games, attended only one three person workshop, and worked a few three person scrimmages.

Keeping that in mind, here's my two cents.

Until Freddy's recent Forum post, I’ve only heard the term “strong side” as a basketball coach, not as an official. I coached middle school basketball for over twenty-five years and attended many coaching workshops, including those with college coach presenters, and the term “strong side” always meant the side of the court with the ball. The very first time I heard it we were instructed to imagine a string tied to one basket ring and stretched across the length of the court and tied to the other basket ring. If the ball was one side of this string, that was the “strong side”.

As a basketball official (99% two person) I’ve always been taught that the side of the court with the ball was called the “ball side”. The "string" is called the "basket line". In a two person game this was almost always in regard to the lead moving across the lane to help with matchups on the “ball side”.

That’s my Connecticut coaching and officiating (two person) side of story and I’m sticking to it.

I really can't offer anything else of value to Freddy's three person question, other than don't confuse coaching language with officiating language.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

...



I really can't offer anything else of value to Freddy's three person question, other than don't confuse coaching language with officiating language.

The answer for 3 person is pretty straight forward. Not much to add to what's already been answered by myself and a couple of other posters.


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[Freddy]

Thanx to all who offered legitimate responses.

Looks like I'm being won over.

Where oh where did I pick up the concept that Strong Side is the side of the court that, by virtue of the on-ball competitive matchup and player population on Center's side of the floor, prompts Lead to rotate across to put two officials on that side because Center can't officiate all that's there him/herself.

Strong Side = a condition we respond to, rather than a condition we create.

Based on the responses here and elsewhere, it appears I might be wrong.

I just can't track it down where I got that idea from. Any guesses?

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Thanx to all who offered legitimate responses.

Looks like I'm being won over.

Where oh where did I pick up the concept that Strong Side is the side of the court that, by virtue of the on-ball competitive matchup and player population on Center's side of the floor, prompts Lead to rotate across to put two officials on that side because Center can't officiate all that's there him/herself.

Strong Side = a condition we respond to, rather than a condition we create.

Based on the responses here and elsewhere, it appears I might be wrong.

I just can't track it down where I got that idea from. Any guesses?

Actually, I share this opinion.

[Freddy]

Thank you for the responses.

In answer to the question, "When should Lead rotate?", I've been accustomed to say, "When it is apparent that Center's side has become strong side." That, by my previous working definition of strong-side ("The side of the court with the on-ball competitive matchup and player population prompting Lead to rotate") always worked so well. But now, if I change to conform to one of the different definitions mentioned above, how shall I answer that question? What simple and succinct answer would you recommend to the question, "When should Lead rotate?"
(Not a trick question. I'm truly interested in changing...)

[sdoebler]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Thank you for the responses.

In answer to the question, "When should Lead rotate?", I've been accustomed to say, "When it is apparent that Center's side is strong side." That, by my working definition of strong-side ("The side of the court with the on-ball competitive matchup and player population prompting Lead to rotate") always worked so well. But now, if I change to conform to one of the different definitions mentioned above, how shall I answer that question? What simple and succinct answer would you recommend to the question, "When should Lead rotate?"
(Not a trick question. I'm truly interested in changing...)

When the rotation will put the crew in a better position