I am giving a "preventative officiating" presentation to our local association this weekend and would love input from the forum members. Please share the preventative officiating tips that you use which have been beneficial in your games. Anything from the time you step on the floor at the 15:00 minute mark until you leave the floor at the end of the game.

Thanks in advance,

Z

I tell all new officials that ask..don't say what you see when they are trying to do Preventative Officiating. (e.g don't say hands, don't push, knee) because it brings attention to the very thing your trying to get them to stop.
Heaven help the official if the coach hears it and his player is the one being pushed etc.. I tell them to use the word easy or careful. Every now and then I get a player that comes to me and say are you talking to me or him. I say both.

Just my 2 cents

I'll put my two cents in. I think that we talk way too much to players now (referring to live ball situations). If you call a three seconds early (if it's there) or an off ball pick (illegal) or a block/charge situation, you establish the tempo of the game. You have established that these things will be called early and most likely you won't have to call them late.

On dead ball situations: I take every opportunity to talk to players about things I see. Just letting them know you are watching is enough to get some to stop whatever they may be doing.

Hope this is a start!

Thanks so far guys. Much appreciated.

What I'm really looking for is <b>specific </b>things you do to be preventative.

For example:

Going to the table at the 12:00 minute mark before a game to give yourself two minutes to correct any book problems to avoid starting the game with an administrative T.

Reminding the defense of the throw-in plane on a throw-in to prevent them from reaching through the plane.

Notifying the coach when he/she is out of time-outs to prevent them from taking that extra time-out which results in a T.

Stuff like that.

Chuck, Tony, Rut, Mark, Jurassic etc. With all your experiences, you must have a few tips. A lot of our officials have 5 years of experience or less so these preventative tips don't have to be too deep. I'm sure there are many obvious ones that I'm not thinking of.

Thanks!

Z



[Edited by zebraman on Jan 13th, 2004 at 11:38 AM]

Preventing Officiating
 

" Reminding the defense of the throw-in plane on a throw-in to prevent them from reaching through the plane. "

Channel surfing the other night, I saw ".03 to glory." It recounted the 1972 USA - USSR basketball game in which the USSR had 3 tries to win the game. On the last try, the baseline official reminded the defense of the throw-in plane on a throw-in to prevent them from reaching through the plane. So the USA player, not understanding French, moved 3 YDS off the baseline allowing the throw to be made without defense.

One does have to be careful not to give one side or the other an advantage.

As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Moving your hand up and down the imaginary plane is the universal language. :-)

And wouldn't one expect US players in the Olympics to know the throw-in plane rule regardless of the language? Unless the ref told the player to back up 3 yards (in a language the player understood) the official certainly didn't give any advantage.

Z

I do each of these. But to be honest, I don't do a lot of other "preventative" things. I'm more along Kev's lines. You want to prevent handchecking? Call one in the first 90 seconds of the game. The coach will either tell his player it's a good call and cut it out, or s/he will moan to you: "You're going to call that?!?" To which you reply "All night, Coach".

At a recent CBOA meeting, Tom Lopes said to us something along the lines of. . . "After all these years of officiating, I finally figured it out. I finally figured out how to have smooth games. First two minutes of the game: handcheck on this end, handcheck on that end, 3-seconds. After that, they keep moving and keep their hands off each other."

I will give some tips. There could be more but I do not want to overwelm you with stuff. If you need me to elaborate, just ask.

<b>Pregame</b>

1.Go to the table at 12:30 to check the book.
2.Do not fall asleep and look at the cheerleaders--watch what the players are wearing or doing.
3.Watch the players warming up closely, you might figure out who the shooters are and who the bangers are.
4.Watch the moves that the players are making--they might be illegal.

<b>Start of the game.</b>

1.Make sure you direct the players in the right direction.
2.Talk out of fouls if you can.
3.Call the handchecks, screens (moving :D) and any delay warnings early so you do not have to make those calls late in the game or that it will not be a surprise if called at a tough spot.


