Captain

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The captain is as outdated as two-handed set shots, laced basketballs, peach baskets, and chicken wire cages around the perimeter of the court, an archaic, anachronistic formality.

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

... there something to be gained by the use of a formality despite the arguments for its extinction.

Unlike the jump ball, that definitely should have become extinct with the invention of the alternating possession arrow (despite what Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. says), I do believe that there is still a place for the pregame coaches/captains/officials meeting. It sets the right tone for sportsmanship and honors the captains publicly in front of all the fans (full disclosure, I am the father of three children who have been captains in multiple sports in middle school, high school, and college).

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The captain is as outdated as two-handed set shots, laced basketballs, peach baskets, and chicken wire cages around the perimeter of the court, an archaic, anachronistic formality.

Originally Posted by Kansas Ref

... there something to be gained by the use of a formality despite the arguments for its extinction.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I do believe that there is still a place for the pregame coaches/captains/officials meeting. It sets the right tone for sportsmanship and honors the captains publicly in front of all the fans.

However: Rules regarding notifying captains when play is about to begin at the start of the game, captains addressing an official on matters of interpretation or to obtain essential information, captains requesting defensive match-ups, and the singular nature of the captain’s role; along with casebook plays regarding captains designating free throwers, and requests for timeouts; should all be destroyed by an Earth-impacting asteroid.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

However: Rules regarding notifying captains when play is about to begin at the start of the game ... should all be destroyed by an Earth-impacting asteroid.

Eliminating 2-7-1 (The officials must ... Notifying the captains when play is about to begin at the start of the game) will still leave us with 2-4-4 (The referee must: Be responsible for having each team notified three minutes before each half is to begin).

2-4-4 (possibly at the coaches/captains/officials pregame meeting), and a whistle prior to the jump ball (most mechanics), should suffice to get the game started in a timely manner without any element of surprise.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

captains requesting defensive match-ups ... casebook plays regarding captains designating free throwers, and requests for timeouts; should all be destroyed by an Earth-impacting asteroid.

All three changed to head coaches (and all players for timeout requests as already codified in the rulebook).

Simplified, and the way most of us actually do it in a real game.