What are your preventative officiating techniques? When do you use them?

Was reading another thread about leaning and pushing prior to a free throw. Someone made mention of pushing for positioning prior to a throw-in.

Personally, I tend either stop and watch or take a step towards the pushers and wait until they notice nothing is happening except them pushing each other then ask "Are you guys done?" Then I'll give the ball to the thrower.

What are some of your techniques and the situations when you employ preventive officiating?

when shooting freethrows, if i see a player lined up with his foot on a line, i'll say "toe check". they usually all look down and the guilty one will move his foot and give me a smile.

may I have this dance
 

If I am administering a throw in and I have a couple of players jockeying for position and trying to front each other, I will just look at the two players and politely ask them if they are finished dancing and ready to play ball yet.

3 seconds, "Get out.'

5 seconds on throw in, "Get it in."

10 second back court, "Get it across."

5 second closely guarded, "Do something."

"Hands," once and then handcheck or hold.

Knee lift, "Get your knee out," once and then foul.

"Easy, stop pushing."

"Wait for the ball," when jockeying prior to a throw in.

"Straight up," when the chicken fighting starts on a free throw.

I've told my partner, while lining up for free throws "We are watching these two," and not in his ear either, but from 10 feet away.

I've gone to players, that were getting frustrated or looking for contact every trip down the floor, and told them to knock it off and play ball.

To coaches:

"It's like Jeopardy, it's got to be in a form of a question," when they are making statements AT US.

"Where are you at coach," for the box-impared.

"Prom isn't until later in the semester. You two can hold hands then."

(I'll probably get in trouble for this, but)...

"I usually only see actions like that in a girl's game" (even if I don't)

Let's see..I'll try to do this chronologically:

1. A good pregame with partner - make sure you're both on the same page. Typically this means getting to the site 30 min ahead of game time.

2. Watch the teams during warmups, especially their offensive/defensive drills (about 90% of the teams I've seen will do this in some form). If they're pushing, hacking, hand-checking, etc. during the drill, you can pretty much bet that's how they'll play in the game.

3. Captains meeting - I agree with keeping it very brief, but the one thing I do say is "You know who the hot-heads on your teams are - you keep them under control and we won't have to."

4. During the game, set the limits early in accordance with what you discussed in your pregame & stick by them. Well coached teams will usually adjust quickly. Nipping overly aggressive play in the bud is the best way to keep things from escalating.

5. Talk to the players, especially early in the game. Simple things like "don't reach", "hands off", "knock it off", and "clear the lane" can prevent unneccessary whistles for violations or fouls. That said, don't over-use warnings - give it the first time, but if it happens again, whistle and penalize.

6. At half time, briefly discuss with partner how 1st half went and what situations you might expect in the 2nd half & how you may need to adjust to deal with them.

7. Be aware of end game situations when the score is close. Don't be afraid to call an intentional foul when one is committed. In a game that looks like it might be close, I'll grab the floor captians before starting the 4th & tell them flat out "If it's close at the end and there's any fouling, you'd better make sure that your teammates are going after the ball and there's no excessive contact, because we will call intentional fouls."

There's lots of techniques and I'm sure others will post their own methods here as well.

Don't ever use, "Don't reach." It keeps a myth going. Reaching for the ball while in good defensive position is GREAT defense and is not a foul.

Not when the ball is in the hands of a player for inbounding and the instruction is to the defender guarding the inbound pass..... which is the only situation where I use "don't reach".

"Straight up," is better in that situation anyway because you are talking about a plane.;)

da plane?!!!

I'm a little suprised to see some of these!

You give warnings on counts? Do you also tell the defense..."Just 1 more second!"???

I disagree - the warning & subsequent T are for reaching across the boundary line - "don't reach" is about as clear as you can get.

[Edited by TimTaylor on Jan 17th, 2005 at 05:48 PM]

Do you tell a player to get out of the lane on 3 seconds?

Why should other timing violations be different?

Since this is about preventive officiating, I'll do a pre-emptive strike on your answer.

The other team's defensive effort could be what is causing a near 3 second violation.;)

No the warning is for BREAKING the plane, not reaching across the plane.

When a player hears straight up, their reaction is normally to put their hands up and stop leaning into the plane.

The word REACHING should NEVER be used by an official, EVER.

Lighten up Francis
 

Coach I am reaching my limit here..... :D

Re: Lighten up Francis
 

Not even then.

Arm extended with palm facing the coach with, "I have heard enough, coach." :D

LOL point taken
 

Ok that was a good one...I will keep thinking here LOL :D

I completely agree with this.

