My first real game tommrow and I nervious as all heck. I know I am not going to sleep tonight haha, so I will probally read my rule book. Any suggestions? Any thing I should do or not do before the game? Any thing is welcome :)

Blow the whistle hard and use your voice.

Listen to every piece of advice your partner gives you.

and above all else HAVE FUN!!!! ;)

THis is your first game, just be normal and natural, use only the approved mechanics. You're younge and have lots of time to polish your game.

Oh ya, one last thing, never talk back to an evaluator, just smile and nod.

Brandan, thinking back to my first game (which was a freshman HS game), don't be afraid to blow your whistle on fouls. You will have a tendency of holding back due to first game jitters and thinking about how you are going to report the foul. Take your time and relax.

Also let your partner know this is your first game. He will help you. Maintain good eye contact with your partner at all times and don't put the ball into play until he/she is ready.

You may also have some double whistles. In those cases, go to your partner to discuss.

Good luck!

Don't be self-critical during the game. Wait until after the game to critique yourself. Be open to your partner's help, but don't think too much while you are out there.

Relax and react.

Have fun.

Good luck.

I have been working hard this summer bringing along some guys that I got into officiating this past season. My main thing that I am having trouble getting them to do is use their voice. There is no worse way to sell a good call than a weak whistle and no voice. Yet, the worst call in the world will be quickly forgotten if you have a strong whistle and a strong voice with it. Don't worry so much about pointing, bird-dogging, or reporting, just use your voice and nobody will know that you didn't point or put up the right numbers with your fingers. On out-of bounds calls, blow the whistle and say "WHITE" or whoever's ball it is, you won't have to point that way everyone will already know, and don't don't don't say 'off-white, blue'...

Make sure you get paid.

I still get nervous before games. Not necessarily a bad thing, it means you care about doing a good job. Hopefully when the ball is tipped, you will be able to focus on the job at hand.

I found some really simple things to be difficult in my first game like remembering which direction the teams were going in. The best piece of advice I have heard is to SLOW DOWN when reporting fouls, look at tour partner before in bounding the ball etc.... Not easy to slow down when you are starting out. Keep in mind, you are going to improve in leaps and bounds in those first few games, so don't be too critical of yourself.

Jay

Don't second guess every call you make. If you think you blew a call, just move on. Do your evaluating after the game by looking back at your overall performance. Ask yourself these questions:

1) did I hustle
2) was I in proper position as much as I could be
3) did I resist the temptation to use make-up calls if I felt I blew a call
4) did I work well with my partner

and most important....

5) did I allow the abilities of the respective teams to determine the outcome of the game

I remember someone at camp saying something about A*$ to the glass, could someone explain that to me?

I'll also add....


Slow down.

Once you do blow the whistle, no one is going anywhere until you indicate why you blew it. No need to hurry the communications (singals, voice, etc.). In fact, hurrying the communications is where easily preventable mistakes are made.

Hustle from spot to spot but take your time once you are there.

"Real"
 

Branden,

How is this your first "real" game and we are in the middle of July? Would you not have that experience sometime in November?

Peace

Nope, Summer League started Monday night down here and will run untill the mid of august.

I think you missed my point.

I realize that you might be working a summer league, but how is it a "real" game unless you are getting all dressed up in the proper uniforms?

A summer league atmosphere is quite different than a regular season game. You might not have a partner that even will switch properly or put the ball in the right place.

By all means hustle, work hard for angles and call the game properly. Just understand that you are more than likely are not going to have the same intensity or expectations of a game when the "real" season starts. So this is the place to make all the mistakes, get all the kinks out when the real season starts.

Peace

...or "White ball!"

The ball is not white.

The ball belongs to white.

Just say, "White!"

White's ball?

Personally, I like to hop up and down on one foot, while pointing over my shoulder and screaming " WHITE, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE....."

I think that there's a little NBA in everybody. :D

What i ment was, this is my first game that i will be doing that is not assoicated with a camp. Thats what i ment :-p

Hmmmm....so what do you do if it's red's ball?

Then it might be an even more relaxed atmosphere. Of course you will not have the instruction, but you will not have evaluators at every dead ball telling you what to do. Just stay focused. Call the game the best way you know how and most of all have fun.

Peace

Remember Leslie Neilsen in the Naked Gun? The scene where he played the baseball umpire, when Reggie was trying to shoot the Queen?

To answer your question, if I could, I'd do the splits just like Lt. Drebbin, get back up, and then moonwalk while I was hollering "R-E-E-E-ED!" How cool would that be?

Lt. Frank Drebbin- <i>"I like my sex the way I play my basketball- one on one, and with as little dribbling as possible"</i>.

BTW, I see you've been bothering the umpires again?

Keeping Mick busy.

BTW, I see you've been bothering the umpires again?

[/B][/QUOTE]Yeah, I'm 5 for 5 now. Four threads locked and the last one completely deleted. Still no answers either. Must be Rut's fault. That's the only thing I can think of.

As for mick, hey, he's a Little League umpire. He's used to the abuse.

Yeah, I'm 5 for 5 now. Four threads locked and the last one completely deleted. Still no answers either. Must be Rut's fault. That's the only thing I can think of.

As for mick, hey, he's a Little League umpire. He's used to the abuse. [/B][/QUOTE]

btw, see the EICFL's most recent words of wisdom?

If he aint careful he's gonna blow out a knee back-tracking like that.

LOL!!!
 

Peace

I see you have been giving Carl some hell.

Good Job my friend!!!

Peace

Re: LOL!!!
 

You know, Jeff, it might be funny if it wasn't so damn sad. I told HHH that if it would make him feel better, he could just head on over to McGriffs and call you some names there. I take a look at McGriffs later- and bedamned if he didn't go ahead and do exactly that. Couldn't bother responding to my concerns here, but he had plenty of time to go over there and crap on you again. And then someone here wants to sell me a subscription to read his sameold/sameold hatred and bile? Nah, don't think so.

He sure did.
 

The sad thing is I have no idea why he would even dislike me with such venom. I have never done anything to the man. I guess some people just like to rip people and not back up their claims.

Sad indeed

Peace

Hey - what happened to the point of this thread?

The same thing that happens to the points of lots of threads. It's been discuss-i-fied.

First game.. Went great the only thing i need to work on is my position. It we well for the most part. I remembered what every one said and had that going through my head for the game. Like is said positions is really the only thing i need to work on. :)

Jeez, I've been doing this for 12 years. I wish there was only one thing left for me to work on! ;) Dan, you want to give Brandon the full list?

Seriously, Brandon, glad it went well. Good luck in the future.

Don't bother me now I gotta go to mcgriff's

Me too.

Did you get paid?

Yes, I got paid. I did one game instead of 3. The only thing they only paid me $ drum roll please..........10 dollars.. O well i cant complain. When basketball(childrens leagues) starts in Sept I'll get more.