The book is a great resource. I would recommend it to anyone that is either very unfamiliar with 3 Person or trying to get some idea of what the loose ends are in the NF Mechanics. Just like anything there are things you can disagree with or you have not seen, but you will get the same information if you attend camps. Great visual tool for review and to bring up in pre-game.

Peace

Formerly in Georgia HS there was no 5 sec. count by the lead in 3-person. However, this year the state is adopting NCAA mechanics and Lead picks up action on strong side when play breaks FT line extended. Therefore, now the Lead will have a 5 sec. count.

I've been organizing 3-whistle clinics for the last several weekends, mostly to try to get better at it myself. We've done some men's NCAA and some women's NCAA. In men's the primary for the lead is a lot smaller than the primary for the lead in women's. A lot smaller. There's going to be virtually no time when the lead in men's would need to count. In women's the lead could have a count. And it's okay to do so. In looking at the Fed Official's Manual, it looks as though the primary for the lead is more in line with the primary for the lead in NCAA-W. So I'd bet that the lead could have a count, and it would make sense for L to do so, under certain circumstances. Jeff, the problem you point out of the ball moving out of the lead's area won't be a problem in women's since there's no count when the ball is being dribbled, only held.

I am fully aware of the Women's mechanics. The Lead in Women's mechanics even has the 3 point shot. I do not work Women's games so I am not worried about what they do. I do work Men's games and it is very clear that the Lead does not have the count. Actually the Lead has the same coverage area as Men's mechanics. The difference is that the Trail does not share a dual area like the Men's mechanics, but the Lead's coverage is exactly the same. It has never changed as long as I have been officiating. The NF changed it but no one calls the coverage area any different than they did before. The Trail still has the best look at the ball as it enters the Lead's coverage area in my opinion. When the Lead finally picks up the ball the Trail has already had the ball for many seconds on a dribble drive. I really do not see a point in the Lead having a count. If the ball stops, the player is either in the lane (which you could have a 3 second count) or the Lead official will have to look through players in order to have a count. I think the Lead should concentrate on the post play and not the possibility that they ball will be there long enough to have a count in the first place.

Peace