my very first scrimage ever was last night
 

Well, I have my very first scrimmage ever tonite at Canyon Springs High School here in Las Vegas from 4:30 to 6. Apparently there will be multiple games going on. I have another scrimmage tomorrow at Green Valley HS at 1 pm (I signed up for as many as I could get).

My understanding is there will be a senior official there who will watch and the refs will rotate in in 5 minute shifts (or so) and the senior guy will talk to you about what he saw, then put you back in. If there are enough senior guys they will run with us side by side. At this level it is all two person mechanics.

Also, a senior official who has been mentoring me will be there and is going to watch the scrimmage to help me out too.

I am so geeked to finally put the uni on under game conditions and blow the whistle under game conditions.

I'm sure I'll make 100 mistakes, but I know that and I am ready for that.

Wish me luck! :)

Clark

Good luck!

Good luck, Clark! You're doing the right thing by getting on the floor as much as you can. One suggestion, which you probably already know/plan on: ask around to find out which officials are really good and have excellent mechanics. Then, when you're not on the floor, watch those guys/gals. You'll learn a lot just by watching.

Enjoy!

Word of advice......

When you blow the whistle don't give it a wimpy exhale but be sure to put a charge into it. Be confident in your calls and "sell" it. Watched a state tournament game last night and one official appeared wishy washy and tentative at times simply because he did not have a good, loud blow.

Thanks for the well wishes and the advice. I'm sure I'll blow the whistle either way too loud or way to soft the first few times. Practicing in the garage isnt exactly the same as being in the gym full of people (well, players anyway).

I'm so geeked for this I cant really even concentrate on my work today.

I am meeting with a senior official who is my mentor for lunch to do what he considers a proper "pre-game". He doesnt want me learning bad habits early. I am, of course, very appreciative for that.

Clark

Have fun tonight! Remember that everything will seem like it is going 100 mile an hour. Do not be alarmed if this happens. Just relax and call what you see!

Clark,

Following up on what Robmoz said:
Strong whistle
Strong clear voice
Make your calls clear and deliberate - take your time & don't try to rush them
Same with mechanics - don't rush it, make them clear & deliberate

Most importantly:
Relax!
Don't forget to have fun!

Go get 'em Cowboy. With your attitude of humility and eagerness to learn, you can't help but do good. Listen up as it sounds like your mentor really wants to help you.

Clark, good luck tonight. Have fun and listen!

Good Luck! You'll be even more excited after you're done! I remember wanting to get right back out there and continue learning after my first game. Have fun! I echo the suggestion to not rush.... and whatever the evaluators have to say, never respond with a "yeah, but"

Clark, just hearing your excitement is making me smile. Good luck tonight. Enjoy. Got my first real game of the season tomorrow. I'm pretty excited too.

Let us know how it goes.

So I photocopied and laminated that really handy Technical Foul Penalty Summary chart fromo Page 73 of the rule book to keep in my back pocket.

Do any of you actually bring the whole rule book with you and keep it in your back pocket? I figured maybe the books were that small for a reason :)

Clark

Books
 

Good luck tonight! By now you are already in the mix. Hope everything is going good. You'll be fine. As far as the rules books I don't think anyone keeps them in their back pockets, however I do carry mine with me in my gear bag. And as far as the sheet goes, probably best to keep that with your rules book, if you're not sure of something ask the other official or look it up in between games or at half. Like everyone else has said be sure to report back on how everything went! Take care.

Never on the floor. Always in my bag for reference at halftime/postgame.

I suggest that you never pull out a rulebook or reference card to see what you should do about a call. Make a decision based on what you know. Make it confidently. When back in the locker room, look it up. If you got it wrong, you'll remember it better than relying on a reference card. If you got it right, you know it and don't need the card.

WOW.

That was a blast. I am totally addicted and cant wait for my scrimmage tomorrow (at 1 pm).

It was great. A senior guy and us 3 newbies did the Freshman boys game in the secondary gym (at a brand new school, the gym was great). 2 newbies were on the floor the whole time with the senior guy running with one of us and then changing to the other. We whistled it unless he wanted to step in to call something. The newbies alternated so there were always two pairs of officials--him and a newbie and then 2 newbies on the other side. One called, the otehr just ran to see angles and understand spacing and switching. It was really great.

We ran 5 quarters of 10 minutes each, but it was a running clock (though as officials we still did the stop clock and start clock signals, but the clock didnt start or stop).

Now I used to play ball so I found myself running a bit like a player--not straight up, but in a more athletic stance. It took me about 3 of the quarters to realize I didnt have to run that much and that frankly I shouldnt run that much. I can do less and see more. Sure, there is the occasional fast break that you have to bust it on but generally moving more slowly and deliberately seems much better and makes a big difference.

It also took me about 3 quarters to see anything other than a real narrow field of vision. By the end of the night my view was much wider. Heck, early on I was so woried about myslef and having my whistle in my mouth I was barely seeing on ball action let alone off ball action. I'm sure you all can relate :)

My best "call" of the night actually wasnt a call it was recognition of a time out. I say it is my best becaue finally I felt I was seeing more of the game--I actually noticed the coach. Blew the whistle. Stop clock signal. Move to center. "Timeout white," signal to bench, signal it was the coach, "coache's time" made full time out signal "full time out" indicated the scorer to start it. The senior guy said good job.

