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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 02:50am
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Running Backwards

Is there any consensus on the issue of running backwards in order to, as it is claimed, provide better coverage of the action in transition?
I'm confident in what I personally do and teach and am aware of a thread on the topic way back in '12, but it has become necessary for me to study the issue.
I'm curious whether there has been any change in preferred practice in other areas.
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Last edited by Freddy; Mon Sep 23, 2019 at 03:13am.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 06:41am
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 07:43am
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I have never heard anyone advocate this for a lot of reasons. When you are running that way, you have no ability to see what you are about to run into at all. And when you fall, what are you going to use when you fall? Your arms and hands. So you will hurt those or you will land on your head. I have known officials that literally have gone to the hospital over running backward. So I would never advocate this on a basketball court service. At least if you are on a football field or soccer situation, you likely have more cushion to fall on if you fall. A basketball court is a much harder surface and that can be a problem if you are running and fall. Even in those other sports, we turn and run when needed.

I have never seen anyone at any major level advocate running backward. Maybe moving backward as you are not in full speed, but not running for sure.

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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 07:50am
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The only reasons I have ever seen officials backpedal are because

(1) they are new(er) and haven't been taught otherwise,
(2) they are ball-hawking, or
(3) both 1 and 2.

You can see all you need to see (and keep yourself safer) by turning your head over your shoulder, and you won't look like a rookie either.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 08:03am
LRZ LRZ is offline
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I agree about not running backwards.

But there is a related issue. As I've gotten older (or, rather, old), my peripheral vision has narrowed and my neck is not as flexible as it once was, so it's harder to get good looks at the action as I'm running downcourt, looking over a shoulder. But I would not "fix" the problem by running backwards.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 09:25am
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Those who run backwards or back-pedal are either new to basketball officiating or are ball-watchers.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 09:51am
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Not mentioned above (I think) is that there is no way you can run as fast while running backwards.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 12:23pm
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Hayfoot, Strawfoot ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by LRZ View Post
As I've gotten older ...
I always have problems looking over my right shoulder as opposed to my left shoulder.

This probably goes back to the old "Cadillac" position days, when (other then when we were working "opposite", which was seldom), we were almost always, as the new lead, running up the right side of the court looking over our left shoulders.

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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 04:54pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raymond View Post
Those who run backwards or back-pedal are either new to basketball officiating or are ball-watchers.
Or were defensive backs in a former life......but they soon learn a basketball court is much less forgiving than a turf field.
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Old Mon Sep 23, 2019, 07:22pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post
I always have problems looking over my right shoulder as opposed to my left shoulder.

This probably goes back to the old "Cadillac" position days, when (other then when we were working "opposite", which was seldom), we were almost always, as the new lead, running up the right side of the court looking over our left shoulders.


As someone who has far more experience working Cadilac than anyone in this Forum, "running backwards" and working "Cadiliac" are mutually exclusive.

MTD, Sr.
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Old Tue Sep 24, 2019, 08:05am
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Cadillac Position ...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. View Post
As someone who has far more experience working Cadilac than anyone in this Forum ...


Back when I was growing up, our neighbor had a red Cadillac convertible. Being a professional bookmaker must have been a very lucrative position.
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Old Tue Sep 24, 2019, 09:19am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac View Post


Back when I was growing up, our neighbor had a red Cadillac convertible. Being a professional bookmaker must have been a very lucrative position.


It was also a deadly profession for "Cadillac Charlie" Cavallaro, a well known purveyor of games of chance and wholesale grape salesman in my home town of Youngstown, Ohio, who evidently had dissatisfied grape customer, because when he turned the ignition of his Cadillac on the morning of Friday, November 23, 1962, a bomb detonated which sent Charlie to an early grave.

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Last edited by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.; Tue Sep 24, 2019 at 04:13pm. Reason: Corrected spelling.
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Old Tue Sep 24, 2019, 12:45pm
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"Denotated". That's funny. IMHO, backpedaling is not a valid basketball officiating technique, because the Lead has responsibilities he could miss by backpedaling, whether in a 2 or 3-person crew (sideline, last defender, assisting with pressure, etc.). Looking over the shoulder and/or running sideways open up the Lead to the court better than backpedaling, and are not as hazardous to life and limb.
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Old Tue Sep 24, 2019, 12:51pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. View Post
It was also a deadly profession for "Cadillac Charlie" Cavallaro, a well known purveyor of games of chance and grape salesman in my home town of Youngstown, Ohio, who evidently had dissatisfied grape customer, because when he turned the ignition of his Cadillac on the morning of Friday, November 23, 1962, a bomb denotated which sent Charlie to an early grave.

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Old Tue Sep 24, 2019, 01:16pm
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whuh?

What is meant by the 'cadillac' position? Evidently, I'm late to the party, no one I ref with ever uses this terminology.
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