Fun With A Closely Guarded Count …
 

IAABO Make The Call Video

https://storage.googleapis.com/refqu...tIjmcPNw%3D%3D

Should this have been a 5-second closely guarded violation? Did the Trail official begin the count when the defender moved to within six feet?

Two choices: The official starts the 5 second closely guarded count at the appropriate time. The official does not start the count on time

My comment: The official starts the 5 second closely guarded count at the appropriate time. This is a close play. Use the radius of the center circle as a six foot guide and remember that there is no “zero” count so the official's first visible count comes one second after closely guarded is achieved. Of greater concern is the fact the official stops his count (as indicated by changing arms) when he should not have stopped his count.

Reference Distances ...
 

Note: Basketball center circle has a radius of six feet. Distance from basketball division line (volleyball center line) to blue volleyball attack line is ten feet (blue volleyball attack line to closest point of basketball center circle is four feet).

We can't do this during the game, of course, but go to the end of the play. The count should stop at about 5 seconds (+/- .2). Rewind the tape to 10 seconds -- the player is closely guarded here (and for at least a bit before this). So, a violation. I do agree it's hard to measure in the video -- we have some reasonable east-west measurements, but the play is often on an angle, and the north-south measurements are off (at least on my monitor) -- the center circle is an oval, for example

He might have started it a little late, but I'm OK with that. For one when the player first stopped, I do not think the defender was within 6 feet at all. Then the defender crept up and got closer. Again I think he waited to start the count when he was sure. No issues from me.

Also, I do not use only the court, I use the estimate from the players involved. If the defender is around 6 feet and in my judgment can fall over and touch the feet of the opponent, then that might be a good gauge for starting the count. But again, that is based on a good estimate of the players I am observing. I am 6 feet tall so I kind of use my height to know if that applies to them.

Peace

Need My Slide Rule ...
 

If I'm the Trail, I'm most likely starting my count (zero) when the defender's left foot crosses the blue volleyball attack line at 13.4. The ball handler picks up is dribble at 5.1. Easy five second closely guarded violation. Not even close.

Giving the Trail official in the video the benefit of any doubt, I could understand the Trail in the video possibly starting his count (zero) as late as when the defender's right foot crosses the blue volleyball sideline at 10.1. With the ball handler picking up his dribble at 5.1, exactly five seconds, maybe a toss up in his mind? I could live with that no call.

But he doesn't even do that. His first visible count is at 9.3, so he started his count (zero) at 8.3 (1.8 seconds later than I could accept; 5.1 seconds after I would have started my count).

Agree.

Of greater concern to me is that the Trail the stops his count (as indicated by changing arms) sometime before 6.7.

Why?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a483908f_m.jpg

Listen To JRutledge, He's What'cha Call A Basketball Officiating Expert ...
 

Good advice to the young'uns.

Begin The Count ...
 

My local IAABO board's interpreter (trainer) and evaluators have been on us (rightfully) about this for a few years. In fact, locally, we've been discouraged from using the newly approved IAABO not closely guarded signal (same signal as sixty second timeout) because so many of us were using it improperly (less than six feet).

Not sure if this issue has moved up the IAABO ladder from local to state to international, but I've got ten bucks that says that the "official" IAABO play commentary on this video will say that the official began his count too late.

My advice comment is for everyone. Veterans are often just as bad at closely guarded as younger officials.

Peace

Old Dog, New Tricks ...
 

Agree. We see that a lot here here locally.

It's often hard to teach old veterans new tricks, young'uns are usually much more receptive because they haven't yet developed any hard-to-get-rid-of bad habits, and are usually much more open to constrictive criticism.

Tweet Tweet Tweet Tweet Tweet ...
 

Little birdie: The official does not start the count on time.

Of greater concern to me is that the Trail the stops his count (as indicated by changing arms).