When you coming back?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by SC Official

The gloves won’t really serve any purpose after touching the ball and your whistle a few times.

Unless they remind you not to touch your face.

[SNIPERBBB]

One hand touches the ball only and the other one touches the whistle? Hand sanitizer timeouts under 6 and 2 minutes? We can really get rediculous if we wanted.

[Kansas Ref]

I agree with all the remarks regarding the "questionable" efficacy of using these latex gloves; however, it is the directive from Management thus it is definite that non-compliance will result in your removal from reffing their games. Remember, that Management also has Stake-holders (e.g., parents, trustees of the youth council, and others) who are "looking" at what efforts they are making to reduce the spread. So, Management also must answer to a "higher power" per se. I have no problem wearing such gloves---easy peezi!
I pray that you'all will be likewise mindful.

[SNIPERBBB]

I'd get the heavy nitrile gloves if I had to wear gloves. Latex is too flimsy. I get big cases every year for skinning critters.

[bucky]

How about just having a whistle in your mouth white wearing a mask? I ran around my yard to test it and it works fine, just looked geeky, although I look geeky without the mask. The whistle pushes the mask forward a bit, making it easy to breath, even when jogging.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by bucky

How about just having a whistle in your mouth white wearing a mask? I ran around my yard to test it and it works fine, just looked geeky, although I look geeky without the mask. The whistle pushes the mask forward a bit, making it easy to breath, even when jogging.

And when you need to report or otherwise speak? Then what?

[BillyMac]

... or are you just happy to see me?

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

And when you need to report or otherwise speak?

I've been wearing my surgical mask in the presence of my adult children and grandchildren and they have no problem understanding me, nor do I have any problem being understood while masked when I venture out of my bomb shelter to hunt and gather food once a week.

It would certainly be less than ideal to officiate a basketball game while masked, but it can be done. I'd prefer not to, but I will if it helps to keep the players, coaches, table crew, and my partner safe.

We have a veteran official on our local board who is deaf and doesn't speak. I've worked with him a dozen times and he has no major problems with communication, game management, etc. Pregame is tough, but once we get onto the court he's a great official, a good partner, and is well respected by coaches and players.

Masks. Electronic whistles. Gloves. Bottles of hand sanitizer in our pockets. I hope that it doesn't come to that. Hopefully we'll be in better shape when school starts in September.

On the other hand, if things get worse, we may have bigger things, more important things, to worry about than how we'll officiate kid's games, like the delicate balancing act of preserving both our health and our economy (I'm lucky, I'm retired).

Luckily I only officiate basketball. I'll leave it up my fall sports official friends to work out any safety protocol bugs before I start officiating in late November.

Fortunately, I don't count on basketball officiating for the income, so sitting out a season, by state decision, or by my own personal health decision, won't have a major effect on my wallet.

My daughter is expecting in a few weeks, so I have made a personal health decision not to got to church (reopened with restrictions last week) and not to go the gym (reopened with restrictions yesterday) until after I see my new grandson.

Even then, I will still wear my surgical mask and maintain social distancing, better safe than sorry.