High School Refresher Exams.Why Do Some Boards Supply The Answers?

[donna23]

I HAVE BEEN CALLING BASKETBALL AND SOFTBALL FOR OVER 12 YEARS AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE THESE TEST. I FEEL THAT THE OFFICIALS AND COACHES SHOULD TAKE THE TEST TOGETHER. ONE QUESTION AT A TIME. THAN EVERYONE GET THEM RIGHT.

[Love2ref4Ever]

First Thing Donna23 welcome to"The Wonderful World Of Basketball" Just when I thought this topic was laid to rest,Here you come with a different outlook on this dilema. If not have referees and coaches come together to take the exams,Then at least have all IAABO officials take the same refresher exam in the same manner!It came to my attention 6 years ago after attending camp outside my state that different states have different requirements. I like what I see other states doing,Especially the states that make attending a camp during the summer manditory!

Love and Respect

[David Clausi]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

Look guys, you can't possibly "throw out the rule book"
until you know the damn rules. What rut says might seem
appealing to some of us (well, if you can follow it)
but the bottom line is you can't be a fair judge of the
game unless you have an understanding of what you are
judging. And unfortunately rut has demonstrated a
piss-poor understanding of the rules along with an incredibly stubborn refusal to accept criticism when he is
wrong. Not a good combination.

Well

[/B]

Dan - well said.

Rut - you always figure out a way of alienating yourself on every bball bulletin board I have seen you post on (have you ever wondered why this happens?). I suspect that you feel that everyone else is wrong and you are right - have you ever considered that this is actually the other way around?

For example, this is a quote from your first post on this thread:

************

Posted by Rut ...

"Whether you understand the written definition is not going to help you when making calls and judgements."

*************

What a ridiculous statement!!!!

The written definition is the source of all of our calls. You MUST understand the written definition eg. how to identify a travelling violation, how to handle correctable errors, how to determine if a defender has gained a legal position, etc, etc. The written definition is imperative in making calls - you have to know the rules before you make judgement on a call. Otherwise, you have absolutely nothing to fall back on.

A good official knows the rules. The rules are there - use them!! And on the court, let your judgement take over, based on the rules.

Cheers,
David

[JRutledge]

I really think you missed the point. If you think that quoting the rulebook back and forth, up and down is going to help you one bit in officiating, then you are not going to ever see anything other than HS ball. It is just a fact, the more and more you officiate, the less and less that rulebook is going to save you. I officiate 4 sports and the rulebook and my knowledge does very little in the bigger picture in all of them. Officiating is a sales job, that is all. If your uniform is together and you "look the part," you can almost screw up a few times and little might even be said. I have walked away from games totally unhappy with the job I did, and had coaches and AD think I am the best official sense the wheel was invented. Rulebook knowledge has only been a little part on any evaluation form that I have ever seen in a camp. I think appearance, positioning, mechanics, are looked at much more than you lovely rules knowledge. I think you need to pick up Referee Magazine this month and read a couple of the articles in their and you will see "sprit of the rules" metioned more than once. But do not take my word for it, see for yourself.

And if taking an unpopular stance makes some of you upset (because it surely does not upset or even bother me) than you need to get some self-esteem and worry about yourself. I am not here to make everyone happy, I do not go through life and do that. I am here to share knowledge and debate different issues that most of us face. I grew up with the saying "there is more than one way to skin a cat," well that applies here. I went to several camps this year and not one, and I mean NOT ONE of the clinicians agreed on everything and all the philosophies that each other preached about how to run and handle a game. Put your little ego aside and get over it. I do recall that several individuals agreed with me and disagreed with me. We are in the United States of America not the old Soviet Union that is what we are suppose to do, disagree.

[Love2ref4Ever]

To bad we can't get some officials on the NBA level to give us some feedback on this topic! Since I know a couple of them I will see if I can get any of them to take a moment out of there busy traveling schedules to check out this site, If it is ok with the league.It would be great to here what they can share with us on this topic.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Officiating is a sales job, that is all.

OK, for the sake of the argument let's agree with this.
Now, how the hell can you do a good sales job if you
don't know your damn product?

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Love2ref4Ever
To bad we can't get some officials on the NBA level to give us some feedback on this topic! Since I know a couple of them I will see if I can get any of them to take a moment out of there busy traveling schedules to check out this site, If it is ok with the league.It would be great to here what they can share with us on this topic.

