To those seasoned officials...yet another question

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by dhodges007
B1 comes behind her *no contact from what I can see* and strips the ball. My partner blows the whistle and says foul (later he told me that he called a pushing foul)_

Denny--

My point of emphasis this year has been being a good partner. In this case, it is easy for you to give him the benefit of the doubt. It is highly possible that he saw something you could not have seen. Very likely, the block was clean, but did you see the blocker's other hand? If not, you can be certain it was down in the shooters lower back where no one (including the blocker's coach!) saw the little shove that gave the defense a huge advantage. The way to be a good partner and also learn something is to say, "Thanks for calling that (describe play). I couldn't see the whole thing because I was straightlined. Was the push in the back with the hand, or was it a body block?" This gives him a chance to admit if he thinks he kicked it, and you learn a little about what to watch for next time. Or it gives him some good pats on the back, while you learn what to watch for next time. It also gives you a way to defend your partner, if necessary. "Coach the foul was out of my view because of ... My partner, however, got a very good look." Memorize this sentence -- it will useful in a wide variety of situations.