NCAA-M Mechanic: Benches and Table on Opposite Sides

[SC Official]

I know the calling official is supposed to go tableside (away from the benches), but during free throws is he supposed to be the T or the C? IOW are the L and T supposed to be tableside or bench side during free throws?

[JRutledge]

I do not think there is a stated standard. You might see it done differently as a result. The point of going opposite table is really to not be right next to a coach when you call a foul. It is to prevent debate. So unless the crew decides that this is the way to go, then they treat it however they wish or whatever the supervisor wants. I am not aware of an NCAA standard on this because this is an unusual situation and time. We just trying to get through these games.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... unusual situation and time. We just trying to get through these games.

Not my usual modus operandi, but this year I just try to keep everybody safe, let the kids have fun (almost all middle school games for me), and to not sweat the small stuff. Get in, get out, and get paid.

[JRutledge]

This is not about some gym you went to 30 years ago and what it looked like. SC's question was legitimate and had to do with a procedure. There does not appear to be one in this situation because this season is very unusual. Even how the benches are located often around the end line is an indication of how different time we are in. No one has said that many of these things are standards. Things are changing literally every game based on someone's position that is in charge. I have seen this done several ways where the opposite table is the benches and the opposite table is the table location (where they report).

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is not about some gym you went to 30 years ago and what it looked like. SC's question was legitimate and had to do with a procedure.

Actually, I'm currently working in one of the gyms I mentioned, and two others are still used with the mentioned ground rules (I'm no longer accepting assignments from Catholic middle schools). SC Official's question was a great question, and if he's upset believing that I completely hijacked his thread, then I apologize.

My point was that basketball officials, at all levels, sometimes encounter odd situations (ground rules), pre-COVID, COVID, and, hopefully, post-COVID, that are not covered by rules, or mechanics, and we flexibly and successfully adjust based on purpose and intent (and in the case of COVID, safety).

To encourage us to be more flexible (safety first) as we encounter odd COVID situations, my local high school board (also assigns many middle schools) has shelved the otherwise strict requirement that we evaluate and rate partners this year, and observer ratings are also being shelved this year (mostly for safety reasons). Assignment status, varsity, or subvarsity, will be frozen this year and carry over into next year. Bad news for the young up and comers, but being young, they'll get over it. Young'uns always do.

[BillyMac]

I don't want to fully hijack SC Official's thread, but when one works as many middle school games as I have over forty years, one comes across some interesting bench/table setups, even before COVID.

One middle school gym, as in SC Official's post, had both benches on one side, and the table on the other. School decided to use bleachers (only on one side of the gym) as benches instead of dealing with folding chairs. Connections for scoreboard (and thus, the table, obviously before wireless) were only on the other side of the gym as the bleachers. Always takes a few foul calls for me to get used to this setup. We base our mechanics (two person) on the location of the table, not the benches.

Another middle school gym was more suited to be used as a bowling alley, "basketball appropriately" long, but extremely narrow. Three point lines intersected the sideline at about the distance of the free throw line extended. Barely room between the sidelines and the gym wall for inbounding players to keep their feet out of bounds. Broken lines marked on the court three feet inside that boundary to be used by players defending the inbounder. One bench and the table on one endline. The other bench on the other endline. Table, while on an endline, wasn't centered on that endlne, but was near a corner. We used that side of the court as tableside for mechanics.

Not that odd, but interesting, at another middle school, had the table up on a sideline elevated stage. Never a problem for the table to see reporting officials.

Worked private prep school varsity games in a very undersized gym. Very narrow space from one sideline to one gym wall, with both benches and the table on that side. Table top actually extended about an inch over the playing court. Had to ask bench personnel (whose feet were often inbounds) to shift sideways on the bench to make room for an inbounder. Imaginary three foot restraining line on throwins. Oddest feature, due to the extremely short length of the gym; there were three working "division lines". One "division line" (properly centered) to be used for ten second calls. Two other "division lines" (farther back from each team's basket) to be used for backcourt calls.

[All_Heart]

The thought process by the NCAA for Covid during free throws is that the Center should not be bench side standing near the coach. As Lead just remember "Butt to Bench" and you will always be covered no matter if the bench is table side or opposite. The Lead & Trail in this instance will be opposite the table.