not wearing lanyards?
 

I was watching junior nba and wnba games recently, I noticed that the officials mostly don't wear lanyards. It seemed as if they take the whistle from their hand and put in mouth; looks like a split second delay on reaction time. For me, I can't imagine not using a lanyard to stay my whistle, it would be so cumbersome to keep holding onto it while running up and down the floor,then to use it. I'd be dropping that whistle all over the place--forgetting that I don't have a lanyard. Do any of you NF level refs ''not'' use a whistle lanyard? How on God's green earth do you manage it? I had one guy tell me once "the pros [sic vets] don't need a lanyard"--however, I find this perspective to be impractical if not altogether pious and ineffective.

I don’t use a lanyard about 50 percent of the time. It’s definitely a very “pro” thing to do and you’ll find vets are often dead set against it. I use a lanyard on all my college games which is the expectation. This season I plan to go without for all my HS contests.

I find it’s much more smooth. I always have the whistle in my hand rather than it dangling around when I’m running to report and I don’t ever have to fumble to grab it. This makes calling T’s or hitting other dead ball whistle much quicker and easier. It takes practice of course and sometimes it drops but after a while it becomes second nature.

I tried it once. After spitting my whistle out on a call and it shooting across the floor, like projectile vomiting, I gave it up.

During the regular season, I always use a lanyard.

During the summer season or non-camp games, I never wear a lanyard. I do this only for personal training purposes. It slows down my whistle. Makes me think about what I am going to call and easy to transition back when the season starts.

I started not using a lanyard in these situations mostly because I forgot a lanyard during a summer session and had no choice. I did drop the whistle a few times but learned not to do that and the rest is history. It is actually very easy for me now and I do not even think about it when I blow my whistle.

Peace

There are a few high school guys here that don't use a lanyard. No one really cares nor should they. Some high school areas will be different.

At the college level, people get butthurt about it pretty much across the board.

It's very helpful for working on a patient whistle, but does take practice.

The officials working the JR NBA games are all part of the NBA program at some level (WNBA/G-League/Grassroots), that's why they were not using lanyards.

There are reasons for not using a lanyard that have nothing to do with being pious. I cannot work without a lanyard b/c my fingers are not dexterous enough to manipulate the whistle while reporting fouls.

Also to be real, most of the current NBA staff does not use a lanyard. But this is also much more on an NBA thing and a skill that can be developed as well. If I was allowed to work games during the regular season without a lanyard, I would certainly try it. Makes little difference to me, but the standard is to wear one outside of the pro programs, so I wear one for my games. But I agree with Raymond, this attitude that there is something about ego with it is very silly. It was what the NBA did for years and still very much taught and advocated.

Peace

Pros:
- Supposedly forces you to slow down and think before you blow
- It looks smooth and professional (according to those who go without)

Cons:
- Spitting it across the floor while trying to learn, thus looking like a doofus.
- Figuring out what to do with it when reporting, thus looking like a doofus.

I don't aspire to work NBA games nor look like them. I think it's ridiculous to go without one. The lanyard is probably the most functional piece of equipment we use, right after the pea-less whistle. It's just one more thing to have to worry about getting right when there's already a half dozen other things to worry about. I've tried going without a couple times and found it incredibly frustrating. Life (and my officiating career) is too short to add this to the mix.

I started with the NO lanyard this past spring doing club basketball and absolutely LOVE IT 🥰....it does make me slow down and I will NOT go back to using lanyard 🏀🙋🏼*♂️ Doesn’t Interfere with my signals,mechanics or anything to do with officiating during play . I’m so happy now

Do you know where I can buy this NO lanyard?

I have tried all my catalogs and done extensive searching on google.

As to the WNBA, the only holdouts still using lanyards are officials from the college ranks, whose numbers are in the majority. The remainder came from the G-League and they universally eschew whistles.

Tomorrow's Word: Abjure
 

justacoach recently got a new "Word of the Day" calendar.

