No Precision Time? HS Mechanics?

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
Why then has it not been used in college games for years? Why is it when I go to college camps I hear clinicians correct people for using the mechanic?

Why do we need to be different in something so basic? Why should I worry about how to call a ball out of bounds Monday vs. Tuesday?

Rich,
I am probably not the most qualified person to answer these questions. (Since I am not currently a college official.) However, like everyone else I have an opinion. I believe that it started with people just forgetting to put their hand up at the college level and then they started to justify it by saying that it looked better on TV to just point or something like that. Maybe it started a trend or a follow the leader thing. "If that's what the top guys do, that's what I should do too."
As you know so much of officiating today at the NCAA level concerned with the appearance on TV. Looking good has practically overtaken calling a good game. Image, ego, style, etc. are all part of the reason that many mechanics are being dropped or changed at the NCAA level.
Look at how many guys use closed fists on their hips for a block call. They say it looks stronger.
Bottom line, I think it is all purely cosmetic BS. JMHO

[Rich]

Originally posted by Nevadaref

Rich,
I am probably not the most qualified person to answer these questions. (Since I am not currently a college official.) However, like everyone else I have an opinion. I believe that it started with people just forgetting to put their hand up at the college level and then they started to justify it by saying that it looked better on TV to just point or something like that. Maybe it started a trend or a follow the leader thing. "If that's what the top guys do, that's what I should do too."
As you know so much of officiating today at the NCAA level concerned with the appearance on TV. Looking good has practically overtaken calling a good game. Image, ego, style, etc. are all part of the reason that many mechanics are being dropped or changed at the NCAA level.
Look at how many guys use closed fists on their hips for a block call. They say it looks stronger.
Bottom line, I think it is all purely cosmetic BS. JMHO

I think the fists look stronger too. It's all part of the package.

The problem I have with the hand up is actually a simple one -- too many officials don't know which hand to raise to give the out of bounds signal (there is a proper hand that makes the signal look good). Other officials will raise their hands and call out the color and not point (which is really frustrating for a partner).

I give it 3 years and our mechanics will be almost identical to college mechanics. The birddog was put in its proper place last year and we only need two more things -- going tableside in 3 and getting rid of the "stop clock" signal on an out of bounds.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Rich Fronheiser
I give it 3 years and our mechanics will be almost identical to college mechanics. The birddog was put in its proper place last year

Maybe it's just me, but I've been seeing a whole lot of bird-dogging in the tournament. I don't do it anymore, but these "big dogs" sure seem to!

[Rich]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Maybe it's just me, but I've been seeing a whole lot of bird-dogging in the tournament. I don't do it anymore, but these "big dogs" sure seem to!

The older guys are -- yes. I wonder how many of them do it during the regular season too, yet there are enough younger officials mixed in to make it less noticeable.

I don't have a problem with stopping the clock first -- but just like the birddog it could be made optional. I've seen some NCAA officials stopping the clock and most not stopping the clock -- the world hasn't ended because its being done a little differently once in a while.

--Rich

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Mar 25th, 2004 at 10:54 AM]