A ref playing pick-up ball

[Adam]

Playing ball last night with a bunch of men from my church. I'm on defense, standing behind a guy taking a shot. To shoot, he brings the ball behind his head. I knock it out of his hands, while another guy on my team goes at it from the front. Guy calls foul, and I'm giving this kinda weird look of surprise. My teammate looks at me and says, "You went over the back."

Ugh!

[tomegun]

My suggestion would be to separate the two. You are a ref with the stripes on and a player when you play. You cannot and will not win these battles.

[huskyz]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I play ball at the YMCA twice a week over my lunch break and you wouldn't believe the calls/non-calls that happen. Tomegun is correct, you have to separate the two and just try to keep playing. I am there to get some exercise, not to argue about a call.

But, there are always the times when you make a call and there is a disagreement. I will tell you, I have NEVER brought up the fact that I have been officiating for xx # of years. I figure that it is best they don't know that I am an official.

I'll give you my most recent....guy on my team drives for a layup and the ball sticks between the rim and the backboard. The other team starts heading towards their bucket with the ball when one of my teammates says, "Hey, you got the ball to start the game - this one's ours." Of course, I supported him. So, an argument starts up and I hear, "You mean, if a guy throws a brick and it stick b/w the rim and backboard you're gonna give him the ball back?"

I just said, "Only if it's his arrow, now let's get back to playing ball!"

[Adam]

I agree. I separate them. Sometimes you just have to laugh to yourself at how little people know about the rules. Most of the guys there know I'm a ref (they're friends from church), and defer to me when there's a question. Not usually an issue, and I don't make it one. I let him have the call last night, but couldn't resist commenting "not when there's no contact" after my teammate told me I went over the back. Normally, I'd have let it go, but that slipped.

[mick]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
I agree. I separate them. Sometimes you just have to laugh to yourself at how little people know about the rules. Most of the guys there know I'm a ref (they're friends from church), and defer to me when there's a question. Not usually an issue, and I don't make it one. I let him have the call last night, but couldn't resist commenting "not when there's no contact" after my teammate told me I went over the back. Normally, I'd have let it go, but that slipped.

Snaqwells,
I think you were right mentioning the proper ruling. You don't have to make a deal of it. Just mention it.

A little more knowledge, though sometimes dangerous in the mind of some people, remains a little more knowledge.

mick

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
but couldn't resist commenting "not when there's no contact" after my teammate told me I went over the back.

Even if there was contact, there's still no "over the back".

[Adam]

Mark, you're right. I reserved that comment for venting to my brother after the game. I can just imagine the vacant look I'd have got had I said, "There's no rule against reaching over the back or reaching in." Talk about information overload.

[CYO Butch]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Even if there was contact, there's still no "over the back".

But the shooter held the ball over his own back. Isn't that a real "over the back" situation?

I know what you mean when people don't know the rules. I've played in the Parks and Rec Men's League for the last 3 years. The first year drove me nuts because there were too numerous to count situations where there should have been a foul called and there wasn't or they booted a rule. I have learned to deal with the no foul calls(basically by determining what I will be able to get away with and using it. At no point trying to hurt anyone. But things like almost using a stiff arm to keep one guy away from a loose ball.)

However, the times that they completely boot a rule drive me absolutely nuts. Had one this year where a ball got wedged between the rim and backboard and they gave the ball to the defense. Not because they had the arrow but because our shot wedged the ball there.

Sorry just wanted to vent about our league a little.

[Mregor]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
Playing ball last night with a bunch of men from my church.

I filled in for someone a few years ago at a Church League. One of the top 3 worst experiences I've ever had reffing. I'll never do that again. Kind of like the time I pis*** on an electric fence. Never do that again either.

Mregor