I found it hard to officiate the freshman kids since not a one of them was in good defensive postiion. It was so scrappy and hands are everywhere all the time. But the kids arent that big so even on contact, which there was a lot of, no one is getting hit hard. I found that hard to call. I guess that is controlled by your philosophy of how you call a game. I let a lot of contact go. The senior guy agreed it is hard to call the younger games and that the higher skill levels make it easier because the defense is better.

By quarter 3 I was ball watching less (still doing it, just not as bad). I particular I found it hard not to ball watch on transitions (not fast breaks where the ball is ahead but on rebounds or after made baskets where the ball is behind the other players coming up court) when I go from trail to lead and have to watch the players ahead of the ball. I really found myself looking back. I was bad at realizing a press. I found myself down too far and having to come back a bit.

I also had NO FREAKING CLUE about game awareness as to time or fouls. Now that didnt really matter in this game but I had no idea the time remaining, etc.

It also took me about 3 quarters to remember to look over for subs.

But I settled down, stopped running so much, was making good eye contact with my partner before throw ins etc.

Everyone on this board gave me lots of advice and I guess I heard it but didnt understand it until now. Some people said "pick one thing to work on." I thought I knew what that meant. But I didnt. Now I do. I totally see how helpful it is to say "tonite I am going to work on XXX." Tomorrow I am going to work on staying only in my area and on my hand going up with my whistle. I found myself blowing the whistle but not always getting an arm up right away with a stop or a foul indication. Those are my two things.

I felt good about my start clock signals on out of bouds. I dont think I messed up "boxing in," I think I was on the correct side every time. I chopped time in and was told I did a good 10 second count and good closely guarded counts (though paying attention to that kept me from calling a few things).

All in all I was happy with how I did and happy with the amount of attention and teaching I got from the senior guys and how willing they were to help. I stayed and watched the varsity scrimmage and a few senior guys sat with us newbies and said "ignore their positioning but see how they stand and their hand signals" and that was real helpful.

Anyway, I loved it and am totally hooked. :) Thanks for all the kind words.

I just really want to be good at this. I love seeing the kids play. They are so into it. They deserve an official that has the same fire. That really motivated me. To these kids these games are so important, even these scrimmages. I loved seeing them compete. And a couple kids came over and said thanks afterwards (including the two best players from one of the teams, which impressed me).

I'm a District Attorney, so I guess "community service" is in my makeup. Maybe I am being a dork, but I totally see this work as not only fun and athletic but a bit of community service too.

I just cant convey how much fun I had tonite.

BUT I also had an interesting experience. The last quarter an official came in late. Not a senior guy but not a newbie either. He just came right up, didnt say hi, didnt introduce himeslef, just butted right in and said "i need some work, i'm working this next quarter." we were all having fun being cool taking turns. everyone was new and we were all just trying to learn and make mistakes together and help each other out. everyone was real respectful (before this guy arrived), asking "hey you want to work this quarter and I'll run with you" and stuff like that. and then when this guy came in he was calling all over everyone reaching deep into the lane when he is trail and just being a tool. not talking to his partner. stop signing everyone. I didnt say anything because I am a new guy (and neither did the senior guy, though later he said that guy was a spaz). I'd rather just shut up. But my firend and I nicknamed this guy "cowboy" and I have to tell you I dont want to work with a guy like that. Just a hardass. Not helpful. Acting like its beneath him to run with newbies. Saying things like "you guys obviously havent called this tight, so I'm gonna show them 'I' wont let stuff go." OK stud, you go big fella.

Despite that, everyone else I met was great. And I saw a few guys who I thought were super sharp.

Thanks for listening to my newbie rant :)

Clark

Clark,

I loved reading your "rant." Sounds like you did great. You should congratulate yourself for seeing that time-out. I've seen second year officials who have a coach absolutely screaming at them for a time-out and they still don't notice.

Keep it up. It'll only get more fun (and addicting) as you move along.

Don't worry about the ref who showed up late. Most refs are great people, but there are always a few buttonheads.

Thanks,

Z

Clark welcome! It was exciting and refreshing to see the passion and fire from a "newbie's" eyes and heart. Pls post any questions you might have... everyone here loves seeing your type of passion and will do anything to help!

Ditto that, it's great to see the passion and the excitement. Your mind is definitely in the right place when it comes to officiating and wanting to work hard for the kids and have fun with your partners, and I'm sure you'll improve quickly with the dedication you have shown.

Regarding the "late guy" it's good to see that you are able to recognize the good officials who you saw and the bad official. Not all partners will be great partners and many might not share your passion and enthusiasm for the game (i.e. lazy guys), so it's good you're not discouraged by him. When you have a partner like that, just TCB and get out, and don't let that negative experience impact you. Good job and welcome.

Thanks for everyone's support and comments. I had a blast last night.

My next scrimmage is today at 1-3 PST at a real good local HS with a very good program so I expect even the freshman games to be a bit more clean and skilled than last night. But who knows.