<b>Timouts and Between periods</b>

1.Do not get too close to the table (do not give a chance for cheap shots by coaches and players)
2.Good time to talk with partners if you need to.
3.<b>Always</b> communicate situation after the timeout--run the baseline, how many shots, who is shooting for example.


<b>Halftime</b>

1.Do not be in such a hurry to switch the arrow or get your jackets at the table--Make sure coaches clear (cheap shot issue again)
2.Do not hang around, go to the locker room ASAP.
3.Discuss in locker room any situations that need to be discussed--Get on same page.
4.Be positive and not accusitory in the lockerroom--Ask questions like, "what did you see at 2:15 in the 1st quarter."

<b>Second Half</b>

1.First half is over, have a better half (more remembered in the second than the first)
2.Talk more near the end of the game with partners--last second shot, who has how many fouls, is the coach been warned.
3.Do not officiate down to the level of play in a blowout--keep calling fouls if need be.


<b>End of the game</b>

1.Get off the floor, do not hang out--nothing good can happen at this point.
2.Leave the ball alone.
3.Silence cannot be quoted
4.Thank your partners no matter what happen in the game--you never know when you will work together again. Leave on a good note (refer to #3).
5.Do not be in a hurry to leave the locker room if you can--fans might be waiting to have their say.

You get the idea. Just things off the top of my head. Things I try to do every game to some extent. I think you have enough experience to fill in the blanks and elaborate on what these are and what to do.

Hope this can be helpful. Good luck in your presentation.

Peace

Lots of great stuff Rut. Thanks,
Z

I think the one thing I've tried to do that has prevented problems, is to stay awake and aware. Keep track of the situation, try to remind yourself what might happen next, check in with the table, talk to partner, be there now! When I don't do this, I'm almost always sorry.

FWIW, I never tell a coach how many time outs he has left. When the table tells me A has 1 or no more TOs I tell THEM to tell the coach.

Quote:

I do each of these. But to be honest, I don't do a lot of other "preventative" things. I'm more along Kev's lines. You want to prevent handchecking? Call one in the first 90 seconds of the game. The coach will either tell his player it's a good call and cut it out, or s/he will moan to you: "You're going to call that?!?" To which you reply "All night, Coach". At a recent CBOA meeting, Tom Lopes said to us something along the lines of. . . "After all these years of officiating, I finally figured it out. I finally figured out how to have smooth games. First two minutes of the game: handcheck on this end, handcheck on that end, 3-seconds. After that, they keep moving and keep their hands off each other."

Get a charge in the first 2 minutes and suddenly players hell bent on driving to the basket discover the 8 ft jump shot.

Isn't that one of your duties??

Rule 2 Section 11 Article 6

Record time out information charged to each team (who and when) and notify a team and its coach, through an official, whenever that team is granted it's final allotted charged time-out.

When a player is starting to run his mouth and what not and working on earning a 'T. Tell his coach - check on 33 for me he's about to get in trouble. You wouldn't beleive the response you get from the coach if you do it quietly and almost "friendly" I do it for any team any coach. I'd rather his coach eat his butt than me give a T then get his butt eat. Even if he deserves it does a number on his esteem.

Tonight partner told 23A to let us call the game and 23 turned around and my partner said "I'm not putting hte ball in play until you acknowledge me with yes sir." Kid said yes sir turned around and mumbled something. MY partner looked at him i nodded. I was T table side and said "Hey coach, 23s about to get in trouble, might wanna talk to him. I'd have to give a T for what hes doing when yall have a 30 point lead." He said thanks I'll get him. next trip down white calls time out. I said sub can come on in and the coach said he's for 23. I said thank you sir. After the game as my partner and I were walking to the locker room the coach and 23 approached us. 23 apologized for his actions and thanked us for not calling the T but rather telling his coach. His coach then said thanks again and it was the end of it. When I get to the varsity level I think I'll be on thier pref. list :-D

Been there, done that.
 

Didn't we have this conversation before? ;)

Peace

Re: Been there, done that.
 

Yes we did, and I do not tell coaches how many TOs they have left. I might tell them how many I THINK they have left but I always tell them to ask the official book.