I had two middle school games yesterday and my partner never showed...i called him...he says "they took me off the schedule, i dont have the game"...so, i called the assigner and i get his voicemail...now, i played college basketball and i kno the game but, this is my first year in the association...i prayed before the game and got myself focused. the girls game was great! its went smooth, the coaches behaved and i felt confident.

Before 2nd game the guys coach came over to conversate...seemed very nice, told me i looked really familiar and realized that i played college ball..told me congrads...seemed really cool..game started, first 3 quarters went smooth...but, throughout the whole game the coach that was "all in my face" before the game was the main one riding me all throughout the whole game...coming to me during every timeouts...asking me to watch for certain things...and i just kept my conposure and stay confident but, him and his assistant really were distracting me...and mind u, im the only one out there...the opposing team was waaaaayyyy more athletic and blew the team out anyway..i was wondering in the event that im put in this situation again...what should i do differently...i was really frustrated! :(

1) If their coach ever got in your face, it should cost him. Whack.

2) Don't take anything if you are the only one out there. Let the coaches know this before the game. Tell them you are going to call the best game you can and you expect no lip or anything out of them -- if they choose to do so, whack them.

Working alone is never fun. Are you in a state that requires two licensed officials for a middle school game? Anyways, 1 game left for me, it's tonight then it's time to hang up the gear for a couple months!

thanx!
 

Hey, thanks soooooooooo much!!! i really appreciate ur quick response and help...

one more question
 

should i associate with the coaches at all before the game?

Re: one more question
 

Other than having your meeting with them (the coaches) and their players, no.

Had to work solo the other night. Got the 2 coaches together before the game and told them I will be working primarily opp table. If the ball goes out on their side I asked for help from them. If both coaches point in their direction I would go to the possession arrow.
First game was 20-19. 2nd was a blow out. Both coaches behaved very professional.

man, i wish the coaches i had acted the same!!!! the home team coaches were pure a*s*hol*es

My complaint with this was my own fault. Last few seconds of the game Team A (winning) had the ball pushing upcourt. Team B applying alot of pressure so I am watching the play. The gym is very noisy and I could hear a man yelling time out from Team A's area. Knowing the coach of Team A is female and there were no asst coaches I didn't acknowledge it. I also never looked to that area. If I would have I would have seen Team A's coach trying to request a TO.

Rule 1. Work free throw line to free throw line.

Rule 2. Don't work tableside.

Rule 3. Take much less from the coaches than you would with a partner.

Rule 4. Let them know you are going to have to prioritize things, i.e. 3 seconds ain't on the menu.

Rule 5. Work hard and do the best you can.

Rule 6. Tell the coaches in the pre-game that you're going to be very busy, and you won't have time to talk.

Rule 7. When forced, sacrifice distance for angle.

Rule 8. You got nobody to get your back. Step up and take control.

I wrote an article on this a while ago. If you're interested, email me and I'll send you a copy.

please do!!! [email protected]

I wrote an article on this a while ago. If you're interested, email me and I'll send you a copy.

Could you e-mail it to me also? Thanks.

[email protected]

I had this happen to me.

I took the coaches aside before the game. I told them I would be solo. I told them they would get 110% out of me but that there were most likely going to be things that I missed. They were ok with that (I think they "you're gonna get 110% out of me" pacified them).

I then jokingly said "I've got two extra whistles for you guys, so when you see your own players fouling, please call it for me on them." I waited a second while they looked at me funny. Then I smiled, they got the joke and laughed. I thought that really eased the situation.

I dont know that I agree with the "dont work tableside" rule.

Several senior guys in my association who were instructing newbies like me say to work tableside if you are solo. Why? Because, according to them, then you are seeing what the coaches are seeing and are calling what they are seeing. Which leads to fewer complaints from the coaches. I fould that to be really helpful, but hard to implement 100% of the time. Sometimes I would go to mid court and then over to the other side. But I thought it was a good tip to work tableside as much as possible. I'd love to hear why people say not to work tableside.