I was surprised at the speed of the freshman game. It was faster than I thought it would be. No where near too fast of course, but it surprised me. I thought "I dont remember us running and pressing like this when I was a freshman."

So today in additon to calling and watching in my area I am focusing on getting my arm with signal (hand or fist) up quickly and also trying to get some game awareness--time on clock, subs, coach, etc.

Clark

You will run into a few idiots along the way, but keep in mind you can learn from EVERY official.

The good officials can show you the little things that help you get better.

The poor officials show you what does not work; what will retard your growth.

It's a lot more fun to be around and work with the good ones, but get something positive from the bad ones when you run across them. ;)

Way to go, totalnewbie!

Keep the cowboy in the back of your head. When you're having a bad day and a hard game and start to think that it just isn't worth it (and we all have those games occassionally), remember the cowboy. Tell yourself the game deserves better than that toad and get back to work :)

My second scrimmage (on saturday) was an improvement. I felt I picked up where I left off. My "field of vision" wasnt great, but it was where it was by the end of the first scrimmage.

I got lucky and got a real good crew of guys for this scrimmage and a senior observer who was real dialed in to what newbies need. He was real encouraging and super cool. We had 6 newbies so he platooned us in groups of two and rotated a new person in every 5 minutes. It was the same as yesterday, 4 10 minute quarters with a running clock. Then he talked with the guy he rotated out and said what he saw and what to work on.

I got lucky in that I worked the varsity game (we did 2 man because of the number of newbies, basically all newbies--6 did the varsity game and 6 did the freshman vs. JV game).

The varsity game was, to me, way easier to call than that freshman game. The freshman game was barely controlled chaos with players that werent in good position and hands where everywhere. The varsity game the skill level was way better, the defense was better, the position was better, it was way easier to see the contact for me. Does everyone else see it that way, or am I just being a newbie and not seeing the important stuff in the frosh games?

I blew the hell out of a call, but I got past it. I didnt dwell on it. :) I cant believe I did this. I called a foul on what appeared to be a shot attempt. But I got so fixated on persons and numbers that I frankly had no clue if he shot or passed. I looked to my partner for help, but I should hve that. He gave me 2 fingers, so I went and reported a shooting fowl, shooting 2. The blank look I got at the bench and from the players pretty much told me I tanked it. But I just kept on going. "white 32 on the arm, shooting 2" and went and took trail. It wasnt fair to look to my buddy, all he was doing was looking at me (he was another newbie) It wasnt cool of me to have him make the call for me on shooting or not. If I didnt see it I should have just called it on the floor. But my partner was cool. He spotted that I was in a jam, he made something up and I went with it. But when we were both of the floor he told me he didnt know what I needed from him. I think we both learned something. But it was my mistake that started it.

And I wasnt always getting my fist/hand up right with my whistle. But I would realize that and get it up a second later. I still find I go too fast when I am moving. I need to slow it down a notch and make sure I look slow on the court--relaxed and in control.

I got some nice words from the senior guy who was there reviewing us. He said I had a strong whistle and made quality calls. He pulled me aside and said he liked that, that most new guys call the silly stuff and let the big stuff slide. He said I saw the calls that needed to be made and got them in my area. Frankly, I think I was just luky that a few clear calls happened in my area.

I also felt good about how I communicated with my partner ("we got two shots, Dave") and getting to the table to report. I blew a travel call right in front of me. I whistled to end a quarter and signaled no shot (it was obvious) when I was lead and should have left that to my partner (I did it instinctively, the shot was under the basket and I had the look at it, but it still isnt my call, but I whistled it anyway cause my brain and my mouth arent totally working together yet :) ).

The supervisor asked me how I felt. I said I loved it. He said "I think you are ready to work one for real." That made me feel good. I know he doesnt mean I did everything right, I certainly didnt. I cant see doing stuff right even 90% of the time until I get a whole slew of games under my belt. I think I am going to volunteer for some weekend rec games just to get more time blowing the whistle. But it was nice to hear that, with a solid partner, he would feel comfortable putting me out there live (of course he could be saying that just to build me up and help me out, but I prefer to believe that he really means it :) )

He told me the two things he wanted me two work on where the things I noticed too: arm up with the whistle and slow it down a step. So those will be my next two things.

We have a meeting tomorrow and I think we will be able to sign up for more scrimmages before the games start for real.

Our assigner has a policy that guys who work scrimmages get first shots at real games so I want as many scrimmages as I can get--both to improve and to get some real games.

As a trial lawyer, I train our younger attorneys. There is no true substitute for trying cases. We can do mock cases all we want but until the bullets are flying and it counts for real, the experience isnt the same. It seems to be the same with officiating (and many other things in life). I cant wait to call some real games.

Another cool thing we did in the scrimmage was situational scrimmaging. They would put 10 seconds on the clock with one team down by 2, send a guy to the line for 1&1 and then play out the end of the game. Then they did some 4 seconds left end of game plays with throw ins and length of court stuff and quick time out or quick foul stuff. I am really glad I got to be in for soem of that. Awareness seems crucial. Knowing to expect a quick timeout so you can blow the whistle. Know to look for the long pass and crazy out of bounds situations. That was really useful.

