'Brush' of the hands

Danvrapp · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 10:20am

Did a game this weekend with an official who, for most all aspects, I thought was a great guy to work with. The only thing I found that I didn't like about him was that, during just about what seemed every shot, he'd 'brush' his hands together to signal a 'tip' and no foul. Now when I say every shot, it was in fact just about on every shot...especially in the paint....even when he's trail! Now my point is that sometimes it made it hard for me to call fouls because he's out there (20 ft. away) signaling tipped ball with his hands, and I'm calling it a foul. I thought that it may have looked bad from a fan's/coach's perspective that the officials are in dissagreement on so many of the calls. Do any of you use the 'brush-the-hands' technique? With what regularity? Are there better ways than others to approach a partner and discuss this with him/her?

mick · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 11:35am

Quote:

Originally posted by Danvrapp
Do any of you use the 'brush-the-hands' technique? With what regularity? Are there better ways than others to approach a partner and discuss this with him/her?

Danvrapp,
I don't use that signal in basketball, ... ever, for any reason.
mick

Brian Watson · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 12:00pm

I use it to help my partner out when I am the trail and a long jump shot is blocked or touched. Just so my lead knows the defense touched it last if it squirts out.

mikesears · #4 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 12:04pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Danvrapp
Did a game this weekend with an official who, for most all aspects, I thought was a great guy to work with. The only thing I found that I didn't like about him was that, during just about what seemed every shot, he'd 'brush' his hands together to signal a 'tip' and no foul. Now when I say every shot, it was in fact just about on every shot...especially in the paint....even when he's trail! Now my point is that sometimes it made it hard for me to call fouls because he's out there (20 ft. away) signaling tipped ball with his hands, and I'm calling it a foul. I thought that it may have looked bad from a fan's/coach's perspective that the officials are in dissagreement on so many of the calls. Do any of you use the 'brush-the-hands' technique? With what regularity? Are there better ways than others to approach a partner and discuss this with him/her?

I am eliminating this from my game altogether for this very reason. I used to use that signal but got in trouble when a coach said, "But Lead signaled it was clean!!

"

If I need to communicate a tip to Lead, I will do so when the ball goes OOB.

Good post!

JugglingReferee · #5 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 12:27pm

I did this once in a game because I had a small piece of lint on the tip of my finger. It must have gotten there from when I had my hand in my pocket because my pocket was not laying nicely (it was all bunched up).

..Mike

Edit: I can't believe that *this* was my 100th post.

[Edited by JugglingReferee on Mar 26th, 2001 at 01:10 PM]

mick · #6 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 12:31pm

Quote:

Originally posted by JugglingReferee
I did this once in a game because I had a small piece of lint on my the tip of my finger. It must have gotten there from when I had my hand in my pocket because my pocket was not laying nicely (it was was bunched up).

..Mike

Edit: I can't believe that *this* was my 100th post.

I wish I had a penny for everytime I heard that one.

mick

BktBallRef · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 01:38pm

Quote:

Originally posted by JugglingReferee
I did this once in a game because I had a small piece of lint on my the tip of my finger. It must have gotten there from when I had my hand in my pocket because my pocket was not laying nicely (it was was bunched up).

..Mike

Edit: I can't believe that *this* was my 100th post.

Good luck with that lint thing, Jug!

#8 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 03:38pm

Quote:

Originally posted by JugglingReferee

Edit: I can't believe that *this* was my 100th post.

[Edited by JugglingReferee on Mar 26th, 2001 at 01:10 PM]

As someone once said to me on my 100th post Attaboy. Keep up the good post!!

walter · #9 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 04:10pm

For the very reason you describe I do not use the tip or brushing of the hands signal. The only time is if I know there was a tip and my partner has looked to me for help on an out of bounds play. If my partner doesn't ask but then signals direction of play to be opposite of what I think it should be, I'll blow my whistle and confer with my partner by asking did you see the tip by B1? If my partner says no, then I say that B1 tipped the ball and I let my partner change the call (it looks like we talked about it and got it right). The reason I ask whether my partner saw the tip rather than tell him/her is that he/she may very well have seen a second tip that I didn't see before the ball went OOB. I try not to come in like that unless I truly believe my partner missed the tip that I saw. There is almost nothing worse than seeing a foul committed and then seeing your partner doing the brushing act.

Mark Dexter · #10 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 06:01pm

Quote:

Originally posted by JugglingReferee
I did this once in a game because I had a small piece of lint on the tip of my finger. It must have gotten there from when I had my hand in my pocket because my pocket was not laying nicely (it was all bunched up).

..Mike

Edit: I can't believe that *this* was my 100th post.

[Edited by JugglingReferee on Mar 26th, 2001 at 01:10 PM]

Just post something else, and you'll have 101, and no one would have known.

BTW, mick, give us your address, and I'll send you the penny myself.

Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. · #11 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 06:27pm

I have developed a great educational device that I use with my new basketball officiating students to break them of the bad habit of using incorrect mechanics and hand signals such as using the foul tip signal. It is a device that they wear and every time the student uses an unauthorized hand signal I press a button and they receive an electrical shock in a strategic part of their anatomy.

No, I really do not have such a device but I tell them that I do. But I wish I did, I could cure a lot of officials of using unauthorized hand signals.

dhodges007 · #12 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 07:22pm

We could use that for Walton... he would never make a bad "call" again.

Mark Dexter · #13 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 07:30pm

Quote:

Originally posted by dhodges007
We could use that for Walton... he would never make a bad "call" again.

I say give it to the coaches. Probably a lot easier to hit a button than to report a "T" to the table.

bigwhistle · #14 (**permalink**) Mon Mar 26, 2001, 11:34pm

The only time which I have found it advatageous to use the "brush" signal is if the ball came from my primary at L or C and was touched by the defense before going into the backcourt. I will give the signal so that the T (who has backcourt violation responsibility) can give a quick glance before shutting down the play thinking that a violation has occurred and save an overrule from something that happened that he should not have seen if he was doing his job properly. In this instance it is a communication tool to keep the flow of the game.

There is not a real good reason to give the signal for a tipped shot attempt while the ball is still live. If it goes out of bounds and help is needed by the calling official, then communication can be given.

dblref · #15 (**permalink**) Tue Mar 27, 2001, 08:04am

I used to use the "brushing hand" signal a fair amount when I first started officiating. My "mentor" told me that it should only be used when something "bang-bang" happens and you absolutely need to "sell" a call/no-call. If my partner looks to me for help and I know (without a doubt)the ball was tipped, I will use the "brushing hands" signal. There is a world of knowledge and help on this forum. Thanks everyone.