Was just reading the post about favorite places to work and about running over a coach and I thought of something.

In the varsity game I did the other night the home team down or tied (it was a close one) they get the steal I become lead hustling to stay infront of play as I just about the base line I glance just in time to see a girl useing me like a screen she was almost running on the endline and the pass almost hit me and as I tried to get out of the way I got in the way of the girl tring to catch the pass ball goes oob. I gave the other team the ball, coach goes nuts says I was in the way, I know I was in the way but I'm part of the floor right just like a baseball ump.

Was I right or should have I handled it different?

Glind: If your struck by the ball (even if your in the way) and it goes ob. The last person to touch the ball is the violator and the other team gets the ball. I thought the reason we were in stripes was so players would know were not team members!?

Glind

I have had problems with this too, and always feel like a real giraffe-- awkward and strange looking. When you figure it out, let me know, cause I need help!

I think it's got something to do with anticipating where
the ball and the play's gonna be going next.
When I started out I got in the way also but now not
as often. And when I do get in the way now I know
it's because the team is not well coached. ;)

I think it has to do with your positioning on the court as trail. The trail needs to move a lot. When the ball is in the center of the court, the trail should be nearly on the sideline. When the ball is on the far side of the court, the trail needs to move off the sideline *and back*. The trail basically follows the arc of the three-point line, from about 6' behind it. Since you're at the sideline when the ball is on your half of the court, you shouldn't get run over much. This means you can work deeper as trail then you could if you stay off the sideline. Also, if you're on the court, remember to run in kind of a C pattern to get back to the lead (move toward the sideline as you run down, then swing back in to the lead spot). IF you run straight down the court, it will be tough to look over your shoulder, and tough to stay out of the way.

Experience, or not
 

This week I had two games where, in each game, I had an errant pass miss the receiver and come straight at my lower waist-line. In both cases, a slight spread of the knees allowed the ball to go under and out. One fan said he thought one was a pretty good move ;)
mick

Bob

Thanks for the great description on trail movements. I have done numerous evaulations of newer officials and this is always one of my most talked about areas of concerns.

Two things i would add are:
1. that i try to have the trail official work into the middle of court more when they are proceeding from the back court to the front court (along the volleyball court sidelines if they exist.)and not along the side line.

2. I try to get the trail official to take 1-2 steps down and wide on every shot attempt. In high school i'm amazed at the number of times i have seen 8 or 9 players rebounding and the trail official standing outside the 22 foot mark. My personal theory is that the trail should almost be acting like the center official in a three person game on rebounding activity.

Thanks again

SH
keep smiling

Thanks for the advice. I had a lot of trouble with this last winter and I have done a lot of work over the summer and fall to anticipate the fast break better, and to step "out and down" on the shot. (on my camp tapes you can hear the evaluator over and over again, "Out and down on the shot") This season I thought things were going better until the last game before glind started this thread. In that game, about one minute in, I was sprinting down court to stay ahead of the ball, looking back over my inside shoulder, and missed a player by about a hair. "Rats, I thought I was doing better" and on with the game. One minute later, I actually hit him! same player. So the next time I was on trail at that end, I watched for a second before I took off to new-lead, and sure enough one player was heading off to the far corner as soon as the shot went up. He would just take off and then dawdle around down there in case he could set up to receive the long bomb. So next dead ball, I said to him quietly, "Listen if you're not actually receiving a pass, could you sort of step out of my way and let me down below the base line" and he did everytime, like a perfect gentleman! He even tipped off his substitute to watch for me too! I lucked out in that game, but I need to pay more attention to this until it becomes more automatic for me.

Some good advice I got early in my career was to use the lines, to ensure I was out of the way. Most floors have the volleyball court over the basketball court. I was told to never find myself inside the volleyball lines. It helps you stay wide, until you get the feel where to be.

Don't worry about...
 

whether or not you're going to "get beat" if you're working 2-man. EVERYONE gets beat once in a while when working 2-man mechanics.

I sometimes get beat because I move UNDER the FT line extended when the ball goes up. It helps me get a great angle when watching for "over the back". However, doing this opens me up to getting beat (mostly in boys' games, not girls') on a fast break. If I know this is going to happen, I just anticipate what spot I need to be in order to get THE BEST LOOK I can get when the fastbreakers go up for the shot. It almost always works out. I believe the coaches want/expect you to help out on the "over-the-back" calls more than they want/expect you on the baseline for every fastbreak.

If you cheat low, and get "beat" like I do, it is best to maintain good positioning on that break. If I know I can't beat 'em to the baseline, I will hang back so that I can "look through" the players. This way I will see any contact, and I won't be screened by one of the players. I treat it just like being the trail following the ball up the floor.