Clark

blindzebra-

you're right. i did learn from cowboy. what i learned is that 90% of the guys i have met officiating (and girls) are super cool and everyone works together and no one ball hogs. but no need to be a dick back to him. just do my job. maybe talk to him at half time (had this been a real game). but i also saw how the senior guys looked at this guy. they said he was a spaz and was reaching way into other people's areas and trying to dominate the game. the senior guys were really talking about it.

contrast that to this younger guy who had just moved from california. he only had 3 years experience but he was sharp. even a total new guy like me could see it. and all the senior guys who were talking about cowboy were also talking about this guy--how sharp he was, how good he looked, how well he communicated. all the senior guys were pointing to him as an example. they told me something interresting, they said "see that guy. his mechanics are awesome. that is why mechanics are so important, because fans and coaches might not recognize sloppy mechanics, but good mechanics impress even non-officials (and he was right, because even a new guy like me was saying "wow this dude is in control of this game")" and then they said "he could be a real average official as far as the calls he makes, but his mechanics make him a real good one." they then went on to explain that the kid also made real good calls ("quality calls" as they called it).

so i noticed two things: 1. the senior guys definately are watching, and 2. i'd rather be talked about as a guy who is sharp than like cowboy who was a spaz and was reaching.

and to the credit of the senior guys, I saw the most senior guy go to cowboy and be real cool to him. they said "slow it down a bit, you are trying a bit too hard, you can call the game, just relax a bit and trust your partners (it was 3 man) to make their calls."

so they didnt just knife him in the back, they actually went to him and tried to help him.

clark

Clark,
I know that the SNOA is happy to have you. Glad you had such a good time this weekend on the court. When the real games start it is even more fun, if you can believe that. You have some excellent officials down there, if you watch them and ask questions you will improve very quickly.
We had our meeting today and got our first schedules. I have my first game this coming Saturday.

Shhh, don't tell our secret. Where I live, my partner and I usually show up about 60-75 minutes early for our varsity game. We sit and watch the JV game until the end of the third quarter, when we head in to dress. Many times I am grateful that my game will be a lot easier to call.

--Rich

Clark: Welcome to the world of officiating. I have been doing this for about 10 years and I can clearly remember my first scrimmage and how "scared" I was. We need people like you that have an enthusiam for the game. You seem to be someone that is willing to listen/learn and that is important. You will always find a spaz or 2, maybe even 3 or 4, but these individuals will generally not go very far because they don't want to learn and nobody wants to work with them.

I had my first scrimmage of the year this past Saturday. FG girls on 1 court and JVG on another running at the same time. Had VG after these 2 were over. We had 7 officials there and we just rotated in as needed. One of the guys had never worked 3-person and it was a definite learning experience for him. We run 3-person on all varsity games and on Saturday, we ran everything as 3-person. I have a VG scrimmage tonight. Our season (northern VA) kicks off on 2 Dec. Keep up the good work and I hope you have a great season.

clark,

one thing you can do to improve your mechanics and really sharpen them is to work in the mirror... Work on all your mechanics and use the mirror like you would the table. Then when you have to do them for real it is automatic.

And congrats on the improvment and being ready for the real deal. Have a blast!

We have two jobs, judgment and communication. To put it another way, what we call and how we call it.

Communication makes your judgment look better than it might really be. It is what makes or breaks game management, and it is what makes you a great partner to work with.

Whistle, voice, and crisp signals. Get those down and half of the battle is won.

Keep in mind that there will be some rough patches. You'll miss a call, mess up a rule, have a coach from hell; we all have gone through it.

Just remember how excited you were when you started this thread, when those times arrive. Learn from the bad, to make yourself better.

For all of the bad, the times you hear a, "Great job, ref," from a losing coach/player/fan more than makes up for it.

Keep plugging away.

Thanks for the words of advice and encouragement.

We just had our first assignment meeting and (in addition to the two scrimmages I signed up for) I was assigned an actual game this coming Saturday (freshman girls, sure, but hey its a game and its for real!).

My two scrimmages are Wednesday and Friday, which will be nice before my real game on Saturday.

Clark

Clark,

Congrats on the real game! Let us know how it goes.

Congrats Clark on your first game! You will be fine and I know this because reading your posts it certainly sounds like you've been working hard! As always, you've got to report back to us how everything goes Saturday! Happy Thanksgiving all!!! Take care.

T Jones

I will give a full report :)

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for the encouragement.

Clark

OK, so I worked my 3rd scrimmage ever tonite--and something crazy happened.

I would up working 3 man on the varsity scrimmage for the Palo Verde HS vs. Clark HS game. Palo Verde HS won the state championship last year.

It happened like this. I got there early. There was a 4 and a 6 pm game. I thought the early game was the frosh/JV games. But instead the 4 pm game was the varsity game.

Only 2 other officials showed up and it was clear that the coaches wanted 3 man and we were going to give them 3 man. I said "Hey, I hardly know 2 man, and I dont know jack about 3 man, but I am in if you need me." Well, they needed me and I wound up working the game.

