Training intramural officials

[bgtg19]

I have been asked to conduct a 45-minute training session for intramural basketball officials (for college intramurals). The session can be conducted on the court, in a classroom or a combination of the two (though the time limit suggests that a combination might not be best - wasted time in transition). Although I sometimes lead out in our local association rules meetings, I have never "trained" officials before.

The trainees will all be college students. I expect these budding officials primarily to be ball players, "mostly" familiar with basic rules, but likely with not extensive rules knowledge.

In a limited amount of time, any suggestions as to what kinds of things I ought/ought not to cover/emphasize? Or does anyone know a good resource for this kind of training?

[Dudly]

45 minutes? Being set up for failure here.

I would hit mechanics, zones, positioning. Give them the basics and the chance to at least look like they know what they are doing.

[SouthGARef]

Wowsa. 45 minutes?!

Here at Georgia Southern (I got my start in the GSU intramural program), we do three two-hour sessions and then they still seem lost. It's hard to pick up in six days, much less six hours. 45 minutes? Good luck.

I would go to a court. It's a ton easier to picture positioning and such on a court than it is to "dream one up".

Mainly, just go over BASIC positioning. No live ball rotations, etc. Keep it very simple. Go over BASIC rules. The extreme basics, since you have a limited amount of time.

[Smitty]

As important as mechanics are to us high school refs, I wonder if intramurals are expected to be treated more like rec ball games. Where the focus is on keeping things moving as opposed to using proper mechanics. If you expect these guys to use proper mechanics, certainly stress that. But if mechanics are not a priority, maybe focus on the commonly misunderstood rules, like block/charge, travelling, etc.

[Dan_ref]

I agree with Dudly. Spend the first 10 minutes teaching them how to get air into their whistles like they mean it. After that good luck....oh yeah don't forget to remind them that 0 and 00 are the same number.

[rainmaker]

You might try to extend your influence by doing some before and after stuff. What comes to mind, is to send them a flyer ahead of time asking what rules they know. Then your time can be spent on the holes. Send some stuff afterweard, or give them things to take with them. Offer to do some clinic type work during one of their early games, or round up your "townie" friends to help in this way.

[blindzebra]

Intramurals.

This is your whip, this is your chair, this is how you give a T.

[LepTalBldgs]

I've trained people like this a couple of times before, but never in 45 minutes, more like 2-3 hours.

I always hand them a one page list of misconceptions. People, particularly college students, have likely been watching too much NBA. If you're doing NFHS rules, then remind them of a few. We discuss these for about 10 minutes.

Then, we hit the court. We spend 15 minutes on positions with an emphasis on watching your primary. Nobody watches their primary instinctively. You have to go over this principle in detail and spend at least five minutes on it.

Nothing works better than having a team ready to scrimmage and then running it for an hour or two. Shuttle refs in and out every 3-5 minutes, with at least one official for every four students on the sidelines offering running commentary on the play to those on the sideline.

Best advice is definitely run a scrimmage and get them immediate feedback.

[ref18]

Some where on the internet is the 7 misunderstood rules of basketball. Make that a part of your clinic.

I ran one for the volunteers who ref elementary school basketball down here. Lets just say, 2 hours isn't enough time, when I go do these games, I do them by the book, it turns out I'm the only one that does.

I guess I'm still gonna have to bug the organizer of the league to put up some money and used 'patched' officials.

[bradfordwilkins]

1. A defensive player must be stationary to take a charge. Reality: Once a defensive player has obtained a legal guarding position, the defensive player may always move to maintain that guarding position and may even have one or both feet off the floor when contact occurs with the offensive player. Legal guarding position occurs when the defensive player has both feet on the floor and is facing the opponent. This applies to a defensive player who is defending the dribble.

2. A dribble that bounces above the dribbler's head is an illegal dribble violation. Reality: There is no restriction as to how high a player may bounce the ball, provided the ball does not come to rest in the player's hand.

3. "Reaching in" is a foul. Reality: Reaching in is not a foul. The term is nowhere to be found in any rulebook. Why? There must be contact to have a foul. The mere act of "reaching in," by itself, is nothing. If contact does occur, it is either a holding foul or a pushing foul.

4. "Over the back" is a foul. Reality: Similar to the reaching in myth, there must be contact to have a foul. Coaches holler for over the back fouls when their shorter player has seemingly better inside rebounding position and the ball is snared by a taller opponent from behind. Penalize illegal contact; don't penalize a player for being tall.

5. If it looks funny, it must be traveling. Reality: The traveling rule is one of the most misunderstood in basketball. One of the basic tenets is that a player cannot travel unless that player is holding a live ball. A bobble or fumble is not "control" of the ball, therefore, it cannot be a traveling violation. If you immediately identify the pivot foot when a player receives the ball, you're well on your way to judging traveling correctly.

6. After a player has ended a dribble and fumbled the ball, that player may not recover it without violating. Reality: A dribble ends when the dribbler catches the ball with one or both hands or simultaneously touches the ball with both hands. A fumble is the accidental loss of player control when the ball unintentionally drops or slips from a player's grasp. It is always legal to recover a fumble. The rules do not penalize clumsiness.

7. Referees should not make calls that decide the outcome of a game. Reality: Officials do not make calls that decide the outcomes of games. Players commit fouls and violations; officials view those infractions, judge the action and then apply the rules of the game to what they have viewed. The rules then determine the penalty. The officials do not decide the outcome of the game; the players do. If the rule results in the imposition of a penalty that determines the outcome of the game, such is life. Ask yourself this: If you would have called it in the second quarter, why not call it at the end of the game? You are a credit to the game when you are consistent from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

[Mark Padgett]

Don't forget to cover the first rule of officiating - tuck your whistle in your jersey before you take a leak!

You can modify it for female referees.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
Don't forget to cover the first rule of officiating - tuck your whistle in your jersey before you take a leak!

You can modify it for female referees.

What? Female referees don't stand up when they....uhmmmm....oh. Never mind.

[Tim Roden]

45 min? I remember going to 8 weeks of training with 60 minutes of instruction each time. We covered the rules.
for 6 of them and mechanics for the other two. Mechanics can be covered in 45 minutes but it takes weeks of 2 to 5 games per to master.

You forgot 3 seconds in your misunderstood rules. 3 seconds doesn't occure unless we have team posession in the front court. No team posession during a shot attempt.

[SMEngmann]

One thing that may work and might save you some time is to use tape on the court, helping them to visualize the coverage zones on the court, do that and have them practice stopping the clock, violations and fouls and make sure they know what sideline priorities are. If you can accomplish this in 45 minutes, you've got a fighting chance. Also, the handout on rules/misconceptions and special emphesis is big because many of these guys won't jump right into a rulebook.

[lrpalmer3]

Here is what intramural refs lack the most, confidence to call fouls. 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".

We all know that you can't be cool and be a ref. But intramural refs try to be liked by everyone and it translates into passing on calls.

I know because I got my start and still ref and play intramurals.