In a game on Saturday, A1 launches a 3 pointer. It hits the front of the rim, goes up and bounces on the top of the backboard then comes down through the basket. I am trail. I signal good. Coach B comes unglued. He insists the top of the backboard is OOB. I tell him I have a rulebook and would he like to bet. If I lose, I'll give him $100. If he loses, he has to go out into the middle of the court and bow down to me and apologize in front of everyone. He doesn't bet.

After the game, some guy who was standing near the endline comes up to me and my partner and says the ball hit the support on that shot. I ask my partner, who was lead right under the basket and looked up at the time, and he says no. I tell the guy "no". He says we could ask at least 30 people who saw it. I tell him this isn't a democracy. He stares for a moment then leaves.

Why was your partner looking up?? :p

LMFAO :D

A little curious as to why the lead wouldn't look up to make the call ? Lead has the position to make that call. Since the ball is along the endline would that not be the Leads call ? I am a newby and made this call the other night, Only difference is ball grazed off support I whistled it OOB. No way Trail could have seen that it grazed support. Just looking for discussion and feedback as usual.

Lead does not have primary responsibilty to make that call. However, if for whatever reason lead happens to see it hit a support and it's the RIGHT CALL, then lead can step up and call it.

ball didnt hit upright
 

y did u not make the spectator the same bet u made coach except to watch tape for hitting the support

The next time my lead blows a play dead in a halfcourt set for the ball either hitting the support or going over the backboard is going to be the last time I ever work with that guy.

It's not just that one call...what he's telling me is he's not going to watch his primary area. I'm not going to be the sucker who gets hung by the coaches because A2 punches B2 right in front of my partner while he's deciding if the clouds looks like bunnies or lambs.

TriggerMN
 

Well i am a 1st year ref-so haven't quite hit perfection . We probably would not work together since I am new and you are not. Another question would be then so it's better to get the call wrong than maybe miss something-i stated there was no way my partner could have gotten this call. And what would you tell the coach ?

I'd rather you miss the out of bounds and call the illegal box out then miss the illegal box out, have the player knocked to the gound and the coach screaming and call the out of bounds. Just my opinion.

Although I know that this is one of the hardest things to do, I want to follow the shot, this was one of my goals for this season, to watch the rebounding action as lead instead of following the shot, and it's amazing the things I'm calling now because I'm seeing them.

Chess-->

You have to live and die with your trail on this one. As lead, you have far too many responsibilites on a shot attempt to worry about whether or not the ball hit the support. 99% of varsity coaches are knowledgeable enough to know that this is the trail's call all the way.

For younger refs doing rec ball, a good way from keeping yourself looking up is to wear a baseball cap. When your eyes start to wander, you're going to first see the brim of your cap, which should be a quick reminder to get your eyes back where they belong.

If you're looking up at the basket support, who is watching the rebounding action in your primary?

Z

If I wore a hat when doing rec ball the evaluator would have a heart attack. The thing that really keeps me focused on the rebounding action are the non-glass backboards. The ones I can't see through. I look up and realize I can't see the ball so I don't look up as much.

In my 30 years of BB I have never heard of the lead looking up and I NEVER make bets with coaches. I consider that kind of talk uprofessional, IMHO.

lol, I save the betting for recball but I have been known to offer bets, no coach has ever bet me. :/

I give
 

Allright. I promise to make staying in my primary the focus for the rest of the season, Which is about 15 games. This truly what I like about this board-no mercy-heck i even tried to drum up sympathy about being a 1st year ref, to no avail. thanks for the correction in my thinking. LOL Mike

Re: I give
 

LOL. With a great attitude like that, you're already well ahead of most of the other first year refs.

Z