It was a blast!

Of the other two officials, one was a senior guy (who was real cool), and the other was his son who had 2 years experience but had never worked 3 man, let alone 3 man on the most competitive and physically dominating team (a couple of the kids on PV were HUGE! At least 2 are going on to serious D1 ball next year).

On top of that, THE lead assigner (a guy named Rick Massey, super cool guy) showed up and another seniour guy (Vince) showed up, I guess thinking there would be some officials there to evaluate who want to move up. So here I am a total newbie working 3 man which I dont know on what is without a doubt the most competitive and athletic team I will ref for several years to come. There were dunks galore. And there sits the assigner himself.

Luckily he and the other senior guy (Vince) had nice things to say and I think perhaps were a little impressed that I was ready and willing (though probably not truly able :) ) to just jump in and give it a go. I then stayed and worked the JV game (2 man) and got to work the whole game. So I got a ton of whistle time tonite which was great. I learned a ton. I had several real senior guys helping me. It was great. I saw a noticable improvment in my calls, how I did my signals and how I reported. Plus, I started to really communicate with my partner--stop sign for subs, watching the clock, aware of last shot situations.

I blew my share of calls :)

Here was a bad one, right in front of the assigner. Guy in the post has the ball, defender reaches just as player spins, there is contact. I whistle it on the ground. I should have no called it since the guy would have easily freed himself for a dunk. By calling the foul I actually penalized the offensive player--now they have a throw in instead of a dunk. I knew it the second I called it. The lead assigner came over to me and asked me about that call. I told him what I just said. I said I should have held my whistle. He smiled and agreed and said it was good that I recognized that I should have held it. There were a bunch more, but I always had a good partner and I dont think I did any major damage :)

All in all a super great learning experience.

[Note: I posted some of this in the "Accidental 3 Man" thread]

Clark

What you probably found is that it is a lot faster pace. And at the beginning of 3-man you probably thought it was a pain. BUT once you get the flow it is great. :)

Boy the pace of that game was real fast.

I'm sure 3 man is great. I dont know enough to know how good it is. But I did notice this. I like 3 man in that I like having the far side covered. It is so nice to have a C there to get that action away from the T side.

Clark

Good job Clark. Many officials got their first varsity action because of a mix-up by someone else. Sounds like you did just great. Just reading your posts, it's obvious that you understanding of the game from an official's point of view is far better than most newbies. Keep it up.

Z

Thanks.

But if I understand anything it is only because I have had a bunch of senior guys really help me out and point me in the right direction.

Clark

Sounds to me like it was a call...but you are starting to get a feel for advantage/disadvantage.

My opinion...you didn't kick this one...just learning a better way to handle it. :D

Keep up the good work...sounds like you're getting better (and the attention of some people).

The attention was accidental, but it sure was nice. I think the assigner was there because an official at our meeting on Monday was grousing that there werent any senior guys at his scrimmage to evaluate him so he could advance. So I think the assigner showed up at the Palo Verde scrimmage thinking that since this was the "best" scrimmage in that PV won State last year this would be the best competition and the best chance to evaluate officials looking to move up. I hate to admit it, but I had no idea they won state last year and wasnt hoping to get anyone's eye. I just happen to live right by that school so I picked that scrimmage so I could leave a little early from work, see my wife and daughter quickly and then just walk over to the scrimmage. I had no idea the assigner would be there and that this would be probably the most competitve and physical game I will be a part of for several years. :)

I just got lucky. :)

As far as getting better, I do feel that I improved significantly this last scrimmage. But I chalk that up to two things: 1) having some senior guys there to help me directly; since there were not really any other newbies there I got all their help; and 2) I got a ton of whistle time. We werent rotating newbies in every 5 minutes. I ran 2 20 minute periods with the varsity and then 4 or 5 straight 10 minute running periods with the JV team. That was alot of work! Just knowing that I would be the only newbie running and that I didnt have to come out soon let me get comfortable and in the flow. That made a huge difference.

Clark

[Edited by totalnewbie on Nov 25th, 2004 at 04:04 PM]

Terrific!! Glad you had such a great experience. Keep it us and keep us informed!

I have a scrimmage tomorrow and then my first real game on Saturday.

Clark

Good luck on Saturday. Get a good night's sleep tonight. I was so excited/nervous the night before my first scheduled HS game that I got very little sleep and it really affected my game.

Thanks. That is good advice. :) I have a final scrimmage this evening so that should help me get some sleep. But I will probably have a hard time sleeping too :)

Clark

I don't know if I'll get to do my first game today, massive snowstorm here. :(

I had my final scrimmage last night. I worked the whole freshman game with my buddy who is also a new ref. We were the only ones for that game so I got to R and he was U. My first toss went well :). A senior official who has been mentoring the both of us was there in civilian clothes to give us pointers and help, which was great. We both improved a good deal. Then I stayed and ran 2 8 minutes quarters in 3 man with the varsity just for fun. There were only 2 refs for the varsity and they wanted to do 3 man so they asked if somone would stay.

My game is today at 12. I am getting geared up now and will be heading out in under an hour.

