Training intramural officials

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by lrpalmer3
Most intramural games become hack-fest because officials don't want to and don't know how to face the whining and complaining of their "peers".

Amen.

You've never really lived the game of basketball until you've T'ed up/ejected someone you see around campus on a daily basis. Or, worse, a next door neighbor or the really cute girl in your psych 101 class.

As to training, we at GW do a 1 hour rules meeting (this year, complete with a demonstration of block/charge and "his feet are moving" by yours truly) and a 90 minute "field clinic." If all you have is 45 minutes, spend about 10 minutes covering how to blow the whistle and give signals (open/closed palm, travel, basic fouls, etc.). Then have them go out on a court and show them where to look. Run through a few transitions/switches/rotations/etc. (depending on 2 or 3 person mechanics).

Most importantly, build up your refs. They catch on rather quickly - tell the refs to have fun and to worry more about focusing on the game than on where exactly to stand. They'll pick up mechanics as time goes by.

[bgtg19]

Just wanted to say thanks for the many excellent suggestions!

[tmp44]

I'm actually the supervisor of intramural officials at my university. I'm the only licensed official that has ever come through the basketball officials program here. We do classroom and on court instruction before games begin (which is actually tonight). My class this year is 27 students, one of which has officiated youth rec-league for one year. Other than that, absolutely no experience. One of the main things that I need to emphasize to these kids is to just blow the whistle. After that, the three other main concepts that are taught are positioning, mechanics, and trying to stay consistent along with the rules. Once everyone sort of has the basics down, then I can move along with the officials that I see are picking up on things more rapidly. What stinks is being on an urban campus, where everyone and their grandmother thinks they know basketball, along with being responsible for the officials of 118 basketball teams!