Had a brain fart a couple weeks ago and lost my focus for a split second and it bit me.

I was trail, ball came flying from below free throw line towards mid court. Player A1 (offense) tips the ball before it goes to back court. Enter brain fart. Where did the ball come from? Was it a throw in, or from on the court? Over and back if from team A on court, or no call if from a throw in. I blew the whistle and sold it as o/b. Should I show that I was sleeping on that play and gone to ask partner the situation? Or just try to sell the call as I did? Does this ever happen to you more experienced refs? Or is this a newbie thing only?

Of course! Anyone who tells you otherwise (from rec ball all the way up to D-I or NBA) is lying.

With me - unless I've seen the whole play and am 100% sure it's a backcourt violation, I'm not calling it. If the coach questions, I apologize for not having a great view of the whole play, and we move on.

It happens to everybody from time to time. I think it happens more when you are less experienced - player, ref, coach. It doesn't matter. Each role requires a level of focus if you are going to perform effectively.

When you are new, you have to concentrate on things that are second nature to a more experienced person (in general - of course there are those who never learn!). So you lose focus for a second, and you miss something that is obvious to an experinced and skilled person. And the more experienced person is kicking themselves for not having caught an aspect of the game that you aren't even ready to engage. Because the other truism is that every level has higher expectations, so you can still screw up, you just do it on a different level!

That is why "call the obvious" resinates so well.

Just do not have one on the really big plays and situations. You can mess up on the little playes and get away with it.

Peace

It happens to everyone, last year i was doing a game, and while A1 was bringing up the ball in the backcourt, i made eye contact with the table crew to make sure everything was ok as they were relatively inexperienced becuase i thought nothing was going to happen.

A1 double dribbled, but because i didn't see it I couldn't call it, and i happened right infront of B's bench, and the coach really didn't like it.

But anyways there's my story, the main thing i learned from it is to only check on the scorers during a dead-ball, as anything can happen.

Personally, I would have no problem going over to my partner and asking for help. If he/she said I got it right, no sweat. We inbound and go. If he/she said it was from a throw-in, I just go tell both coaches briefly and we give the ball back to team A. IMHO, you gain credibility by getting it right. Not only that, most coaches don't know the rule and it wouldn't hurt to educate them anyway.

Z

Z, I'm with you on this. You've blown your whistle, the balls dead, ain't no one going anywhere. Get the call right. Go to your partner (hopefully he can help out) confer, get the right call. And as Z said, quick explanation to coaches and get the ball back in play. As everyone has indicated: "It happens". What you want to always do is learn from "it" when "it happens".

Here is an example of the ultimate in losing focus. A few years ago during a JV game I was the lead during a 1 and 1 foul situation. I lost focus and thought we were shooting 2. The first shot went up, missed, and I stepped into the lane and wound up with the ball to the surprise of all the players. My solution was simple: I went to the table to make sure that it was recorded into the official book that I had gotten a rebound and then I went to the arrow to continue the game. I did manage to get some chuckles.

It's always appreciated when the refs help out the stat crew on the weird ones. :p

Technically, though, I think it would be a dead ball rebound to the team with the arrow.

Personally I don't think it's a good idea to confer with your partner on this particular call from a game management point of view. I think it's better to sell the over and back call or go with an inadvertant whistle. If you confer with your partner on this one, it will, unless you have a great rapport with the coaches, simply lead to more requests to "ask for help." On an out of bounds call, no problem, but once you blow any other foul or violation, I think you've gotta go with the call or the inadvertant whistle. Besides, if you clearly blew the call, your partner can then come in and offer help, which gives the appearance of officiating as a team rather than spotlighting the guy who lost focus. But the best advice simply is that if you're not sure, don't blow the whistle.

You seriously think it's better to try to Bull#*%& your way through it rather than get it right? Swallow the pride a little, get it right, make a quick explanation to the coaches, learn from it and move on. Why is an out of bounds call any different from any other foul or violation? If you know (or think) you boned it, go get help. That's why they call them "partners."

Z

No, I don't think that at all, I just think that if you don't know for sure if you have a violation, then you don't blow the whistle and if you do blow it, then you've got an inadvertant whistle or you've got to come up with some sort of call. Imagine what would happen if your mind wanders and you think you have a travel and, without making a call, you run over to your partner and ask if the play was a travel. You'll never hear the end of it. The difference on OOB calls is that either of the two teams could have violated and a violation definitely took place. Guessing on a call is never preferable, in my opinion, on OOB calls, ask for help, then go to the arrow if it's not available, but on occasions of a quick whistle, if you're not sure what you've got, I say you have to go with the inadvertant whistle.

I had that situation come up twice. First time was boys JV. The second was Girls under 9. The second time was an easier rebound. First time I almost got killed.