I am working a spring league game on Monday. We will be working 3 person. I just finished my first season and have never worked 3 person before. Do any of you have some tips for someone who is just learning 3 person?

Stay in your area, watch your partners, and everything will be fine. Chances are your partners will have worked before. If you just key off of what they are doing, you should be fine. Make sure that you let your partners know that this is a first for you, that way they will be able to help you with the rotations and the switches. If you are using the new mechanic, make sure that you go table-side after every foul call. You may mess that up on the first shooting foul that you call, just out of habit. It will feel really awkward at first, but you'll settle in and eventually like it. Once you go three whistle, you never want to go back.

BTW-- Let us know how it goes!

[Edited by drothamel on Apr 22nd, 2005 at 05:50 PM]

Call the game. Call what's in front of you, that's your first responsibility. Have a glance every now and then to see where your partners are - that's a good cue as to where YOU should be, and where you should be looking.

You'll miss some rotations, and screw up some switches. Don't worry about it. The players and coaches don't care. All they care about is that stuff gets called (or not).

Basically what canuckrefguy said, always glance at your partners to see where they're at. And as you should always do, make eye contact with them on dead balls.

Basic stuff: when at C resist the urge to haul @ss to new L position when the ball turns over. If (when ;) ) you do you'll have 2 leads, not good. Remember: if you're C take your time and stop at the FT line extended. :) I might add if you're C you are responsible for everything that happens at midcourt on transition, so slow down & do not be afraid to take a foul on the other side of the court. It's yours! This is more advanced but if you keep it in mind you won't run all the way down & double the L.

As a newbie don't worry too much about rotations from L. When at C&T keep the L in your line of sight so you don't miss a rotation. You could write a book about rotations but this is enough for newbies.

Switching on fouls: if you are not sure what to do then do not move. When the dust settles jog to where someone isn't. You'll look like you've been doing this since kindergarden.

Areas: As L resist the urge to call across the paint. As C be aggressive, especially on shots in the paint. T takes the dribbler coming out of his area on a drive all the way to the hoop.

Good luck, have fun, referee the game & don't be too concerned about the mechanics.

Be sure you ask your partners if you've got any questions. I'm sure they will be more than willing to help you out.

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the quick responses. Since it is a spring league game and our chapter is using it as a mini camp I don't know how experienced my partners are.

I have actually had two leads in a two person game I worked this year. I am positive that I was the one that was where I was supposed to be. However, since I was the one that noticed I just moved up to trail. I had another game where my partner came down on to my baseline at least three times! That was one of the games I don't what to remember.

I have actually had two leads in a two person game I worked this year. I am positive that I was the one that was where I was supposed to be. However, since I was the one that noticed I just moved up to trail. I had another game where my partner came down on to my baseline at least three times! That was one of the games I don't what to remember.


Can you imagine if this guy had "Break your &*($#( Arms" for a partner?

Can you imagine if this guy had "Break your &*($#( Arms" for a partner? [/B][/QUOTE]

ROFLMAO
"It doesn't matter if anybody is watching my area so long as you're not watching it".

I'm still in the process of getting the hang of 3-whistle. It's been a rough go for me, because it's always at camp with many others who've been at it for years, and there's way, way to much to learn all at once. My suggestion would be to let your partners know it's your first, and propose two things:

1) that they let you -- even encourage you to -- over-rotate, and

2) that they let you -- and encourage you to -- have lots of double whistles.

I know the veteran 3-whistle people may frown on these for beginners, but when I finally did a few games this way, I was able to finally start getting the hang of it. Before I was just thinking way too much, and missing everything. It's a similar principle to calling a game too tight at the beginning -- you can always back off. If you start out too loose, it's very tough to find your balance later.

Focus on the calls, not the rotations/switches/hokey pokey.

You're going to miss rotations/miss switches/have two leads/have a Power I formation at least a couple of times during the game - work on non-verbal communication with your partners to fix things after mistakes are made. What may be best is to have the person with the most experience move to correct things.

I like Juulie's point about over-rotating - IMO, this is the best way to learn rotations.

Don't forget to look off-ball. It's the most fun part of three-person mechanics!

