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

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by 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.

I have a question about this play. Let me first assume that Team A had control of the ball in its front court and that at the time your partner sounded his whistle Team A still had control of the ball even though there was no player control by any player on Team A. If that is the case, why did you go to the AP Arrow for the re-start?

[Damian]

Partner doesn't get to game on time. Had a partner one time show up mid way in 2nd quarter, walked onto court, heard something from one of the coaches an T'd him up.

I hate it when my partner gets a little lazy and administers a basline throw in on one side of the lane and stands on the other to keep from rotating.

My parter refuses to communicate. I had a game this year, when the entire game, my partner would blow his whistle, make no hand signal, turn towards the table and mutter something about a foul. Neither the playes nor me knew what he called and had to wait until he said to line up for free throws or move to place the ball for throw in. I talked to him during halftime that WE needed to do a better job of communicating. He never did.

[CLAY]

I had a freshman game, the school was closer to my workplace than my home, so I took my bag with me to work and left for the game after work. Arrived at the site an hour and a half before tip off. Went to the locker room to change and decided to go watch the varsity boys team practice. I was the only one in the stands. about 30min before game time a man comes up to me and asked if I was working the game tonight. "Duh" Iam sitting there with black shoes, black socks, black pants, and a black and white striped shirt. I said yes I was. He stated he was working this game and he was my partner. I went to shake hands with him and to give him my name,he made no move to shake my hand. I thought to myself this is going to be a long night. I walked him to the locker room to show him where to chnage. As he was changing he started to rattle on how he was not happy about being here and that his wife took the call and accepted the game since one of the other officials had called the school telling them he was sick. He stated he did not work lower level games, and was only doing varsity. I told him with his experiece I would learn some things from him tonight. He stated not to expect much from him. As time passed he is getting dressed he wanted me to know that he had worked 4 state tournament games. Now it is getting crowded in the locker room,his ego was taking up most of the space. He finishes getting dressed and I asked him if he was ready to go over the pre-game. Now Iam thinking with his experience this would be a great learning experience for me. Wrong, he said he did not think a pre-game was worth the time for a freshman game. As we were walking out of the locker room, he turned to me and said " don't expect much help from me tonight this is your game. Enough was enough. I kindly turned to him and said. I would rather work this game alone as to work with you. I got no response from him. So I told him that I would not work with him. I told him to take his check and get the hell out of the gym, and if he did not I was going to. He turned around walked back to the locker room picked up his bag and left. The AD at the school was a official and we did the game together. I explained what had happend and he had heard this guy could be an ***. The AD and I worked well together had a great time with no complaints. Ever since that day I now get 2-3 varsity games a year from that school.

[tomegun]

Clay, what happened to the other official?

[SMEngmann]

To me the only partners who I can't stand working with tend to be the lazy ones. Typically, these are the people who, especially in lower level games, don't go through the formalities of a pregame, don't assume the proper positions on the court in the pregame and tend to schmooze with the coaches or with people at the table before the game. As a young official, to me, that shows a lack of respect for the game. The pregame formalities have a purpose and there are the few times when the officials can get burned big-time for not going through them properly. Also, partners who are lazy and don't switch when they're supposed to annoy me. Nothing worse than showing a lack of hustle, particularly when you could be being observed at any time.

[Back In The Saddle]

Disclaimer: Any of my partners has more reason to complain about me than I do about them.

One thing that really bugs me (and it's happened a few different games): I'm working with a veteran official in a lower level game. In our pre-game he says, "Don't put the ball in play until I've gotten to my position and we've made eye contact." Then on violations in the back court where he becomes the new lead, he jogs slowly (or worse, strolls) up the floor. Meanwhile, everybody else in the building is staring at me wondering why I'm just standing there not giving the ball to the thrower.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle


Meanwhile, everybody else in the building is staring at me wondering why I'm just standing there not giving the ball to the thrower.

And this is a problem because.....??

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

And this is a problem because.....??

Rub those balls. . .

[Woodee]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle
Disclaimer: Any of my partners has more reason to complain about me than I do about them.

One thing that really bugs me (and it's happened a few different games): I'm working with a veteran official in a lower level game. In our pre-game he says, "Don't put the ball in play until I've gotten to my position and we've made eye contact." Then on violations in the back court where he becomes the new lead, he jogs slowly (or worse, strolls) up the floor. Meanwhile, everybody else in the building is staring at me wondering why I'm just standing there not giving the ball to the thrower.

BITS,
I feel you on this. Everyone is watching and wondering what the hell!! When I see my partners do this I do a resumption of play. I know its not correct but it usually lets them know turn around, here we come.

