watching your zone

[oc]

One of the things that I have been working on is watching my zone. When I first started I followed the ball too much. Last year I improved and was calling out of my zone on average once maybe twice a game. This year I have concentrated on not upsetting the more exp refs and staying in my zone. So far I have reffed 6 games (all blow-outs) and called out of my zone maybe once. But, I feel like we are missing calls. There have been times when I was T (3 man) and could see things below the old dual area that I passed on. It was my P's zone so I ignored it. However looking back I might have had the best angle on it (even though it was closer to my P).

What do you do here? Jump into their zone and get the call right? I asked my P about all the contact later and he thought it was incidental contact-but I doubt he saw it as well as I did. Keep in mind there really wasn't anything going on in my zone so don't ask who was watching my zone. I was looking through my empty zone into the paint or below the free throw line extended.

I know you can't comment without seeing it. So let me just ask this. How often do you call out of your primary in your P's zone? thanks

[Edited by oc on Nov 27th, 2003 at 06:20 AM]

[Back In The Saddle]

Here's what I've figured, so far, out that works for me. 1) Pregame, pregame, pregame. Decide together ahead of time whether you'll call out of your primaries. 2) If there is nothing to referee in your primary, and you've agreed to call in your secondary, you can best help by watching the off ball action. 3) If you are going to call something on ball near your partner, you had better be certain that your partner was unable to see what you saw. And even then, you probably want to pass on it unless it's a foul that "has to be gotten."

To address your direct question, not very often

[RookieDude]

I've heard it said you only call out of your primary if it's a OH MY GOD! and you are 110% sure of the call.

I prefer to talk to my partner during the game and say something like "lets tighten it up a bit, it's getting kinda rough down there" or something to that effect.

When you are talking to your partner about a call you think he/she missed...I like to say something like we might have missed such and such there.

Just a couple of ways to communicate with partners...of course if you work with the dudes all the time, maybe you could say something like "Why don't you get off your lazy a$$ and get in this game, I'm tired of carrying you!"

RD

[ReadyToRef]

[B]Trust your partner!!! Perhaps they passed on that call because of something you didn't or couldn't see.[B]

[rainmaker]

oc -- Right when the foul happen, did you look at your partner's eyes? That will tell you a lot. Where was he looking, and what was his angle?

Also, you need to consider what the general style is in your area. Over the course of this whole season, find out who are considered the very best refs in your association. Go and watch several of their games. See what they call and what they don't call. It may be that your group tend to let stuff like this go, "unless this or until that".

I think the best way to approach your partner later and discuss a situation is to be very cautious. You may not have seen it as well as you thought. "I thought I saw a pretty good bump right at 2 minutes when so-and-so did such-and-such. I almost called it, but I thought you had a pretty good view, so I passed. But did you see the handcheck around back?" Then you don't argue, just pack the whole thing in salt for future reference.