Situation #3 this weekend.

3 seconds left in the game. Team A leads by 1. Hits two free throws to increase the lead to 3 points. Team B takes the ball for a full court inbounds, needs a three to tie. The girl, about to inbounds the ball from the baseline, fully steps onto the court leaping forward with the other foot no longer over the throw in area (i.e. both feet are over the court inbounds. The foot touching the court had about 12-18 inches of paint behind it. I called the violation. Team B hated the call of course. However it was real obvious and the team that was to play the next game had a player even comment that the girl was on the court. My partner could hear the comment from the other side of the court. The call was right. Should it have been made?

Sure. Why are you second guessing yourself?

Z

The FED is pretty explicit on this one too. See case book play 9.2.5. The "comment" says <i>"Whether or not there was defensive pressure or whether or not stepping on the court was inadvertant, it is a violation and NO judgement is required in making the call"</i>.

As Z said, don't second guess yourself.

Players that violate lose games, not the refs that call the violation that they saw. It isn't your fault if the player violates and you call it, it is your fault if they blatantly violate, you watch it, and don't call it because it is a close game. It isn't your job to feel sorry for the trailing team and give them a chance to win, it's your job to call what you see.

And on a full court pass attempt, the step clearly impacts the play. In most late minute plays where rushing causes a violation, the game situation is what caused a team to screw up - call it.

Thanks. You all made me feel better about that one. I made the call because it was right. But, it isn't the first call that I made that I wished I didn't have to. It brings heat and it's not my fault. That's our job.

It's unfortunate that we take heat for getting a call right. It's unfortunate that a player would make that mistake in such a situation, but they're kids, after all.

But you gotta make that call else you have no credibility as an official.

That's the value of this board -- we can affirm each other when we're right, and correct our errors, in a spirit of neutrality and concern for the game itself. That's why it's so important to have a mentor or two floating around in your life, so that you can get the appropriate affirmation and correction as needed.

Rainmaker: Luv your new tag-line.:D

Thanks, although I wish I knew what it meant!

Oh, just something us statues like to say.

Any call that is correct and deserves to be called in the first minute of play also should be called in the last minute of the game. The call is right so make it!