I posted this question on McGriff before I saw the 8 pages thread on "changing your partner's call". I assure you this question is not about what to do IF you saw it differently. Instead it is a question about whether or not you should be looking there in the first place.

Our high school group has an excellent official that believes that the Lead should always "know" if the attempt is a 3 or 2 when the shot is from the corner. He can do this periphally. I have tried it and I can't. My question is this something we should be advising the lead? Shouldn't he/she be more concerned about post play? Players checking cutters? Displacement of positioned players?

I guess I really want to know if you agree that the lead should always "know" if it is a 3 or a 2 when shot from the corner. If so, why? If not, why?

I don't agree, b/c when I work 3-whistle, it's almost always NCAA men's games. That's what I'm used to and I think they make a lot of sense.

If you can see the foot location with your peripheral vision, that's great. But if you can't, then I don't think it makes a lot of sense for you to divert your attention from the post where 2-6 players are about to jockey for position.

If you work pro mechanics or NCAA women's mechanics (which amount to almost exactly the same thing), then you're told that the Lead has responsibility for the 3-point shot in his/her corner. I think that's dumb, personally. It requires 2 people to shift their field of vision (Lead shifts to corner, Trail shifts to post), instead of just one person (Trail shifts to corner, Lead remains with post). But that's how they do it.

In any case, as I said, if you can see it without shifting your field of vision, great. If not, let the Trail handle it and don't worry about it.

Mulk,
"Always" implies a responsibility.
"Probably" (which I prefer) implies a likelihood, or possibility.

There are a lot of dead times/spread times in some games, when a Lead's eyes may wander toward the ball in a partner's primary, but I would not recommend a focus out there.

I agree with Chuck.
mick

Two-person crew or three?

Z

Zebra,

3 person. Sorry.

Mulk

that said, I'll bet that mulk already knows whether it's a three or not greater than 86% of the time

OK, I'll bite. Why 86% of the time?

You cannot always know what is going on in or near you partner's area. But if there are no competitive match ups going on in your area, you could have knowledge of where a shot is taken. You do not always have post play or cutters in 3 person. Many times there is nothing going on in the post.

A D1 Men's Final Four official told me the last two years at his camp that the Lead should have an idea of shots in the corner and what kind of contact is made on the shooter. Not sure he was referencing whether the shot was a 3 or not, but he did suggest you should be aware of contact. He has much more experience than I do, so I will take his word for it. I have learned to broaden my coverage as a lead and it really has not conflicted with other responsibilities.

Peace

Good post. So, sometimes it is okay to know if nothing is going on in the post? Reckon that is 86% of the time?

If A1 moves a step forward, he's in your area -- you should (generally, depending on what else is happening) watch A1 and the ball.

How do you know whether A1 is in your area? You use your peripheral vision.

If you know whether A1 is in your area, you know when he's not -- and it's a three-point shot

For the Lead in the normal flow of a game (2-whistle or 3-whistle), I encourage moving parallel along the baseline with the ball {focus remaining on the big bodies).
Ball wide --> Lead wide.
Ball in Paint --> Lead at lane.

With this movement, peripheral vison for that foot on the line is made easier.

This sounds like what we were taught this summer at camp. For women's.

Well, for women's mechanics, it's crucial to use that "mirror" movement, b/c in the women's system, the Lead is responsible for the 3-point shot in his/her corner. So you have to see it. To do that, you almost have to be wide, unless you're willing to turn your whole body to see it.