I suspect they'll tell you to know your rules & mechanics
inside out, upside down, forward & backwards.

[donna23]

FIRST THANKS FOR THE REPLY LOVE2REF4EVER. HERE'S A GOOD ONE FOR YOU. I CALL IN TWO DIFFERENT STATES. I HAVE TO TAKE PART ONE FOR THE FIRST STATE. IF YOU SCORE AN 80 YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE PART II. I HAVE TO TAKE BOTH TEST BECAUSE THEY DON'T PLAY GIRLS FALL BALL IN THE SECOND STATE. TWO DIFFERENT CLINIC'S. ON THE SECOND SUBJECT. I DON'T CARE HOW WELL SOMEONE KNOWS THE RULE BOOK IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW YOU APPLY IT TO THE COURT. WITH OVER TWELVE YEAR ON THE COURT YOU GET TO SEE EVERYTHING. I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION. HOW CAN I MOVE UP TO COLLEGE IN MY AREA WITH OUT SUCKING UP TO SOMEONE IN MY ASSOCIATION? I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP ME OUT WITH THIS. THANKS

[JRutledge]

Your argument does not make much sense. What has that have to do with anything. If you sell computers, does the sales person know how they work, probably not. They might understand the features, but they do not know exactly all the components and probably would not be able to fix them. So it really depends on what kind of sales you are talking about.

You have also missed the point and I really do not fell like explaining it anymore. If you are not intelligent enough to understand how rules is just a small part of officiating as a whole, then this conversation needs to end.

Peace

Originally posted by Dan_ref

OK, for the sake of the argument let's agree with this.
Now, how the hell can you do a good sales job if you
don't know your damn product?

[donna23]

I GUESS YOU JRUTLEDGE ARE TALKING TO ME. I HAVE BEEN ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE TO SAY DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. BY THE WAY THE REASON OUR BOARD HAS AN OPEN TEST IS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T SCORE 80 ON PART ONE YOU MUST TAKE PART II.

SEE YA

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Your argument does not make much sense. What has that have to do with anything. If you sell computers, does the sales person know how they work, probably not. They might understand the features, but they do not know exactly all the components and probably would not be able to fix them. So it really depends on what kind of sales you are talking about.

You have also missed the point and I really do not fell like explaining it anymore. If you are not intelligent enough to understand how rules is just a small part of officiating as a whole, then this conversation needs to end.

Peace

I do not miss your point, I understand exactly what you're
trying to say. IMO you are dead wrong but you continue to
hold stubbornly onto wrong ideas that you find appealing.
The danger is that there are many new people reading your
words who will think "Hey, this rut guy seems to know what
he's talking about, why should I concentrate on learning
the rules. After all, they're just a small part of what
I'll need and reading them makes my brain hurt."
Understanding the rules is not a *small* part of
officiating, it is one of the prerequisites to being
succesful & potentially moving up if that's your goal.
Now (to continue along your analogy) if you sell computers and you can't answer a question related to pricing, availability, use, operation, cost, lifetime, warranty, options, etc etc then you will not be succesful. These,
along with knowing how to calculate his commission, are the
computer salesman's rules. The salesman knowing how to
replace a broken resistor is akin to a referee knowing how
to refinish a large wood floor. Kinda cool but besides the
point. At any rate we've beaten this to death by now, have
a good Thanksgiving.

[mick]

....is akin to a referee knowing how
to refinish a large wood floor. [/QUOTE]

All right!
Finally something of which I have some knowledge!

Did you know that many of the removable floors are made right U.P. here about 5 miles away? Many Final Four Floors.

[JRutledge]

I obviously was not talking to you because you name is not in the "Post subject." I am not concerned with the way your state or "board" the way you call it makes you take test. That is different in almost every state. We have to take a Part 2 also, but only for promotions.

Originally posted by donna23
I GUESS YOU JRUTLEDGE ARE TALKING TO ME. I HAVE BEEN ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE TO SAY DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. BY THE WAY THE REASON OUR BOARD HAS AN OPEN TEST IS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T SCORE 80 ON PART ONE YOU MUST TAKE PART II.

SEE YA