Running Backwards

[Freddy]

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.

[BillyMac]

Step right up and greet the Mets.

À la Jimmy Piersall.

[JRutledge]

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.

Peace

[SC Official]

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.

[LRZ]

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.

[Raymond]

Those who run backwards or back-pedal are either new to basketball officiating or are ball-watchers.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by LRZ

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.