I was reaching
 

I was reaching for my whistle when the foul occured?? to explain a late whistle?? :D

Re: I was reaching
 

Nope,

"It was late, but it was right."

I do sometimes tell a player to get out of the lane. Sometimes I don't. I don't if it is good defense that lead to it. Of course, its usually not due to good defense...the player is certainly free to move out in nearly every case.

What are we preventing by telling them? Are we taking away a well-earned turnover?

I like to reward good defense. They play a crushing press cleanly for 10 seconds...they're getting the ball. Why should I help the offense avoide the turnover?

I completely agree with preventative officiating when it is not a direct part of the play where it can erase a good effort one team or the other.

Where did I say what circumstances I say anything?

You have never had a coach talking to their player while the ball was coming up the court without defensive pressure?

Have you ever had a defender within 6 feet, but was not actively guarding?

Have you ever had a kid take the ball, wait a couple of seconds and then hit the ball yelling, "Break," on a throw in?

If we are talking the defense out of contact that is bordering on a foul, are we not penalizing the offense?

It is all about judgment, we pick and choose, and prevent what we can.;)

You might want to read casebook 7.6.3.C & 9.2.11.B - the specific terminology used by NFHS is "reaches through". The warning for violation of 7.6.3.C is for delay - boundary line violation, but the action that precipitates the warning is reaching through the boundary line.

Also see items 3 & 4 of the penalty section at the end of 9-2 in the rule book - both use the specific terminology "reaches through the throw-in boundary".

Making eye contact with a defender bellying up to the sideline and saying "don't reach" before handing the ball to the thrower is clear and unambiguous - and it works. You can use what you want, but since that is the specific terminology used by NFHS, it will continue to be my terminology of choice until they decide to change it.

Any official that uses the term "REACHING" on a basketball court keeps a myth alive.

Both rules, you cite do not use the term reaching, they say the defender may not have ANY part of their body through the boundary plane, or a warning occurs.

The penalty areas you hold up, are dealing with contact with the thrower or the ball which goes beyond a warning it is a technical foul or intentional foul, so you are connecting "reaching" with a foul.;)

Wrong BZ, read them again. Both 2004-2005 casebook situations that I cited specifically use the phrase "B1 reaches through the boundary line plane" - that's a direct quote.

Whether they simply violate the plane, or commit a technical or intentional foul by touching the ball or thrower respectively is irrelevant with regard to this discussion - all occur during a throw-in. The precise action that is clearly stated by NFHS as precipitating the warning/penalty is reaching through the boundary line plane.

I would never use the terms "don't reach" while the ball is in play on the court, but in the specific context of the throw-in, I believe it is perfectly acceptable terminology for the reasons I have previously cited. As I said earlier, it's clear, concise, and it works - and further I have never had a problem or misunderstanding using this technique, nor a negative comment from any partner or evaluator.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Don't be reaching for that check, partner.

Let me push it over to you.

Ball-peen or sledge
 

Which kind of hammer do you require when BREAKING the plane?

In the post, I'll warn with "Straight up!", or "Don't hold!"

During a throw-in:

• If I'm administering, I always (even on a sideline throw-in) say "Spot!" if it's from a designated spot.
• If the defender is standing right up to the OOB line, I say "Don't reach across."
• If I'm not administering, I will sometimes say "Don't push!" or "Straight up!" if there are 9 guys all jockeying for position.

I often say "No hands!" when a defender is "measuring up" the dribbler.

To the coach, "I need you to find your box, please."

How about screening?
 

Off-ball screens are generally sloppy.

Lately I've taken to telling players to "make a good screen." This is for the minor infractions that really don't affect the defense because the defense is already six steps behind. Any last second knocking of defenders I call immediately.

I would never warn on these counts. I'm not such a big fan of warning on the 3 seconds either. If it (3 seconds) needs to be called then call it, if it's borderline ignore it.

Knee to the @ss in the post and handcheck should be a whistle without a warning IMO.

Quote:

I've gone to players, that were getting frustrated or looking for contact every trip down the floor, and told them to knock it off and play ball.

Yeah, having a quick word with a player often gets them on the same page as you.

i agree with those who talk players out of fouls ("hands off, straight up, get out") i usually start the game like this but i'm not going to chase you out of the lane all night. sometime it become redundant to keep warning without a penalty. i sure wouldn't give a coach a whole quarter full of warnings.

