What is the most frustrating thing your partner(s) have done?

[RookieDude]

I've seen guys use this "toilet swish" signal...only not stirring a drink with finger in the down position but, pointing finger in the air while swirling.

I've seen it used on a missed FT, basket interference, and even when the ball rolls over the top of the backboard...all improper signals I've been told.

Seems this is a mechanic for re-starting the shot clock, I believe.

RD

P.S. BTW...I "do over" on the 2.4 seconds at the backcourt baseline. "Coach, we don't want to end the game on a timing mistake, that wouldn't be fair...we're going to do it over. Coach B, we'd do the same for you."
Unfourtunetly, the surprise play is lost.

[Edited by RookieDude on Dec 24th, 2003 at 07:05 AM]

[tomegun]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one! Isn't it hard to let these things slide in a game when you have such a passion for it?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by JugglingReferee

I don't think I've ever seen that. I can't imagine why an official would do that. [/B]

They do it because it draws a picture of the rim in the air. It does look ridiculous, though. If any signal is necessary, I make the same motion, but from underneath. Looks sort of wild and crazy, instead of strange and goofy.

[ChuckElias]

My partner last night gave the "clean block" clapping signal several times. Not a big deal, but I just think it's dumb.

The annoying thing was at halftime. He was the R for the game. As we're leaving the locker room to start the 2nd half, there was nobody there to lock the door behind us. So I go onto the court to observe the teams and he goes to find somebody with a key, to make sure our stuff is locked up.

It takes him a couple minutes (no big deal), so at the 1:00 mark, I go to the table and get the game ball, so that when we gets back, I'll just pass him the ball and we'll start the half.

Well, he re-enters the gym right under A's basket, and A has the arrow. So he sees me with the ball -- at midcourt -- tableside -- and stays on the endline. He waves at me, saying, "Go ahead and put it in play there".

I just shook my head and threw the ball cross court to where he put it in play. That annoyed me. What if we were being observed at that game? He made us both look bad. Grrrrr.

Why take a stupid shortcut? Just do it right. It's not that hard.

[ref18]

Ya, it was a rec league game, and i was doing it with my Dad, I think he was being a bit overprotective of me, and when we got home, we had quite a big argument over what should've happened, and then the assignor got called, and we found out my idea, "tossing the coach" was the right one.

That was one argument he didn't win.

And Juulie, I think you've got the wrong person here. Although, I never would've thought this could've happened anywhere else.

[Edited by ref18 on Dec 24th, 2003 at 11:23 AM]

[just another ref]

Originally posted by ref18
Ya, it was a rec league game, and i was doing it with my Dad, I think he was being a bit overprotective of me, and when we got home, we had quite a big argument over what should've happened, and then the assignor got called, and we found out my idea, "tossing the coach" was the right one.

That was one argument he didn't win.

[Edited by ref18 on Dec 24th, 2003 at 11:23 AM]

If your dad tells you a grasshopper can pull a plow,

You hitch him up, and don't ask how.


Anonymous

[firedoc]

I was the trail in a two-whistle JV game. The ball popped out towards the division line with me 5 feet from the ball and the play. The ball bounced and was then in the air before attaining backcourt status, and , you guessed it...whistle from the endline for over-and-back. On top of it all, the ball had not yet come down in the backcourt, let alone be touched there. Awful! I then went to "chat" with my partner, told him that it was not an over-and-back violation and then we went to the AP arrow. It was an interesting sales job to the coaches.

[Ref Daddy]

Had a first year guy (my second) in a 9th grade girls game.
Older fellow - sleepy head. It was just before Christmas - schools out, kids loose, gym full of visiting realatives. Loud.

He was making slow and inconsistant calls - he was new. Tried to help and encourage. Getting heat from the fans and bench. He was getting singled out by the fans every play.

After a made basket (he was lead) and body's flying everywhere - the made shot was grabbed and thrown down "marginally" hard by the center. Close call IMHO.

He freaked. Went long/loud whistle - T on player. She turns to him with a look - another T. 2 seconds had passed. Coach jumps up "What ......." - T. Fans behind bench yelling - throws a T bench direction.

By the time I turned back I had 4 T's counted. I can still see him in the lane spinning around throwing T's all over the place.

Called him to mid court. The guy was enraged! Calmed him down as best I could.

Took ten minuets to get the game going again.

I think he retired.

[Ref Daddy]

Second place.

Had a partner NOT wearing Black underwear. He needed it after collecting a OOB ball.

Brutal.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by ref18
And Juulie, I think you've got the wrong person here. Although, I never would've thought this could've happened anywhere else.

