Fun With Out Of Bounds …

[Raymond]

Do you have the passage from the mechanics manual that shows who is responsible for each sideline in a crew of two?

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[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Do you have the passage from the mechanics manual that shows who is responsible for each sideline in a crew of two?

If necessary, save and enlarge. I scanned on high resolution.

Current IAABO mechanics manual.

Line Responsibility:



Lead has entire frontcourt endline and closest sideline below free throw line extended. Trail has everything else (including division line).

Note: Press Coverage: Lead Official responsible for out of bounds on sideline opposite Trail official.

Primary Coverage Areas



I do not have access to a current NFHS mechanics manual.

[Camron Rust]

This call is the L's call in NFHS 2 person mechanics. NFHS hasn't made any change (that I'm aware of) to make this the T's call. Lead's line...lead's call...all the way down the line. Now, much of the time, the L can only blow the whistle to indicate it is OOB and ask the T for help, but that works very well.

If we were to divide the whistle/call responsibility it based on being above/below the FT line extended, I can see it creating conflicting double whistles when the ball goes OOB near the FT line extended. The L makes a call having judged the ball to be below the FT line while the T makes a call having judged it to be above. Hmmm. Much cleaner to have a line be entirely owned by one official. There is much less opportunity for situations.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

This call is the L's call in NFHS 2 person mechanics. NFHS hasn't made any change Lead's line ... lead's call ... all the way down the line ... Much cleaner to have a line be entirely owned by one official.

Agree. The "new" IAABO line responsibility mechanic was difficult to get used to, often ends up with double whistles, and occasionally ends up with a greatly delayed whistle (as the ball sits in the coach's lap).

But as much as I hated the change (with so much intense hatred by many veterans that they refused to use the new IAABO line responsibility mechanic, and said so in their pregame), I did understand the IAABO rationale of pairing this sideline responsibility with one's primary coverage area.

[Mike Goodwin]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If necessary, save and enlarge. I scanned on high resolution.

Current IAABO mechanics manual.

Line Responsibility:

Lead has entire frontcourt endline and closest sideline below free throw line extended. Trail has everything else (including division line).

Note: Press Coverage: Lead Official responsible for out of bounds on sideline opposite Trail official.

Primary Coverage Areas


I do not have access to a current NFHS mechanics manual.

Sorry, BillyMac:

I didn't mean to duplicate your work; I hadn't seen that you posted the picture from the IAABO manual.

[JRutledge]

This is the Lead's line. The Trail should only signal if the Lead is asking for help. Similar to a ball coming from the Trail being thrown to the endline.

They seem to get this right but it could have been a disaster if both did not agree. That is why the Trail waits for an indication of help.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Sorry, BillyMac.

Nice citation from the NFHS. I didn't realize that IAABO and the NFHS were so different. Makes for some nice discussion here on the Forum.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Two person difficult out of bounds calls involve the front court endline opposite where the Lead is. He's responsible for out of bounds calls all the way along the entire endline, yet his primary coverage ends before the endline intersects the far sideline, that's the primary coverage area (but not the out of bounds responsibility) of the Trail. The Trail has to call a travel, or foul, an inch away from the endline there, but shouldn't call an out of bounds there if a player steps on the boundary line. This is where we often see the Lead sounding his whistle to stop the clock for out of bounds and asking for help (especially on a ball that flies out of bounds along the endline, a ball that originated from the Trail's primary coverage area).

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

... know when a player has stepped on the ... line?

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Kinda weird, isn't it? Being able to call violations that close to the endline except out-of-bounds. In the NFHS manual at 4.4.1.A.2 it says that "typically an official should rule on violations in his/her PCA, but any violation observed should be ruled"

It appears that the NFHS and IAABO both have the same conflict with primary coverage areas and line responsibilities along the frontcourt endline (side opposite the Lead).

Technically, according to both the NFHS and IAABO, out of bounds is a violation (like any other violation) and should be called when it occurs in one's primary coverage area.

And yet, the frontcourt endline responsibility is solely the Lead's responsibility in both NFHS and IAABO mechanics.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is the Lead's line. The Trail should only signal if the Lead is asking for help ... a ball coming from the Trail being thrown to the endline.

Just proves that three heads are better than two.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It appears that the NFHS and IAABO both have the same conflict with primary coverage areas and line responsibilities along the frontcourt endline (side opposite the Lead).

Technically, according to both the NFHS and IAABO, out of bounds is a violation (like any other violation) and should be called when it occurs in one's primary coverage area.

And yet, the frontcourt endline responsibility is solely the Lead's responsibility in both NFHS and IAABO mechanics.

No conflict. PCA is inbounds coverage. Line coverage is not the same as PCA coverage. Line coverage is specifically spelled out and the two are not connected.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Line coverage is specifically spelled out and the two are not connected.

Agree. But out of bounds is, technically, a violation, usually covered by primary coverage areas.

[JRutledge]

This is from the NASO Mechanics Illustrated Book for 2021-2022.