"Excuse me fellas, but do I have any questions?" :D

:)

gostars, I think you're probablooking for some mechanics help. Yes, you need to call the game but you also need to know where you should be. Therefore, rotations and switches ARE important.

1- If you're opposite table as T or C, you do not switch if one of your partners calls a a foul.

2- Call a foul, go tableside to report and stay.

3- T and L are always on the same side.

4- T always administers the throw-in, except on the baseline when the ball is staying in the FC.

5- Opposite T or C normally has the final shot.

Hope that helps!

If the Lead switches to come ballside, T & C switch as well.

Thanks again for all the help. Keep it coming!

I do have one question. If I am T opposite table and I call a non-shooting foul where do I go? The calling official is supposed to go to T table side but the official inbounding the ball would be the T opposite table. Do I just go to C table side or does the C administer opposite table the throw-in?

Where is the ball going to be put into play? Was the foul on the offense or defense?

Someone will probably answer in detail before you answer these questions. It is important to know where the ball is to actually answer your questions.

Peace

The key here is that the calling official is supposed to go tableside - whether you're C or T depends on the spot where the ball will be thrown in. If the throw-in is tableside, you'll become T. If it's opposite, you'll become C.

As Rut points out, though, it depends on whether the foul is offensive/defensive/frontcourt/backcourt/etc. The above example assumes a foul on the defense called in the offensive frontcourt.

That's exactly what I was looking for. I was asking about a defensive non-shooting foul in the front court with a spot throw-in on the sideline opposite table

Then you switch with the C and become the new C. The old C becomes the new T.

Peace

I think you mean "rotate". If the lead rotates to come ballside, T and C rotate as well. Switching is what happens after a foul. It's important to keep those concepts separate -- especially for us beginners.

Actually the term "switching" refers to dead ball movement. It does not have to be necessarily during a foul.

"Rotating" refers to live ball movement. Like the Lead rotating to the other side of the court to get better coverage.

Peace

The C slides toward mid-court & T slides down to foul line extended. They have 'switched' positions.

Hah. 2 leads? I've had that in two man mechanics before. As well as no leads. I've also gone from being the lead at one end to the lead at the other end, without any dead balls.

But we always got it straightened out, we usually just make eye contact somewhere along the way and share a chuckle. I think you'll be all right if you're out of position once or twice your first go around.

I started working a 3-whistle league this year as well. Even though I had learned it at camps, it still took some time to get settled in and feel comfortable. Here's what I would worry about if I were to start over again:

• Call the game. It's still basketball, you're still a referee, making the calls is still job 1.
• If at any point during a live ball you're uncertain about what you're supposed to be doing, the answer is always "refereeing."
• Keep an eye on the lead, he's the key to your rotation.
• You can worry about dead ball stuff (i.e., switching) during the dead ball.
• Be aggressive. It's a lot easier to be aggressive and then learn to "leave that one alone" than it is to be timid and learn to "step up and get that one."
• As the L, look for reasons to rotate. Again, it's better to be agressive and learn when not to rotate than to be timid and realize you should have rotated.
• Communicate with your partners. It's much better to shout "Hey, John! You're lead now" when you've got T and C on the same side than it is to wait for John to realize on his own.
• Watch your area.
• Call only your lines.

Once I'd gotten comfortable with these, then I'd work on:

• As T becoming the new L, worry about getting to the baseline to receive the play. Let the T and C worry about refereeing the transition.
• Learn to love the C. It's the best position out there. You have the best look at most stuff happening in the paint. This is the look that makes 3-whistle so much better.
• As the C, a foul against the shooter when he's rolling to the basket away from the L in the post is all yours, baby. Go get it!
• Don't rotate as L until all three of you are in frontcourt.
• As T or C, on a shot from your area, you need to watch the shooter all the way back to the floor. Your partner will get the GT/BI stuff.
• As C when the play goes the other way, freeze a moment to see if the T needs you to stay and help.

That was the stuff I needed to learn this season. Ask me next year and I'll have a different list ;)

Thanks for all the help.

I just got a call that the game has been canceled do to weather. I don't know when the makeup game will be.