I called my R on Tuesday and havent heard back from him.

Wish me luck!

Clark

Sad, but typical in HS officiating.

Just learned that my game is a go. :)

[Edited by Nevadaref on Nov 28th, 2004 at 12:20 AM]

Calling someone on Tuesday for a Saturday game is a bit premature. Call me Thursday or Friday, fine. But Tuesday?

Just following orders.

At our Monday meeting, our assigner said to call tomorrow (Tuesday). So I called Tuesday. :)

As it turns out, my assigned partner gave back the game or for some other reason couldnt make it. Or so I found out when my new partner showed up on Saturday 15 minutes prior to game time. He was a real cool guy and I enjoyed running with him. I'll post more about the game later. But he got the call from the assigner that morning to show up and do the game with me.

Clark

I make all my calls for the week on Sunday afternoon while I'm watching the NFL. Nobody has a game, so I get most guys/gals at home. If there's any uncertainty on Sunday, I can follow up with a phone call or email later in the week. But it's just much more convenient for me to make 5 or 6 phone calls at once, rather than remember to call throughout the week, when I'm already out at games most nights.

Doesn't make it right or wrong; it's just how I do it.

Chuck,
I know several guys here that do it that way too. While it doesn't really serve as a reminder that you have a game the next day or that evening, as a call at work would, it does get the initial contact made. Out here where travel arrangements frequently need to be made by the officials, the advance notice is even preferable.
I guess a reminder call could also be made.
But hey, I'm lucky if the guys that I work with call me at all before the game, and even more fortunate if they ever speak to me again after! :)

Sure, sure. I find most of my contact is via email these days. Of course, I work 80% of my games with the same person, so we talk pretty frequently anyway.

Four games in now (3 boys varsity, 1 men's juco) and two more scheduled by the end of November. I can't remember the last time I had six in by the end of November.

I email everyone on Saturday or Sunday for the entire week. If I have a Monday game, I do it on Friday or Saturday. The primary purpose in my communication is to verify that our schedules agree about date, time, and place. If they agree 2 days ahead they'll agree 4 or 5 days ahead.

A reminder?!? I'm not their mother. How do you forget you have a game?!?!?!? Do they forget to go to work too? :D

Well, this is my thought, too -- I have a contract with a date/place/time -- how could I screw this up?

A quick email to arrange travel/meeting time is all that's necessary -- certainly not a "reminder" of anything.

Our association require confirming game date/time/place with our partners. We are penalized a game fee if our partner doesn't show and we didn't attempt to make contact.

It looks bad on the association to have a single referee show up when two are expected.

Plus, there could be a miscommunication in the game details. I've called partners before and found out that they had a different date or that they didn't know they were even on the game.

This is the main thing. Schools and assigners forget to inform everyone when something changes.

And once a partner called me, and I didn't know that I was on the game. He saved my bacon!

Really? You show up and cover the game solo, your "partner" stays at home and YOU get fined!
BTW, how does your association prove that you didn't attempt to make contact? I'm thinking that this fine doesn't get levied very often.

They one who doesn't show up gets fined in any case...they don't get paid for the game and they get fined and additional game fee.

The proving is basically honor. When asked directly "Did you contact your partner?" most people are honest.

TN,
Rave on. We've all been that psyched and pumped and remember our first games. There will be nights that are great and nights you'll wonder why in the world you're doing this. You'll have great partners and the partners from your nightmares some nights. But, if we didn't love it we wouldn't be doing it.
Keep up the posts on how your games go.

Sorry I havent posted in a while.

My first game was Saturday. A girls freshman game. I had a great partner. I did some things well and missed some things. But overall I was very pleased with myself. And there were several senior guys there evaluating people and they spent a good deal of time watching me. I was very encouraged by their comments. They all said that if they hadnt known I was new they would have thought that I was a 4 year official. I loved heraing that. I dealt with a coach very well (or so they said) and did some things they thought were great. I properly brought in subs before the first of 2 FTs when a player had been DQ'd. I stopped play and consulted with my partner when we had a 1 and 1, the girl hit the first and the other team went to inbound and my partner didnt stop it. So I waited a sec, then whistled it, went over and told him what I had and he corrected it and awarded the merited FT. The senior guys said I was getting my hands up nice and straight. They told me they agreed with all of my calls that I made and that they were well called and reported. They stressed that I needed (when trail) to watch for far side high action and that I missed a few travels on that side. We called about 40 fouls. It was 10/9 and 10/9 for fouls each half and into double bonus a few times as I remember. All the senior people were very enthusiastic about how well I did. Which of course made me happy. They said it was the best first game they could remember and said I should be very happy. Needless to say, I was geeked!!!

The game was a blow out. Of the many things I need to work on, one is definately game awareness. The first time I truly remember looking at the score was when I was watching for a last second shot befor half, at which time it was about 24-8 in favor of the home team. I was actually surprised how much cleaner this game (frosh girls) was than the freshman boys scrimmages that I worked. Wierd.

My second game is tomorrow (freshman girls again), so I'm sure I will mess up the stuff I did right last game :) Kidding. I'll try my best, but part of my good game had to be my partner. He was real cool and easy going. I have another game next wednesday (girls JV).

