OK with the NCAA season winding up, and March just around the corner I've noticed a few bad habits in my game.

1. I don't put my arm up all the time on an out of bounds.
2. I do the NBA style count and chop with the same arm on a throw in (only sometimes for this one)
3. When not closely guarded I put my arms out.
4. I stopped the preliminary signal when I call a foul, I just verbalize everything with my fist up as I run to the table.

I guess that watching the pros and those at the higher levels can really be a bad influence. Something I see on TV and looks cool might not be appropriate to do at the high school level.

So what other bad habits have you guys developed this year??

I've always been really good at 1 & 4. But I don't really run to the table much, it's more like an NCAAW "walk and talk."

I resemble those remarks (g)

Thanks
David

I do #1 maybe once a week, or two. It's usually on an OB where it's plainly obvious who's ball it's going to be and the other team makes no effort to run the ball down before it goes OB.

2. I do this sometimes as well, but usually when I'm bored and need something to occupy my mind. For example, I had a (about) 70-30 blowout Friday night. Got the game done in just over an hour. :)

3. I've used this before when there are many closely-guarded/non-closely-guarded sitch on the same possession that occur right after each other. My rationale is that it may not be seen that I switched arms otherwise.

4. I'm pretty good at this one, although I don't come to a stop anymore... I do the walk and talk.

5. I was reffing a team in men's league that is made up of.... other refs. Some of my friends are on the team. For laughs one game, I used the NBA loose ball foul mechanic. And same game I got flustered in making a PC call, and ended up using the FIBA PC mechanic. :D

After the way the T was handed out to the Duke player last night, I think I am doing ok. He gave 3 emphatic T signals right at the player while staring him down.

Where I got this, I don't know but I've picked up a bad habit where on held ball situations, instead of the thumbs up I come in with my pointer fingers up. I've tried to break this habit for a couple of weeks and think the only way will be to tape my pointer fingers to me thumbs. ??

Hrm, I don't have any problems with those habits, I have always done those 4 things the correct way. I watch a lot of NCAA/NBA whenever its on TV just to watch the refs but I just don't do that stuff.

It's not a habit, but today for some reason, the words "On the floor!" jumped out of my mouth. I was shocked as soon as I said it. "Where the heck did that come from?" :confused:

And of course, I was being observed :( Observer came into the locker room after the game and I beat him to my own critique. He shook my hand and laughed. "You won't do that again, will you?"

I don't have a problem with any of those particular habits. Our association has always trained the newbies "by the book" and still does.

Z

I do not have what I would call "bad habits." There are some things I might need to work on and do better. I just would not call those bad habits.

I do have some mechanics that are not quite "perfect" but I feel they are not bad habits. They might be more descriptive or are just not necessary to use.

Peace

Correct me if I'm wrong, but under NCAA, omitting to raise the arm on an out-of-bounds violation is not a mistake.

Take a look at this, at the bottom of page 169 (BR-168).

"It is permissible to omit the stop-the-clock signal on an out-of-bounds violation."

In the 2004-2005 CCA Men's Basketball Officiating Manual, it gives several mechanics POEs. On page 25, under the heading "Signals", it says "Non-standard signals are not to be used. All officials must use the standard signals listed in this manual when calling violations or fouls. . . Using unauthorized signals, lik a "hit to the head," a tip signal on block [sic] shots, not stopping the clock before signaling direction or over-exaggerated blocking foul signals, are prohibited" (emphasis mine).

For some reason, I started doing this this year, and had to focus to get back to the correct NFHS mechanic. This was specifically addressed by the state, and they want the stop-the-clock signal given on all oob violations.
I've caught myself saying, "on the floor" once, but that's a product of my partners. As Spok told Kirk when being teased for acting almost human, "prolonged contact is bound to result in some contamination."

You are talking about bad habits some officials developped because they were lazy and/or wanted to show off. But isn't the document I showed you the real NCAA thing? I don't think your quote applies to it.

I agree it can get confusing when often moving from some mechanics to some others. I personally try to raise my arm whenever I blow the whistle. That's one less thing to worry about. :)

But I still think, until otherwise proven, that it's not actually a mistake to omit to raise the arm on an OOB violation (under NCAA).

I didn't think that's what I was talking about, but I guess I could be wrong. . .

Anybody want to help me out with the relationship between NCAA and CCA (Collegiate Commissioners Association)?

That's fine, you can think whatever you like.

I do know several ncaa mens assignors/evaluators who think otherwise. And as Chuck pointed out the CCA manual has it as a mechanics POE.

I didn't want to put any words in your mouth, if that's what you're thinking ;). It's just that your quoted bad habits sounded like "home-made" signals...

It must be something in the water. I found myself doing this the last 2 weeks. I have been working on this and still catch myself sometimes before I open my mouth.

The problem with this discussion is that before Referee Magazine took over the CCA publication for basketball, they clearly stated that you did not have to raise your hand to call an out of bounds call. Now this year it was emphasized to do so. So for years guys were reading in the Men's CCA book and reading that you did not have to stop the clock in order to make an out of bounds call. You would go to camps and hear people contradicting the book and it would cause some problems. I really do not care either way. I do what I am told to do. I think the folks that produce or authorize the mechanics did not really read their own book. At least it did not look that way.

Peace

You're absolutely right (as you already knew! :)) that the old manual said that it was ok not to stop the clock. And the rulebook itself used to say (and it might still say, I'm not sure) that the "stop clock" signal was optional. This is the first year that any publication that I know of has insisted on the stop clock signal.

I had no idea that Referee magazine was the publisher for the CCA manual.

Tha's news to me too. But that doesn't mean Referee has editorial control. Does it?

They took over the Baseball, Football and now Basketball Manuals. They have done the Baseball Manual for a few years now. This is the first year they took over the Football and Basketball publications. It looks a lot better and cleaner if you ask me. Much better signal descriptions and pictures of the floor mechanics in the newer CCA manuals from my standpoint.

Peace

They are stopping the clock - just doing it with the whistle rather than the hand. :p

CCA can say whatever they want, D-I refs are still just pointing, occasionally giving a "clean block" signal, and demonstratively reporting fouls.