Just need to bleed my soul a bit....

BV game, visitors down by 2, last :25 or so of the game. I'm new lead (2-person), we're in quick transition as home team pushes ball up court. I turn my head, then look back, see tail end of major collision at centre court, with two bodies hitting the floor, and visiting team stealing the ball back. No call from partner. I did not see the whole play - so no way am I going there. Home coach and fans screaming for foul.

Visitors set up half-court. Forward cuts to wing and gets pass. I see him do the double shuffle and dribble by a guy, so I call travel. V coach, who has been great all night, goes on about "the makeup call", as do the visiting fans. It must have looked bad. Visitors foul, Home team cans FT's down the stretch, and win by 5.

Later, I say to partner I may have been too quick with the travel call. He gives me the ole "gotta call the last minute like you do the first". But my guts are churning all the way home - I'm still thinking I should have passed on the travel. Dang. :(

What did your partner say about the no-call earlier?

Passing on a violation??? Why?

You passed on the foul because you did not see it. Good call - we shouldn't be calling things we don't see.

You called the violation that you did see. Imagine if you hadn't called it and the visitors had won the game - that would really make your stomach churn.

Ok, run with it. You pass on the travel and the driving forward hits a runner to tie the game. Home coach goes postal because he saw it just like you did, traveling to gain advantage. He doesn't shut up and you have to whack him. Visitors make both FT, ball out and seal the game at the free throw line. How would your stomach be now? Go to sleep, sounds to me like you were spot on.

Whyinhell are you second-guessing yourself so much, Canucklehead? You know better than that. You didn't fall into the trap of making a call on a play where you weren't sure what the right call actually was. Then you went out a got a righteous call that had to be made. Two wrongs never make a right in our racket, and with your experience you <b>know</b> that. What you did was about all that any good official could really do in a situation like that.

Gee, you mighta missed a call. Note the word "mighta". I think that maybe in the history of basketball that other officials mighta missed the odd one too(like me in every game probably that I ever did). If you only missed one in that game, you just did the the game of your life. No good official likes or wants to miss any call, but doo-doo happens.

Note that this ain't just another phony pep talk either. It's a "been there-done that" talk. You know what happened in this sitch, and you know that there really wasn't much different that you coulda done.

JR...you just mentioned something that was said to me and has stuck with me since I was in High School.

I don't count my High School or College intramural officiating as years of experience...but way back when I did a Jr. High game as a High School player/student/official (The officials for that night didn't show for the 1st game) I was told something that has stuck with me.

The first game had just gotten over...and the "real" officials showed up.
One of the officials smiled and asked me how I did.
Before I could answer, some smart a$$ kid that had been running the clock said, "Oh, he missed one right over there"! (pointing towards the court)

That official stuck out his hand and said, "Son, let me shake your hand! If you only missed one...you are doing a heck of a lot better than I have ever, ever done"!

That statement shut the kid up on the clock, and as I was shaking this man's hand...I had a new admiration for these guys in stripes. :)

Thanks, guys...

I slept fine, BTW, thanks to your feedback.

Four more games today - and four tomorrow - all BV - that couch is gonna be sweet on Sunday for the big game!