Similar to this, for the first time I'm calling in a youth rec league and one of the by-laws is to sub at the 4 minute mark in the first 3 quarters and ITS the REF'S responsibility to see the time and stop play. My partner is a vet in this league and has called b-ball for years but isn't a student of officiating. I politely ask him to have the timer blow the horn when we reach 4 minutes rather than us stop play because we have to take our eyes off the court. He disagrees, so we went on. Well in the third quarter we are subbing and I go over to the table with the players and remind them about their shirts and my partner on the other end of the court administers a throw-in with 5 players on the side line along with ME. I was pissed at him and the stupid sub rule. We really looked DUMB!!!!

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Rub those balls. . .

I knew I could depend on you!

Happy New Year!

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Woodee
Originally posted by Back In The Saddle

I feel you on this. Everyone is watching and wondering what the hell!! When I see my partners do this I do a resumption of play. I know its not correct but it usually lets them know turn around, here we come....

Take this in the spirit it's intended but why do you care if everyone is watching & wondering what the hell?

Who runs the game? You, or everyone else?

...and my partner on the other end of the court administers a throw-in with 5 players on the side line along with ME. I was pissed at him and the stupid sub rule. We really looked DUMB!!!!

Wha? Isn't this what you said you do to your partners when you've decided you're ready to put the ball in?

Bottom line: wait for your partner to be ready before putting the ball in. It's very easy to do.

[Edited by Dan_ref on Jan 2nd, 2004 at 12:03 PM]

[Woodee]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

Take this in the spirit it's intended but why do you care if everyone is watching & wondering what the hell?

Who runs the game? You, or everyone else?

Wha? Isn't this what you said you do to your partners when you've decided you're ready to put the ball in?

Bottom line: wait for your partner to be ready before putting the ball in. It's very easy to do.

[Edited by Dan_ref on Jan 2nd, 2004 at 12:03 PM]

Dan,
Have you been in this position, you are looking down court, looking down court, looking down court and the entire place is wondering why you will not give the ball to a player?

Regarding the inbound with only 5 players and 1 Ref, NOOOOO, I definitely wouldn't do that. It suprised me that he didn't look for me or players.


Also, HOW LONG DO YOU WAIT??? Please assist.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally posted by Dan_ref
Take this in the spirit it's intended but why do you care if everyone is watching & wondering what the hell?

Who runs the game? You, or everyone else?

I have to admit, the first couple of times this happened, I was very self-conscious about it. The game had a pretty good flow to it. And I was holding it up for what I felt was no good reason. I felt like every eye in the place was on me and they were all waiting impatiently. I got over it.

After that, I was just grumpy because my partner is holding up the game--for no reason other than he can't be bothered to show a little hustle. They call the mechanic the bump and RUN for a reason. There are eight players at that end that have hustled to get into position...and are waiting. The pair waiting to execute the throw-in are itching to get the game going...and are waiting. The folks who came to watch the game...are waiting. I am waiting.

As officials, we may run the game, but nobody came to watch us. And they certainly didn't come to watch us lolly-gag up the floor. It disrupts the flow of the game. It provides preventable dead ball time in which somebody can do or say something stupid. And it makes those of us who do hustle grumpy.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Woodee

Dan,
Have you been in this position, you are looking down court, looking down court, looking down court and the entire place is wondering why you will not give the ball to a player?

Regarding the inbound with only 5 players and 1 Ref, NOOOOO, I definitely wouldn't do that. It suprised me that he didn't look for me or players.


Also, HOW LONG DO YOU WAIT??? Please assist.

I wait until the entire crew - which includes the table - is ready to go. I don't care how long it takes.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle

...but nobody came to watch us.

Fact remains we are part of the game, and we are responsible for controlling the game.

And they certainly didn't come to watch us lolly-gag up the floor.

I'm not there to meet the expectations of the fans. The game does not restart until I'm ready. And I aint ready until the crew is ready.

It disrupts the flow of the game. It provides preventable dead ball time in which somebody can do or say something stupid. And it makes those of us who do hustle grumpy.

The flow is already disrupted. It does no one any good if you hurry the ball back in play because you're concerned someone might say or do something stupid. And frankly if you're gonna put the ball in play before I'm ready because you don't think I'm hustling enough I'm gonna blow it dead and we'll do it again.

BITS, you may think I'm making a big deal out of nothing but this is a huge, huge deal. More preventable problems happen simply because the ball gets put in play before the crew is ready, and these are sometimes the types of preventable problems that people remember for years.