If I wasnt hooked before (which I was) I am addicted now. This is so much fun. And the kids just love it. Even the girls. They are so intense.

I liked instructing them on the freethrow lane spacing. It seemed like every shot it was "no blue, you cant be in that last space" or "white, you cant straddle the mark, you gotta be in or out of the space," or "blue, you gotta clear out of that spot if white wants it" etc.

Clark

Clark,

I can't tell you how refreshing it has been to read through all of your posts in this thread. I'm glad you're having a blast, and it sounds like you're extremely talented. I hope that your job, family, etc. will work out in the future so that you can go as far in this business as your desire and ability allow.

Your posts certainly read like ability is not going to be an issue. You clearly have a good feel for the game. I can tell you that that there are twenty-year vets who don't ever have the realization you did about the play near the bucket where your foul wiped out a lay-up. That's heady stuff. What you'll find is that even though you've already leaped the "officiating IQ" hurdle on that play, the toughest one has yet to be negotiatiated: patience...to see the whole play, letting it start, develop, and finish. This will come with experience, but in the meantime, you can try to use your thoughts to overpower the reflexes that cause you to put air in the whistle at the first sign of trouble (at least that's the instinct I fought when I started doing this). Have talks with yourself during the game, during plays. E.g., "Okay, he's gonna make a move to the bucket. I need to lock in the defender, check. Defender didn't get there. Shooter gets bumped off course a little, nothing yet, though, as it's still basically a lay-up. Wait, that bump did knock him off balance, that lay-up's coming up short, BANG!" That's when you blow. Don't take the specific example too literally, as there are obviously times when a play dictates an absolutely immediate whistle. In foul calling, though, I have benefitted a great deal from such thought exercises.

You're way ahead of the game, too, in realizing that your game awareness is not where you want it to be. this has been the least natural progression in my game; that may be, though, because I haven't worked on it as hard as I have other areas. Anyway, game awareness will pick up little by little (or maybe for you by leaps and bounds) as your comfort level increases and you are able to absorb more of your surroundings with less conscious effort. It's a lot easier to discipline yourself to sneak a peak at the clock at every whistle and at the beginning of each new possession when you don't feel like you're hanging on to the game by a thread.

I was struck by your comment about your style of running.
Don't be afraid to look athletic. In fact, try to look athletic. Different supervisors stress this to different degrees, but I've never, ever heard any official or supervisor say, "Man, that guy would have better credibility with players and coaches if he looked less athletic." If you look and run like you could be playing in the game as easily as officiating it, it can only help you with players and coaches. Everything you do and say becomes more believable, which translates to less garbage from those people, and thus a smoother game. Think about when you were playing, how you perceived an official who didn't look to have stepped onto a court before his first time picking up a whistle.

You're right on about running too much sometimes. As officials, we are cameras, constantly taking shots of the action, trying to evaluate those pictures as quickly as possible in order to make decisions about them. Still cameras take sharper pictures than bouncy ones, same same with us. Obviously, the clarity of our mental picture has to be weighed against how quickly we need that picture evaluated, but the point is the same: when you have a good angle on a play, stand pat and referee the play. Take advantage of the opportunity to take a sharp, complete picture. Alternatively, when you need to take a step, take a step. And when you need to haul ***, well, you get the picture.

I'll quit now. Keep working hard. Keep having fun. It doesn't feel as much like hard work when you're having fun.

Welcome to the club.

John

[QUOTE]Originally posted by totalnewbie
[B]

Here was a bad one, right in front of the assigner. Guy in the post has the ball, defender reaches just as player spins, there is contact. I whistle it on the ground. I should have no called it since the guy would have easily freed himself for a dunk. By calling the foul I actually penalized the offensive player--now they have a throw in instead of a dunk. I knew it the second I called it. The lead assigner came over to me and asked me about that call. I told him what I just said. I said I should have held my whistle. He smiled and agreed and said it was good that I recognized that I should have held it.

-----------
And by not calling it you might well be penalizing the defender.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by assignmentmaker
[B]You're penalizing the defender? By not calling a foul on this play you're penalizing the defender? You're only penalizing the defender if the defender's intent was to foul and prevent a dunk. If that's the case, then if you're going to call a foul, you should rule it intentional. If you're advocating that this intentional foul be blown, I'll at least give you credit for consistency.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jbduke
[B]"Intentional foul" is not synonymous with "did it on purpose".

Whether the defender commits an "intentional foul," or simply "intentionally fouls," the point is that he's fouling in order to CHA for giving up great position. If the offensive player is good enough to play through contact that can reasonably be passed on, then why not let the guys play basketball?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by assignmentmaker
[B]
By not calling the foul you are not rewarding BAD defense, you let the play happen. That does not disadvantage the defender.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by blindzebra
[B]I suppose your name is only moderately self-deprecating. You are why the game has deteriorated. There's a difference between not calling accidental contact on a rebound, where the defender clearly backs off and no harm has been done, and ignoring what you are presuming is bad defense. Call the foul. The offense will get to the bonus all the sooner. The defense will have it's players in foul trouble all the sooner. They will either back off and play better basketball or die an ugly death.