I knew it wasn't you. But I did pull that very stunt once a few years ago. Felt so awful the next day (does one get a hang-over from too much emotion in a game?) I couldn't even admit on this board that I'd done it. Just pleaded for general encouragement and advice. Partner never said a thing to help me, which annoyed me a little, later on, but I suppose now he was as stunned as everyone else in the gym. It wasn't entirely disliked, though. The coach who "won" had been behind by a few points when it happened, and I had tossed him the week before, so he hadn't said a word the whole game. He got his reward for learning his lesson, I guess, although it was at a high cost to me.

I guess the moral to the story is, no matter how bad your partner may be, there is always some hope that they could improve at least a little bit -- if they want to.

[jeffpea]

Here's the situation: A1 is dribbling the ball in his frontcourt. B1 knocks the ball off of A1's leg and across the half-court line; A1 first to pick it up - by rule a backcourt violation (which we called correctly). About a minute later B1 attempts a pass to B2; A2 deflects the pass into back-court which B2 retreives (no violation - we made no call). Not knowing the rules, Team A's coach was screaming-mad as Team B is running their offense after recovering the ball. My partner, Trail in front of Team A's bench, blows his whistle to stop the play, and turns to Coach A and begins to explain the backcourt violation rules and the differences of the two plays. I wanted to tackle my partner right then and there. I expressed my extreme displeasure at half-time and told him "don't ever do that again!"
Although this incident happened last season, I've already worked with him once this year....he called a charge in my primary when I had a block (fortunately I held my signal so nobody knew we had a "blarge"). I'm scheduled to work with him on a big rivalry game in Feb. - not looking forward to that......

[BK]

2nd year guy...Mr. Hotshot...went to three camps and the NASO convention over the summer...calls a player for a foot OOB on the baseline from C. Not only was it not his call, but she wasn't even close to the line--I was looking right at it. Instead of making him look bad by "overruling" him, I just employed the "quick travel" on the other team ASAP stratagey. At half...we had a discussion!

[Larks]

I dont have anything too stupid...but I do hate it when the U adds words words words to my captains meeting. Things like "stop playing when you hear the whistle" and "if the ball hits the ceiling, its out of bounds" make me want to blow chunks on shoes and stare at pants...or blow shoes on pants and stare at chunks...Something like that....Anyway, yes, I have heard both and more than once!!

Heck, almost anything added by the U makes me a little queezy! A simple "Have a great game" is all I ask because they aint listening anyway!!!

Actually this year, I have been very fortunate with my partners. In 22 games over about 15 dates, I have zero coimplaints.

[rcwilco]

When I first moved here a few years ago I showed up extra early for the first game of the season. I did not know anyone being new and just moved in. My partner did not show up for quite a while, finally with about 18 minutes to go the AD came to the room and told me my partner was out at the court. When I got out there I could not find her anywhere. When I asked the AD, he pointed way up in the stands to someone reading a newspaer! Sure enough that was her. I went up and introduced myself and asked to do a pre game. She refused and it was the only time I have not been able to get an offcial to at least do a short pre game. She hardly talks to me and at three minutes does the coaches. At two minutes it dawns on me that we have shot clocks. I asked why and my partner said they were for the game and wanted to know where in the world I have reffed, to not know that!!!I told her a little in Idaho, Colorado and Oregon where I had never seen one. I get about a 20 second explanation. At that point the clock is at zero, time to start and up goes the ball. I had no idea what to do about the shot clock and was lost on that point. We were so far apart on what we called, working with coaches, communication, etc. It was frustrating and a real pain. Since then I have had excellent partners and learned a lot. Just that one blip in that first game.

[rainmaker]

It would be easier for me to tell all the awful things I've done to my partner than the other way around, but there was this one time...

It was freshman girls, but a pretty good game. The stands were already crowded as the visiting team was very, very good and people like to watch them. Also, this was a day off school, and they had scheduled a bunch of games so that the kids could hang around and socialize, I guess. There was never any question about who would win, the only thing to be decided was by how much, and what the shoooting percentages would be. My partner didn't show until the beginning of the second quarter. "Traffic" she said, on a day off school at 1:00. Oh, well. She'd been there for maybe two minutes when this happened. I was lead. Home (behind by 10 at this point) had run this play several times and it worked once in a while. The dribbler ran straight down toward the top of the key, cut to one side, ran down along the side of the paint, and shot from the low block. This time the defense had a player just above the low block. I was "working wide" and had the perfect angle. The defender was totally set, had hands straight up, but as the dribbler barrelled down the line, the defender didn't brace herself for impact, she started falling backwards. There never was any contact at any time. It was the picture perfect flop, except that I was watching, and saw it all. Partner, hwever, had eight players between her and the play and called the PC. I didn't say a word, until half time and then I let her have it. Probably shouldn't have, but I was flabbergasted. Oh, well.