Covering boundary lines is among the most difficult tasks using a crew of two officials. By correctly placing so much emphasis on off-ball coverage for the lead, some boundary-line coverage sometimes gets sacrificed.

The NFHS manual states that in the frontcourt the lead is responsible for the sideline nearest the lead and the endline. The trail is responsible for the division line and the sideline nearest the trail. While in theory that sounds easy, the actual practice is very difficult and sacrifices off-ball coverage in the lane area.

Here’s an example. A trouble spot for two-person crews is a player who has the ball near the sideline above the free-throw line extended and opposite the trail. The trail correctly moves toward the center of the court to officiate the action on the player with the ball, such as fouls, traveling violations, etc.

The problem: The manual states that sideline is the lead’s responsibility. Well, if the lead has to look beyond the free-throw line extended to watch for a potential sideline violation and the trail has to watch for fouls, etc., who is watching the other players? No one. There are too many off-ball problems that can occur if no one is supervising those players.

Referee recommends that the trail also have opposite sideline responsibility above the free-throw line extended. Sometimes, the trail must move well beyond the center of the court to see an out-of-bounds violation. Stay deep (toward the division line) on the play to get a good angle.

Even with great hustle toward the far sideline, it is a tough look for the trail. The problem compounds if there’s a swing pass back toward the other sideline. The trail must hustle back toward that sideline to get a good look there. Staying deep gives the trail a chance.

If you teach the lead properly and even the trail properly, the lead will widen out their coverage to cover the sideline. Staying close to the lane is not what the lead should do on plays close to the sideline. Is this ideal coverage, but how in the hell does the Trail see a player stepping on the line or a close tip near the sideline (similar to the play featured). I do not like this trend if this is what Referee is recommending.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is from the NASO Mechanics Illustrated Book for 2021-2022: Covering boundary lines is among the most difficult tasks using a crew of two officials. By correctly placing so much emphasis on off-ball coverage for the lead, some boundary-line coverage sometimes gets sacrificed. The NFHS manual states that in the frontcourt the lead is responsible for the sideline nearest the lead and the endline. The trail is responsible for the division line and the sideline nearest the trail. While in theory that sounds easy, the actual practice is very difficult and sacrifices off-ball coverage in the lane area. Here’s an example. A trouble spot for two-person crews is a player who has the ball near the sideline above the free-throw line extended and opposite the trail. The trail correctly moves toward the center of the court to officiate the action on the player with the ball, such as fouls, traveling violations, etc. The problem: The manual states that sideline is the lead’s responsibility. Well, if the lead has to look beyond the free-throw line extended to watch for a potential sideline violation and the trail has to watch for fouls, etc., who is watching the other players? No one. There are too many off-ball problems that can occur if no one is supervising those players. Referee recommends that the trail also have opposite sideline responsibility above the free-throw line extended. Sometimes, the trail must move well beyond the center of the court to see an out-of-bounds violation. Stay deep (toward the division line) on the play to get a good angle. Even with great hustle toward the far sideline, it is a tough look for the trail. The problem compounds if there’s a swing pass back toward the other sideline. The trail must hustle back toward that sideline to get a good look there. Staying deep gives the trail a chance.

Great post JRutledge. Thanks. Puts all of the concerns expressed in this thread in a nutshell.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... how in the hell does the Trail see a player stepping on the line or a close tip near the sideline (similar to the play featured).

Snarky answer: Three person games.

Shooting from the hip, the best I can come up with for two person games is for both sideline responsibilities, and frontcourt endline responsibilities, to be covered as part of one's primary coverage area, and let the chips fall where they may. It may cut down on some ball watching, and out of bounds is a violation (like any other violation) that should be called when it occurs in one's primary coverage area. Tough calls can be solved by asking for help, offering help, or using the alternating possession arrow.

Or turn over the NFHS/IAABO conflict to the United Nations Security Council.

[JRutledge]

I was always taught to have the "L" coverage. The Trail has the division line and the sideline they are on. And the Lead has the endline and the sideline they are on. Two-person coverage is flawed, so if you have it you are going to have to do things you would not need to do with a 3rd official out there. But not sure how the Trail can clearly know that the ball was knocked out on the offensive player. The Lead's positioning is also poor as he is sticking to the lane it appears. This play might not have been as bad, but if there is a play near the line and someone is stepping on the line, the Trail has no chance. The Lead has to make those kinds of calls.

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Snarky answer: Three person games.

Shooting from the hip, the best I can come up with for two person games is for both sideline responsibilities, and frontcourt endline responsibilities, to be covered as part of one's primary coverage area, and let the chips fall where they may. It may cut down on some ball watching, and out of bounds is a violation (like any other violation) that should be called when it occurs in one's primary coverage area. Tough calls can be solved by asking for help, offering help, or using the alternating possession arrow.

Or turn over the NFHS/IAABO conflict to the United Nations Security Council.

The Lead can watch his sideline to blow his whistle without ball watching. Need to be able to do more than one thing at a time.

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