Could be the same one Freddy uses.

Eschew=past participle of to bite:)

Well just like anything you learn how to do, it is not much of an issue for me when I have gone without it. I equate this to like playing a video game. I play games and do not think half the time about what button I am going to push to make a move. If they said not to use a lanyard tomorrow I could function easily.

Peace

How do they get their PTS to work if officials don't use lanyards? AFAIK, PTS works through a microphone attached to an extension of the lanyard next to where the whistle attaches. Or is the funky antenna-like thing that NBA officials wear on their collars a special PTS adapter designed to work without the need for a lanyard?

I am old school and it is one of the things that when I am evaluating an official I will pick like a scab if he/she is not using a lanyard. It looks professional. Nothing looks as goofy as an official trying to give his signals while trying to old a whistle in one hand.

I do not by the excuse that it slows one thought process down. Practice slowing your thought process down is what slows one's thought process down.

I officiated for 46 years, 34 years at the collegiate level and always used a lanyard. I am no Joe DeRosa but I can officiate that long at the collegiate level using a lanyard then any one can.

My rant is over. Time for me to go to bed. Have a good one everyone.

MTD, Sr.

Who said they do that? Most tuck it in the waistband and do so unobtrusively.

Can't Teach An Old Dog ...
 

I've been using a long noose lanyard for forty years. One year I tried one of those short Smitty lanyards that attach to the little "hoops" on one's jersey. After many years of slightly tugging habitually on my long noose lanyard with no problems, I broke off all the little lanyard "hoops" on all of my jerseys. Went right back to the long noose lanyards, had no other choice with all of my jerseys having missing "hoops". Never tried them again.

Anybody remember Mark Padgett's First Rule Of Officiating?

Why would one need an excuse? It's not like they are late to a game or missed an assignment. It's a personal preference. And if that is the method they use to slow down, then that is THEIR method. Folks show their age and/or inflexibility when they think their methods and thought processes are the only valid methods and thought processes. No one here can speak to the operation of someone else's mind.

Inflexible ???
 

Hey. On a good day I can almost touch my toes.

100% Correct ...
 

Agree. How can anyone argue with that?

Sooo, on bad days you can touch your toes? Hmmm.:p

Correct.

When you practice and get good it shouldn’t look goofy at all. Joey Crawford used to put his whistle in his pocket sometimes but every signal can be done correctly with the whistle tucked in your hand somewhere.

RED!!! I totally agree with ya doesn’t look sloppy ...some just can’t multitask with a whistle in hand and fingers to give #foul to table and some just don’t want to without a lanyard no biggie and some LUV the lanyard short or long called spice of life. Personally it’s my first full year going lanyard free and I can hold Fox40 and relay # to table easy and during TO or whenever we have a break tuck it away in my rear left pocket 🙋🏼*♂️🏀 either way it’s personal preference...kinda like patent leather shine shoes 🏀 does one make a offical look sloppy versus the other ? Personally I like patent leather but that’s my preference...my 2cents

Foul on #55?

Tucked between the thumb and index finger. I am not dexterous, so I can't do it smoothly, so I don't do the no-lanyard thing.

Thin part of the whistle goes between index and middle fingers, big part hidden behind fingers when looking from scorekeeper side.

*if I am envisioning this as you stated, then it looks like your hand will form a "Vulcan" sign...'live long & prosper" type of spock sign, as you've described it.

I always use a lanyard. The reason is more because I am simply use to having it on. I officiate multiple different sports that use a whistle and almost every one has an exception that we have a whistle and lanyard. I can't image doing a swim meet, volleyball, or other sport without a lanyard whistle.

I can just image doing a volleyball match while holding my whistle in my hand and having to bring it up to blow it for a call. That would not go over well.

Personally I plan on still using a lanyard.

e

You've never seen me try to make a signal. I can make anything look goofy without any help. Add in the help of trying to hold a whistle somewhere in my hand and I could be a Goofy YoutTube sensation.