substantially the same article with more pictures here:

https://sports.yahoo.com/bag-even-wh...1894--nba.html

What benefit is that whistle cover in preventing dissemination of droplets from breathing through the mouth and nose?

It's designed to prevent (well, reduce) the droplets from getting in the air to infect others. The same purpose as the "mask with pocket" and the electronic whistle.

I get the "droplets from spittle" mentioned in the article, but it would not do anything for respiratory droplets from breathing, either through the mouth or nose, it seems to me.

Spittle Bag ...
 

It doesn't.

This "spittle bag" just prevents the official from forcibly spraying possibly virus containing respiratory droplets several feet away (possibly more than six feet) when the whistle is sounded.

Remember that sound is nothing more than waves of compressed air, the louder the sound, the more compressed the waves are, the farther the sound travels, and the farther possibly virus containing respiratory droplets can travel from their source, i.e., the lungs via the whistle.

Imagine the red lines in this image represent possibly virus containing respiratory droplet spray.

https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.a...=0&w=300&h=300

That's why here in Connecticut the Catholic Church (not the State) isn't allowing singing at masses (even with masks). Singing tends to be louder than regular talking, and can more easily spread possibly virus containing respiratory droplets.

We still haven't opened up bars here in Connecticut. There are many, many reasons why bars seem to be super spreaders of the virus, one of them is the loud talking of people talking over the sound of the music, or loud noise in sports bars. For that reason Connecticut is considering limiting the background noise (no music) in bars once it's decided to open them. Loud talking results in a greater spread of the virus, not observed to the same extent with softer, quieter talking.

It was a rhetorical question.

Neither does the mask with the pocket, or the mask you (well, I, and almost all I've seen) wear every day (unless you are wearing an N95 mask or similar.

About the effectiveness of masks, even the ones we wear daily:

"Despite the overwhelming consensus among public-health experts that face masks can help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.... As late as February 29, Surgeon General Jerome Adams was telling Americans on Twitter to stop buying masks, saying they are "NOT effective." But the guidance soon changed, and by early April the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending that Americans wear face coverings in public." [https://www.kpcw.org/post/fauci-mixe...back#stream/0]

"But health experts say the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the more people wearing masks, the better." [https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/41...masks-prevent]

We're In This Together ...
 

I believe that LRZ is referring to the fact that while this spittle bag will reduce droplets from a sounded whistle it won't stop droplets coming from the nose or mouth of an official who is simply talking or breathing (as would be reduced if one was wearing a surgical mask).

And he's correct.

By now most people realize that surgical masks are worn by people to protect others, not themselves. Only N95 masks can offer some protection to one's self.

Yes, thank you for clarifying, BillyMac. I should have been clearer.

In any event, this was likely to be my final year. But my retirement may have already occurred.

Thank you. I misread. I will say that the little bag is better than nothing, and the full mask is better than the little bag.

Where one gets "enough" benefit with an acceptable amount of discomfort is beyond my pay grade.

So has anyone purchased one of these masks for use this year?

If we are mandated to wear a mask, I'm hanging up the whistle. I was only planning on running 2-3 more seasons starting with this year anyway...

I'd like to keep going until my younger daughter gets into her Jr year of college (she's a Freshman at IU this year)...my child support obligation will be fulfilled at that point and the money I make officiating, while nice and helps out with that and some personal stuff, won't be as much needed at that point.

Got A Basketball Jones, Oh Baby, Oo-Oo-Ooo ...
 

I was just assigned to my board's rookie mechanics training and evaluation committee. If that seems to satisfy my need to keep some skin in the officiating game, I may also be ready to get off the court.

I have a consultation with a foot/ankle orthopedic specialist next week to see if my painful bone spur can be fixed. If not, it will be another year of middle school games, or no games at all, for me.

If my ankle can be fixed, and if I can get my varsity schedule back (I voluntarily gave it back two seasons ago), I may consider a few more years on the court.

While I like doing middle school games (I was definitively needed and appreciated for doing these mid-afternoon games), I didn't "like like" them.

I missed the camaraderie of four officials, including at least two veteran officials, at a site for a junior varsity game and a varsity game, observing each other's games, discussing the games, and catching up on our personal lives.

Middle school games here are just stand alone single games. These schools often lack secure dressing areas, and do not have shower facilities available, so it's more of a come dressed, get in, get out, and get paid situation.

For the young'uns (poor audio quality):

https://youtu.be/moeY_ZGWD5o

Hell, I never intended for Officiating to be anything other than a way to stay connected to the game after I couldn't play anymore...(lateral movement is just not fun for me).

I still work Middle School during the week and Freshman and JV ...Our Middle School games here in Indiana are 2 games, typically. Most places have a dedicated room for the Officials...sometimes a shower, sometimes not. But I'm working close enough to my house that it might only be 15-20 minutes drive home so that's not terrible.

As many games as I coached and officiated in the Sunday youth travel league my kids were a part of when they were younger...I didn't want to deal with the parents any longer...I was the Dir of Bball Operations for a new Varsity Coach at our HS a few years ago...helping him with his feeder program and the youth "travel" teams...One of our own parents (who didn't seem to know who I was when wearing stripes) decided to go there with me during game...she shut down quickly when the Asst Coach walked over to her and told her what my role with the HS program, that her daughter was playing for, was...Too many idiots in the stands at the youth games.

Truth be told, I love officiating but I love Coaching even more and helping kids better themselves as people and players. My next stop will be to try to get on with a school staff, likely Middle School....my FT job is just not conducive to 315p practices...and that's why I typically Coach in travel leagues or AAU in Spring...

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother ...
 

I also did both, and I also loved coaching for reasons similar to yours, but after over twenty years of doing both I figured out that I loved officiating more.

The only way one could get me to coach again is if I were approached to coach a basketball team of orphans, if you catch my drift.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.D...=0&w=300&h=300