Did It Go In ???

[BillyMac]

https://x.com/i/status/1829674251260977622

I will occasionally have to ask my partner if the ball went in, usually as the lead (I never look up), but sometimes as the trail (train wreck with bodies on the floor).

Once had a partner who couldn't help me and I had to go to the table for help.

[JRutledge]

I never understand the, "I never look up" logic. There are plays and situations where you will not be paying attention, but do not get those that say they never look up. Well, get at and angle you can see the whole play, including knowing if something happened with the ball. That might be why they are teaching us to be wider as an official on the endline and not so close to the lane.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I never understand the, "I never look up" logic.

Agree with most of JRutledge's comments.

Of course being wider will give the lead a wider field of vision, including up, but sometimes the lead has to move toward the lane to "split' being straight lined by two "active" post players.

And moving deeper, also giving the lead a wider field of vision, is often impossible in some of our smaller rural gyms.

"Never looking up" to guys in my little corner of Connecticut (as we're all trained to do) doesn't really mean to never look up, it means not looking up to simply see if the ball went into the basket, we can certainly look up to see contact up high.

Also, keeping one's eyes on the players will allow us to see things, sometimes "bad"(unsporting) things, that can happen after the illegal contact and after the ball has been released.

Looking up for the sole purpose to see if the ball went in will get one "dinged" on an evaluation here in these parts.

That being said, most of the time the lead can use their peripheral vision to see if the ball went into the basket, except when they can't.

Back when I was taking high school summer school drivers education, we had an instrument that measured peripheral vision.

If I recall, my peripheral vision was pretty good compared to most others.

It's on my curriculum vitae: Great peripheral vision.

I also often mention it to hot single Moms in the bleachers.

[BillyMac]

Two very embarrassing plays a long time ago in a Catholic Middle School League.

Absolutely no depth behind the endline in these very small Catholic middle school gyms.

I'm the lead, I'm watching for rebounding fouls on a shot from the top of the key. In my peripheral vision I see the net move in such a way that I thought that the shot went in. It was a very loose net and the successful attempt went straight out of bounds after one bounce. I'm waiting for the team that didn't score to pick up the ball for a run the end line throwin. Players are looking at me oddly. My partner sounds his whistle, and we discuss. Shot did not go in, it just flipped the net as the ball passed under the rim.

Another game. I'm the lead, I'm watching for rebounding fouls on a shot from the top of the key. In my peripheral vision I see the shot go directly out of bounds on my line as if shot from a cannon. I sound my whistle and point the other way. My partner sounds his whistle, and we discuss. Net was very loose, big hole in it, shot attempt went through the basket and kept going straight out of bounds with no bounce.