What I do that works, and doesn't use the word "reaching", is that before I make the ball available, I move my arm up and down along the "plane" (parallel to the sideline, of course), and say, "Glass wall." I try to make eye contact with the defender. Sometimes, ms players will look at me quizzically, then I say, "You can see through but your arms stay on that side." Works great.

I've used the glass wall with the younger kids, especially after one of them has been warned for BREAKING THE PLANE. :D

"Are you guys done yet" said to two tangled players before a foul shot gives no advantage to either team.

But many of these comments sound to me like they do give an unfair advantage to one player/team.

"Get it in!" (5 seconds) certainly does. Why help out the offensive team in this situation? Maybe at the grade school level....as a reminder of the rule.....but would you really use this comment in a championship varsity boys contest?

Also, Tim asked a good question that I will paraphrase and ask for some comments about: What is "preventative offciating" trying to prevent?

Thanks!

Again, where in my first post was the CONTEXT of the preventive officiating stated?

Where was it said, every game at every level?

What does it prevent?

It prevents a ruined, actionless game, dominated by an official's whistle without it being necessary.:D

Game Stoppage
 

Exactly. It keeps the game going. A continuous flow is what makes the game exciting. Listening to those beautiful whistles isn't it. Watching a throw-in isn't it. Admiring the capable talent of shooting a free throw isn't it. IT IS THE ACTION.

If you can keep the game rolling and not need to call the minor/inconsequential fouls and violations, you end up with a much better result. Happy fans. Happy players. Content coaches (well maybe). Preventive officiating keeps the action coming.

Here's another subtle technique that might be considered preventative.

At some camp it was suggested that for the throw-in 5-second count the official could start his count as if it was a hand on a clock at about the 5 and the next swing be a little higher, the next swing at the 3, the next swing at the 2 (there's a pattern here). So that if you get to the five second throw-in violation your hand is nearly straight up and you have changed your emphasis during each count - essentially stressing the impending violation.

(By the way don't count backwards or you might end up with a six second count.:))

Re: Game Stoppage
 

I think we could all probably say that the best games we have worked are those that had good flow, lots of end-to-end action and were close, well played games. I can see both sides of the arguments mentioned in this thread. I tend to talk to the players during moments where that particular player would be doing something that required me to blow my whistle if they were involved in the play or the offensive player was making a play. I will talk to the players when I can, but will not hesitate to blow the whistle when I believe an advantage is gained. I also have to remember that it's the players who determine the flow of the game, not me.

That would look weird.

Yes Bob the Boys -vs- Girls comment is bad one- GUILTY.
 

Maybe 10+ years ago or more, telling youth boys to "quit slapping at the ball like the girls do" or telling girls to "stop acting like the boys and play good defense" would get a good chuckle and the desired effect of better defense etc...

However nowadays, and as of about 3 Seasons ago... nothing but trouble.

I made that mistake at a game and it turns out one of my assignors was in crowd. WHOOPS!

While administering FTs I told a group of 10-12yr old boys (both teams in double bonus, stop clock, terribly lazy defenders just hacking at everyone and everything) "Guys, let's stop just slapping at the ball the way the girls do, I wanna see good defense, and move your feet!"

Had sparingly used this speech in a few times over the years with either sex of player and always got the chuckle from the players, and the crowd. But this time I got a gym full of both sides booing, even my bookkeeper would only show me disgust the rest of the game.

Worst part was after game one of my area sports managers approaches and asks me if I had learned anything.... :> Uhhhhm Yep.

Just want to point out that this thread is from six years ago. :p

Generally, as officials, we don't want to be coaching players. You might be able to get away with a little bit more at the lower levels but beware. I certainly wouldn't use the line that you did.

I hope that what you learned is:

1) Don't make a long speech about "moving your feet on defense"
2) You mis-used the "I usually only see that in girls' game" technique
2a) It's not used for "illegal defense", it's used for "annoyances"
2b) It's said quietly to one player, not loudly to both teams and the stands.

edit: 3) Don't reply to threads from 5+ years ago.

+1

On an throw-in, I simply tell a defensive player, "watch the line."

By the way, do you guys use hand whistles, no lanyards? It sounds like a lot of the suggested verbage happens during a live ball. I do a lot more preventative officiating in soccer than in basketball, where my mouth is typically occupied by my whistle.

If I'm talking, I take the whistle out of my mouth. Duh.

:D

I talk around the whistle, but I have a big mouth. :D

Yep, just because you use a lanyard doesn't mean you can't use your hands, too.