For IAABO Members Eyes Only ...

[BayStateRef]

News to me too. Massachusetts just held its annual state interpretation clinic that was attended by IAABO’s new executive director and one of the national rules coordinators and I don’t recall this being mentioned. T.J. Halliday is primarily responsible for editing the mechanics manual. Contact me privately and I’ll give you his email address.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

News to me too. Massachusetts just held its annual state interpretation clinic that was attended by IAABO’s new executive director and one of the national rules coordinators and I don’t recall this being mentioned. T.J. Halliday is primarily responsible for editing the mechanics manual. Contact me privately and I’ll give you his email address.

Already got it. I'll see what transpires at our November meeting in a few weeks and report back.

[hamnegger]

Does anyone else hate these kind of questions? The ones that REALLY have nothing to do with the game. Let's say the R summons the wrong team or captains or whatever....... does anyone care?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by hamnegger

Does anyone else hate these kind of questions? The ones that REALLY have nothing to do with the game. Let's say the R summons the wrong team or captains or whatever....... does anyone care?

In this rare case, no. It was only due to the question that we became aware of the change, which will generate some discussion.

[LRZ]

I think hamnegger's point is that the directive and change are meaningless: i.e., who cares which official summons which bench--as long as both teams get there?

Discussion? What's to discuss? Both versions--old and new--are micro-management.

[BillyMac]

... But just because he doesn't do what everybody else does ...

Originally Posted by LRZ

Discussion? What's to discuss?

Whether or not we will be doing something different, and teaching something different to our rookies, for the first time in forty years due to this unannounced "international" change. Our state board and local board almost always go along with IAABO mechanics, but not always.

If indeed the directive is truly "meaningless", then why not do it the prescribed way instead of the another way?

If the directive wasn't "meaningless", and had some real impact, then sure, one could argue that doing it one way has advantages or disadvantages over doing it another way, or no way at all, just do it haphazardly or randomly.

Along the same lines, who cares which official checks the scorebook pregame, or which official observes which team during warmups, or which official tosses the jump ball, or which official administers the throw-in to start the second, third and fourth periods?

Certainly not the fans, nor the coaches, nor the players, nor the local newspaper sports reporter, nor the lady running the concession stand, nor the police officer standing in the corner of the gym.

So if nobody cares, let's do all of these "meaningless" things haphazardly and randomly.

"What? Not listed? I thought that you checked the scorebook?"

"No, please, you toss the ball."

"Why are we both observing the home team."

"No, you administer the throwin this period, I'll do it next period."

Or, maybe we could just go through some type of checklist to pregame these "meaningless" duties before we walk out onto the court. Different games, different duties, different officials.

Or, how's this for a crazy idea, just incorporate these "meaningless" duties into the rulebook and mechanics manual and keep these "meaningless" duties consistent from game to game, maybe even from state to state, and use our pregame conference for more important things.

[LRZ]

Right way, wrong way? Was IAABO doing it the "wrong way" for years, then suddenly woke up and changed to the "right way"? That's the point: there is no objectively right or wrong way, only what is prescribed--for no discernible reason.

OK, I've made my thinking known. The field is all yours, Billy.