Definately only work freethrow line to freethrow line when possible. Trail to trail, so to speak. On occasion I shot down to the baseline, but that was only on a break going the other way and I could get ahead of the play.

I knew I was missing some stuff underneath. I saw a shot go up and said, I know there was contact down there but I just couldnt see it to call it. I probably should have closed down lower as T to below the FT line but I didnt do that as much as I should have in retrospect. I noted that to myself for the "next time" it happens.

My partner showed up after the first quarter so it all worked out in the end :)

Clark

BackInTheSaddle-

Could you send that article to me, please? I think my email link is activated. Just send it there.

Thanks!!!

Clark

That conversation before the game is called, "Working the ref." The problem with it is that it works. Once he's told you what a great player you were, and how cool it is to have you here, he's in your head. You've lost before you started. I'm not saying this to be harsh, but to show you how to do it differently next time. As soon as he starts in on something different from the game at hand, you need to get busy with the book, a questionable uniform, or finding a game ball.

Then during the game, as others have said, you're too busy to talk. He can ask a question or two if he does it politely and at a dead ball. Otherwise, you've got more important things to worry about. You listen once, acknowledge (I heard you coach), listen again, then start into The Sequence. "I heard you, coach", "that's enough, coach", Stop Sign, Whack! This is for complaints and howliing. If it's just the standard coach stuff, ignore 90% of it. Acknowledge legitimate concerns, politely expressed.

Whatever you do, don't let him into your head. YOU are the ref, not him. I'm saying all this from hard experience. It's been the most difficult lesson for me to learn. Now that it's starting to gel for me, maybe I can help you learn it a little faster.

Hey thanks, ur right! he was in my head and i didnt and i didnt even realize it! i will be using the things you listed in the future...you can be harsh with me b/c i love contructive criticism! i hope you dont mind cuz, i will be asking you more questions in the future....:)

i really didnt like the fact of working tableside either....b/c then you hear the coaches piss and moan...being on the other side you can concentrate a little better...

You handled it well! I'd tell the coaches, "Hey, I will do the best I can, bear with me. Remember, we're here for the kids." Any problems, warn them, then wack them if necessary.

If you officiate long enough (for me it was my 2nd week) you will get stuck working alone at some point. All you can do is call the game to the best of your ability. You are going to miss things and if the coaches can't understand that you have to keep them under control. I don't tolerate much when I am working alone. As far as working tableside or not, I prefer to work away from the table for two reasons:
1. I am always facing the table so I can check for subs and bring them in without having to turn my back to the players on the floor.
2. I am away from the coaches so they can't try to engage me in conversation every time down the floor. This cuts down on distractions to some degree and lets me focus more on the action, which is really needed when working solo.
I don't think there is necessarily a right or wrong side to work the floor when alone, this is just my personal preference.

I don't mind if you ask more questions. I hope you'll lose the web-speak though (ur, cuz, i, b/c, etc) cuz it drives me cra-z!!

Partner no show
 

Just curious - why had you and your partner not confirmed the game earlier in the week? In the associations & conferences that I work, it is the entire "crews" fault if there are not the proper number (2 or 3) of officials to work a game. You might want to consider adding that to your weekly to-do-list.

Re: Partner no show
 

that is a more professional way to do things and we dont do that. i will bring it up in our meetings though, thanx

Around here, we have no idea who our partner is going to be until we get to the game; unless the assignor happens to mention with whom I will be working (that's for you, juulie).
Or, unless Junker and I happen to notice in email that we're heading the same place.

i guess some organizations are just more organized than others...

NO,no, Adam, virtue is it's own reward!

Some just have their priorities placed differently, I suppose.

The midwesterner in me really wanted to end that sentence with a preposition, which reminds me of a funny story.

Some friends of mine had gone to a debate competition being held at the same school as a wrestling tournament. They were eating in the commons area, when one of wrestlers asks, "Where's the salt at."
My friend told him he wasn't supposed to end a sentence with a preposition.
"Okay, where's the salt at, A$$hole?"