I did my first ever men's college game two nights ago, It was also my first time doing a three person crew and the first time game using CIS (Canadian version of NCAA) rules.

Thankfully, it was a pre-season game and the coaches focused on their players and not my calls, although I felt it was OK. A couple of veteran officials were there to help and evaluate. It was a great learning experience. One thing I am noticing as I move up the officiating ladder is the quality of refs that I get to work with. Even though there is more pressure at this level, you get to work with guys who are great teachers and who have seen it all before.

Here's a question I would like to raise in this forum. In a three person crew, A4 is guarded by B4. A4 drives to the basket, he gets by B4 and B2 comes over to try and draw a charge. There is contact. Who's call? The trail who had the ball and took the play to the basket? Or the lead who was watching B2 in the paint before the dribble?

Jay

Congrats, Jay. I'm glad it was a positive experience. Keep it up.

As to your question on coverage, I'm assuming that you're talking about a play that originates from the T, and the contact occurs in the L's primary area. In these cases, you're going to get just as many people who say it's the L's call, as people who say it's the T's call; and they both have pretty good reasons for their view.

I think the NCAA mechanic (for men) is to allow the T to have first crack at the call, b/c s/he has followed the play from the beginning. But since many college officials (especially at D3) also work a lot of HS games, you'll get a lot of partners who say that it's the L's call all the way, b/c it's right in front of him/her.

The moral of the story -- as always -- is pregame, pregame, pregame!

Good luck with the college schedule.

Chuck, that's exactly what I meant. We did pre-game and our crew chief said the Trail should have first crack. He also said that contact by the primary defender should be the T's call, but if play is made by a help defender, then the L could get that call. After it actually happened in the game, there was some disagreement between some of the guys (we were actually five guys rotating on and off).

Would it be fair to say that the lead needs to be patient in that situation, only make the call if the T passes up on it?

I agree with the way you pregamed it, the L could take it if the contact involves the secondary defender, especially if he slides over from out of the trees. Of course on any double whistle no prelim & make eye contact before a call is made.

Jay...

You'll find that most of the CIS and CCAA refs in Canada will say that T should stay with the play all the way to the hoop, but L has the secondary defender, because L likely has the best look at where that secondary defender came from.

That's what they're teaching at CABO camp, and at other high level camps here in the West. In your case, L's call all the way.

The grizzled vets, Dan and Chuck also mentioned the most important thing: talk it over in the pregame!

Congrats on moving up the ladder!

Canuckrefguy, have you been to the CABO camp in Montreal? If so how would you rate it? I want to go next summer if work and family schedules permit. I hear that there are more camps out west than here in the Atlantic provinces.

Jay

[Edited by Jay R on Oct 18th, 2003 at 11:09 AM]

Financially, CABO camp's probably the better option for you.

It's a great experience, cream-of-the-crop evaluators, and they also bring in some instructors from the NCAA. The only two Canadian camps I know of in the West are Bill Crowley's camp in Edmonton, which is usually at the end of June, and another camp in Calgary in July.

Hey Jay,

Your from atlantic canada right? Could you help me out with this question, in 2 years when i go to university, i'm thinking of going out east to one of Nova Scotia's univeristies. Could you give me an idea of what the process would be to start reffing out there? Right now I ref in Hamilton, Ontario. And what set of rules is used?

Hi Ref18,

I'm from New Brunswick, but Nova Scotia is fairly similar as far as I know. They use FIBA rules for everything except college level (NCAA rules). If you're not used to FIBA, it takes some adjusting (not a big deal). As far as getting started, you would need to contact the local association in the fall and see when the meetings start and register with them. If Nova Scotia is anything like New Brunswick, I'm sure they're always interested in good young officials.

BTW, we have some quality universities in our neck of the woods. Dalhousie, Acadia, St FX, Mount Allison (which is in NB) all have good reputations.

The Nova Scotia Basketball Officials web site is http://www.nsbo.net

Jay

Jay R,

Regarding the CABO camp... I went the first two years it was held and had a great time. I actually went to Montreal a few days early and stayed a few days afterwards, and had a great time. I'm not too far away, in southern Ontario, and have always enjoyed Montreal. I'm concentrating on football these days, but I would say that having missed the past 2 (3?) CABO camps, I would think that the way that the camp was run has been ironed out. There were a few logistical problems in the first two years. The 2nd year I went, there were two serious concerns.

As canuckguy said, there are great evaluators there. I do want to mention one person in particular. I've had the pleasure of being evaluated NB2A refs, and at the CABO camp: by Cliner, Foxy, Crowley, Janice Deakin all the CABO guys and the best person I found that helped me was a man by the name of Mario Lessard. He's from QC, and of all the basketball evaluators I've ever had, he is by far the best. I'm talking head and shoulders above others. It really never occured to me until driving the 6 hours home, when a few of us were talking about the different people there. More than half of my friends had said that he was the best. I have a friend in NF that said that same thing as well, as well as a friend in NWT. Even if you have to, ask to be evaluated by him.

Regards,

Mike