One-man officiating

[Jimgolf]

I've done a lot of one-man at the youth level. At this level, the parents are happy to see their kids running up and down the court, so there isn't too much grief fom the coaches and fans. For the most part, you're an instructor as much as you're a referee.

With kids over 12, you really need a partner to control the game. There is too much action and the players are catching on to what they can get away with. Rec leagues in particular are filled with players whose minimal knowlege of the game is from watching the NBA, so you're sure to spend much of your time getting yelled at for no particular reason.

One man officiating is not a job for a beginning ref. The quickest way to learn is from working along side an experienced official. What you end up doing is re-inforcing your errors instead of having them corrected.

On the good side, you'll learn your game management skills without risking future employment, since I hope you won't get rooked into this arrangement again. Mo pay and high abuse is a sure recipe for burnout.

[stan-MI]

If you find yourself working alone, work table side. When you're not blocking their view, you'll see the game from the same angle as the coaches. It also saves some steps.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by actuary77
Have any of you agreed to officiate a game by yourself (i.e. one-man crew)? Or have you been part of a league where all the games only had 1 referee for one reason or another (e.g. budgetary constraints)? If yes, what were the challenges you faced? Any advice?

If you haven't, would you agree to such an arrangement? Why or why not?

I did one league about 4 years ago. You cannot adequately officiate a basketball game by yourself, so I really did not care what I missed. I just officiated the best I could and moved on. If they did not like the job I did, then they should hire another official. In this particular league, they later hired another official for all the games. I used the opportunity as a workout experience and hustled my behind off to see all I could. I did not stick to one side of the floor or try to subscribe to a specific mechanic. My hustle spoke for itself and I feel I got most calls right and the ones I did not I really did not care.

After two years of that, they hired a second official. I still worked the league and all things worked out.

Peace

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Originally posted by stan-MI
If you find yourself working alone, work table side. When you're not blocking their view, you'll see the game from the same angle as the coaches. It also saves some steps.

I'm thinking that blocking their view might be a good thing. But from the sounds of this league... there probably is no formal coach... just a bench of out of shape sluggards, blathering idiocies at you.

And for no pay !!!??? Your teancity and fortitude are greater than mine.

If they become more intense as players and are expecting more out of you, then I would try my best to call a very tight game... possibly assuming certain actions were fouls despite your inability to properly position yourself to see 'everything.' If someone out there thinks it was a foul, it probably was. Call 'em. Makes for a longer game time-wise but a shorter game complaint-wise.

[Goose]

Having done more one man games than I care to admit, I can tell you that along with these suggestions, develop a system and try to stick with it. Main thing is, you will miss some calls so resign yourself to that, and don't try to cover every single spot on the floor. It's just not possible. If a team bangs the ball inside repeatedly, then you might have to adjust your positioning just as you would if you have two teams throwing up a bunch of 3's, which IMO is the best thing you could want in a one man game, apart from two teams playing zone and throwing 3's. That is the best possible situation for a one man crew IMO.

As was previously stated, some work table side and some do not.

If you want another opinion, I prefer opposite side for the following reasons.

1. It gets you away from the coaches and their constant chatter about missed fouls etc. At least if you are opposite side, in order to throw a T on a coach, he will have to broadcast it across the court and in turn let the whole gym know his feelings. The further away I can be from the coach, the better I am IMO. Hey, I'm busy enough, so why do I need any more worries listening to coaches bend my ear.

2. Secondly, and probably more important is I like being opposite because I can then keep the entire table in view. Subs are easier to let in, and if there is a problem with the timer or scorer, I have them in full view 95 percent of the time. I'm not a big fan of working with your back to the table. Bad things seem to happen behind my back!!

As was stated earlier, I tend to work FT line to FT line with a few exceptions. If the ball is kicked out on the baseline and you are staying at that basket, put the ball in play from the baseline and gradually work your way out to FT line extended. In this way, with the ball being put in play under the hoop, you will be able to catch any quick foul near the basket as most teams try and run plays to get an easy basket under the hoop.

On foul shots if shooting 2, I like to administer from the baseline, then on the 2nd shot, or on any shot where the clock will start on a miss, administer directly to the shooter and back out to foul line extended. This was the old mechanic, and I find it works well on these shots because it puts you into a good position to reverse direction if there is a long rebound by the defense or a quick outlet that causes a break in the opposite direction. Not to mention that again, you will be facing the table and can catch any activity other there.

Lastly, although I don't really like working by myself, I have found that some of what I believe are my better jobs have come from working by myself. I have found that my concentration level is enhanced to a greater degree when working by myself. There's something about being by yourself on a deserted island and you are fighting for survival. There is no one to lean on in this situation, so you are an island unto yourself.

good luck...keep your eyes open and ears shut, except to hear the horn of course!

goose

[IowaMike]

I would never agree to do a game that I knew ahead of time I would be working alone. Unfortunately, I have been forced to work alone on several occasions when my partner didn't show up. The first time was on the 3rd night of my officiating career, four 6th-7th boys Catholic league games in a row. Around here the Catholic league is notorious for the poor behavior of its fans, coaches and players. Others here are correct in saying that the coaches and fans won't give you any slack. They couldn't care less if you are alone. I gave out 5 T's that night and ejected one player, all well deserved. I always work opposite the table for the same reasons as Goose stated and work what I would call a very active trail position. I have had to work alone on probably four or five other occasions since then and it is generally always a miserable experience. Most of the public school districts around here pay you the fee for both officials if you work alone, but it still isn't worth it in my opinion. Working alone probably does force you to work on your game management skills, but if you did it too much I think it could get you into some other bad habits mechanics wise.