Fun With The Division Line ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

If you write it off as something that can't be corrected or just as "oh well I made a mistake", then how are you going to teach someone else not to do the same?

Who wrote it off? Who said that it can't be corrected? Who said my calling skills (or anybody's) can't be improved (in this case, better concentration)?

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Live and learn.

Every time I enter the court, I try to work a perfect game. That's always my goal. Never done it. Not yet.

But I keep on trying by always learning, observing, listening, reading, videos, clinics, gaining experience, and building on past mistakes.

Even at my age, one can (and should) teach an old dog new tricks. To do otherwise would be disservice to the game of basketball and to basketball officiating.

When I, or anybody else, starts getting "set in one's ways", it's time to hang up the electronic whistle.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Maybe I was concentrating on something else and was using my peripheral vision?

So I just returned from my daily second-heart-attack-preventing walk/bicycle/kayak session (no gym, doctor's orders due to COVID, walk today, too cold and windy for a bike ride), gave me time to think, and was re-living my first time real speed though the video to figure out why I screwed up (not an excuse, it was inexcusable, but a reason). If nothing else, thoughtful introspective shows one that I do care about improving. I figured it out. I remember that I was concentrating on the ball touch, or lack of, by the player in the middle of the floor, paying primary attention to the "touch" and (obviously) not enough attention (in hindsight) to his foot six feet away from his finger. I was distracted. I incorrectly assumed something that didn't happen. I was wrong. Lesson learned: Concentrate, pay better attention.

Bad calls. Wrong calls. Incorrect calls. Impactful, or not impactful. All these bother me. When they don't bother me any more, it's time for me to hang up my black belt.

Early in my career, bad calls like this bothered me throughout the remainder of the game, effecting my concentration, and thus, my performance. I finally learned to file it away during the rest of the game, and to lose sleep later that night analyzing the "screw up" to improve.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

When they don't bother me any more, it's time for me to hang up my black belt.

Past three consecutive games. Three partners wearing black belts. All four (including me) very experienced veteran officials heading into the winters of their careers and helping our local board to cover those "hard to cover" mid-afternoon middle school assignments. One guy is working his 51st year (still works some varsity games).

It was only a few years ago that we had a veteran official working a state tournament final wearing a black belt.

Note: I tell the rookies in my mechanics training classes to purchase beltless slacks. Belted slacks with black belts are so passé, as am I.

[BillyMac]

Disclaimer: For IAABO eyes only. Below is not a NFHS interpretation, it's only an IAABO International interpretation which obviously doesn't mean a hill of beans to most members of this Forum.

https://storage.googleapis.com/refqu...af3PS1AzKL.mp4

IAABO International Play Commentary: Correct Answer: This is a legal play.

There needs to be three things to occur for a backcourt violation to occur:
1) Team A has to have control of the ball in the frontcourt.
2) A Team A player last touched or was touched by the ball in the frontcourt.
3) Team A player is the first to touch the ball in the backcourt after it has been in team control in the frontcourt. (9-9-1)

In this play, Green #10 saves the ball near the sideline in his backcourt and begins to dribble, establishing team control. He passes the ball to Green #22, who is standing on the division line (backcourt status) when the ball deflects off his hand. Green #3 is airborne from the backcourt (backcourt status) as he catches the ball and dribbles into the frontcourt.

Since the ball did not obtain frontcourt status before Green #3 caught the ball (with backcourt status), this is a legal play. Had Green #22 obtained frontcourt status when he deflected the ball, the subsequent catch by Green #3 with backcourt status would have caused a violation.

Here is the breakdown of the IAABO members that commented on the video: This is a legal play 83%; This is a backcourt violation 17% (including me).