1) You are why the game has deteriorated.

2) There's a difference between not calling accidental contact on a rebound, where the defender clearly backs off and no harm has been done, and ignoring what you are presuming is bad defense. Call the foul. The offense will get to the bonus all the sooner. The defense will have it's players in foul trouble all the sooner. They will either back off and play better basketball or die an ugly death.

[/B][/QUOTE]1) That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. This call is a judgement call. Why is your judgement so much better than the other posters?

2) How come you are so sure it's a foul and not incidental contact? Doesn't NFHS rule 4-19 state that a personal foul is illegal contact that hinders an opponent from performing normal offensive movements? How did the normal offensive movement of the post player in this situation get hindered in any way, shape or form?

You may want to re-think your philosophy a little re: what is or isn't a foul. Calling pissant little contact fouls that don't really affect a play in any way isn't really the purpose and intent of the rules imo.

You may want to just think.
 

1) That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. This call is a judgement call. Why is your judgement so much better than the other posters?

2) How come you are so sure it's a foul and not incidental contact? Doesn't NFHS rule 4-19 state that a personal foul is illegal contact that hinders an opponent from performing normal offensive movements? How did the normal offensive movement of the post player in this situation get hindered in any way, shape or form?

You may want to re-think your philosophy a little re: what is or isn't a foul. Calling pissant little contact fouls that don't really affect a play in any way isn't really the purpose and intent of the rules imo. [/B][/QUOTE]

"I should have no called it since the guy would have easily freed himself for a dunk."

Easily freed himself? That's not incidental contact. I told you what a good example of incidental contact is: a rebounder backs off when the other guy gets control. Don't substitute your judgement, or lack thereof, for 'punishing bad defense'. That's why penalty foul shots exist. Doing otherwise encourages sloppy play. My judgement is nonpareil, by the way.

How 'bout Rule 10-6-1 then, Mr. Perfect? That one states <i>"Extending the arms fully or partially other than vertically so that freedom of movement of an opponemt is hindered when contact with the arms occurs is not legal. These positions are employed when rebounding when rebounding, screening or in various aspects of postplay"</i>. It seems that your nonpareil judgement also is telling us to call fouls even when the "freedom of movement" isn't hindered.

Methinks your nonpareil judgement is nonpareil because no one else(hopefully) has the poor judgement to consistently call the ticky-tack fouls you are telling us to call. Jmo, but I think that you need to find out there is a difference between a foul and incidental contact.

JR,

Thanks for the vocabulary lesson. For anybody like me who didn't know, "nonpareil" means "without peer" or "unequaled."

Thanks also for firing back with such vigor to this guy. I'd not referee before I worked for an assignor like him.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by assignmentmaker
[B]What causes the game to deteriorate is the needless calls that take away the play from the contacted player. By calling this foul without a patient whistle you are rewarding the defender. You are also not bringing 4-27 or 10-6 into your judgment.

My philosophy is backed by rule support, yours is about power and controlling the life right out of the game.

Dookie, his concept of all contact being a foul is certainly <b>nonpareil</b>. :)

I'm an assignor. I might be wrong, but I doubt very much if Assignmentmaker is also an assignor. I think that he just peddles the assigning software. He's entitled to his opinion on contact,of course, but his opinion isn't the popular one afaik.

Peddle? Pissant? Cherchez une life. I do 4K assignments, less than 100 times does an official, at any level, see the same team twice, yet strength of games and ability of officials is conserved.

Wanna bet your house against my vacuum cleaner about the truth?

Are you an assignor?

What levels do you officiate, and how long have you been doing so?

Just wondering what your credentials are to tell everybody else in the world that they are wrong, and that your own opinion is <b>nonpareil</b>.

JR,

I can take the ribbing if that's what you're going after, no sweat. Just a point of information for those who might not know: "dookie" is a pejorative made popular by UNC fans, now used by legions of haters. "Dukie" is the neutral noun referring to any Duke athlete, student, supporter, etc.

JB

Nothing meant at all, jb, one way or 'tother. There was no intent to rib-- even though I still hold that option over for later. :) If it bothers you, I'll use "Dukie" or "jb" instead.

Actually, I put Duke and North Carolina fanboys in the same boat anyway. Do you wanna know where I want that boat sent to? :D

Yes, he's quite right. In fact, up until the late 50's, there was a "Beat Dook" parade down Franklin St. in Chapel Hill. The term "Dookie" is a relative newcomer to the lexicon between Carolina and Duke fans... They call us the "Wine and cheese crowd", or like Jesse Helms used to say; "Communist Hill, home of the university..." Fraternities used to steal from each other on a regular basis... What a great rivalry! If you've never lived it, you can't be expected to understand. My girlfriend in college was a Carolina grad, and her father was way up on the pecking order of the Duke Alumni Association... Thanksgiving at her house was always such a blast; we used to tear each other to shreds...and laugh till it hurt in the process. We LOVE to hate each other. I tell Duke fans all the time "Sorry, I can't do business with you...and shouldn't be talking to you..." <LOL> We laugh and go right on with life...