Interesting comments from Mary Struckoff.

[azbigdawg]

jrutledge...sorry..I didnt mean to blow this post up..I was just looking for a rationale...

[zebraman]

Originally posted by blindzebra

You know you and MTD went at it over lead going ball side, and that the FED said it is optional.

You wrote:

I mainly say this because I have read many posts over the years and in the past few weeks where officials were mad because another state or official did not follow the NF mechanics to the letter.

Couple this with who gave the talk you posted about, and nobody is going buy you are not taking a shot at MTD.

I'm not saying you are wrong to do it, but at least own up to it.

You mean Rut didn't just post this for the general good out of the goodness of his heart? Once a Rut, always a Rut.

Z

[JRutledge]

Unlike some people, I actually talk to officials outside of this forum. Every camp I attended this year had officials from other states in attendance. Some of the little things these officials did were based on some “regional” differences. Sorry BZ I did not post this because of MTD. I do not live my life based on what takes place on this forum. I just thought it was interesting and she mentioned how states could use their own mechanics as the basis for her selling the NF training classes. Struckoff mentioned that the content in the NF classes might not apply to a particular state in total. If I am not mistaken, she works for the NF, not anyone else here.

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by zebraman


You mean Rut didn't just post this for the general good out of the goodness of his heart? Once a Rut, always a Rut.

Z

Z,

Please turn the page please. It is time for you to grow up and realize that everyone is not impressed with what you say on this board. You do not know me. You have never met me. You have never worked with me and likely never will. You have no idea what my agenda is or what it will ever be. I do more for officiating than probably most here in all the sports I work. I do not just come to this place and talk officiating. I actually work in my community to make officiating better. For you to try to come here and question my motives when you do not even know me is not only beneath you, it just reveals more about your contributions to officiating than anything else. It is really time for you to turn the page and put the past in the past. What ever I have done to you I am truly sorry. But at some point you have to realize that what I do is not about you. Sorry, it is not.

Peace

[blindzebra]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Unlike some people, I actually talk to officials outside of this forum. Every camp I attended this year had officials from other states in attendance. Some of the little things these officials did were based on some “regional” differences. Sorry BZ I did not post this because of MTD. I do not live my life based on what takes place on this forum. I just thought it was interesting and she mentioned how states could use their own mechanics as the basis for her selling the NF training classes. Struckoff mentioned that the content in the NF classes might not apply to a particular state in total. If I am not mistaken, she works for the NF, not anyone else here.

Peace

Please, you are on this forum enough to know MTD mentions Ms. Struckhoff every chance he gets.

She makes comments on an issue you and MTD disagreed on, she happens to side with you, and we are to believe it's all innocent info sharing?

I was born in the day time, but it was not yesterday.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by blindzebra

Please, you are on this forum enough to know MTD mentions Ms. Struckhoff every chance he gets.

She makes comments on an issue you and MTD disagreed on, she happens to side with you, and we are to believe it's all innocent info sharing?

I was born in the day time, but it was not yesterday.

It is rather obvious that I come here quite often. If you also notice I do not post here everyday, nor do I wish to. Just this month alone I have been out of town 3 times for officiating related reasons. I also do not read every thread, nor do I follow what one person says like a hawk either. I do remember the conversation I had with MTD, but I did not post this with him in mind. Until you mentioned the conversation, I was not thinking of MTD at all.

I also do not care if he references Struckoff on a regular basis. Mary Struckoff is from Illinois and went to the same college I attended (not at the same time) and worked in the IHSA office as the head of the Official's Department. If you talk to many Illinois Officials and our current system, Mary's name comes up all the time. Maybe MTD talks about her a lot, but not as much as we do here. For the record Mary Struckoff was partly responsible for many changes in our state and how officials issues (she really gets a bad wrap as well). So for someone that is not around this state, might not realize this. Anytime the NF changes something, some officials like to rip her personally for those changes. So if MTD talks about Mary a lot, it definitely is not as much as her name is thrown around in my state. Maybe you pay more attention to MTD's posts than I do.

I also work football and baseball. I can tell you in football alone there are many things we do in Illinois that are not at all specific to the NF mechanics. Also in baseball there are a couple of position changes that are not reflected in the NF mechanics either. Mary’s comments were not geared towards any specific sport. Mary did look at Dave Gannaway when she made these comments when she referenced the fact that “I know Illinois does some things differently from the NF.” Gannaway currently sits on the Football Committee for the NF and holds the position that Struckoff left with the IHSA (Head of the IHSA Official’s Department).

Peace

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by JRutledge
this particular state is the only one out of 49 states that uses this mechanic.

Did somebody secede, and I didn't hear about it?

[rainmaker]

Good grief, don't you guys have anything better to do than climb up Rut's tailpipe? Get a life...

[NDRef]

I am going to attempt to address this topic the best I can without getting personal, etc. I assume the one state that Ms. Struckoff is referencing in North Dakota(if it is not ND then this is just FYI)--only because of the "center in the trail position" reference in the original post. ND does encourage the trail official to come up the center of the floor and then continue to "work the middle" of the floor as the trail. However, the center DOES NOT work directly under the basket as the original post states. Instead the lead has responsibility for the ball below the free throw line extended--we are encouraged to stay as wide as the ball on ball side and close with the ball to the paint. We then go ball side with the ball or our players who are in a competitive match-up---basically the same coverage for the lead in the women's NCAA game. The trail works the "center area" of the floor and moves to get the best possible angle for any play.

In essence it's the women's college mechanic (emphasis on active lead) with the trail moving to the center area of the floor to get the angles that the T or C would get. Is this the best mechanic? No, but it's not the worst either. Those of us on this board that are veteran's have been through numerous changes in mechanics with the Federation and CCA--all have been attempts to improve, but not all have been successful.

I don't know how long we'll keep it or how successful it's been, but notice that I did use the word "encourage" a couple of times above. I did this because even though our state office wants this mechanic used, they also realize the most important aspect of officiating mechanics is that both or all (3-whistle)use the same mechanics. So whether it is NF, CCA, or ND modified--as long the officating team is on the same page we are within compliance with our state.

Since we are a small state (650,000) people I thought I would share a couple of other items.
--We have been using a 3-point line in our highest division since the 1982-83 (no typo 82-83) season.
--We have been using a shot clock in our boys and girls game for the last six years (highest division).
--We have used 3-whistle coverage in our state and regional tournaments for the last 4 years.

The NF has not accepted all of these changes with open arms and has cost our state a voice with the NF rules committee.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rainmaker
don't you guys have anything better to do than climb up Rut's tailpipe?

Training to be proctologists, maybe?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Training to be proctologists, maybe?

Okay, that would be an acceptable excuse...

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by NDRef
the center DOES NOT work directly under the basket as the original post states.

I'm guessing you mean that the Lead does not work directly under the basket?

In any case, if you and Rut are both reporting things correctly, then Ms. Struckoff was not talking about ND, since Rut's post clearly states that she said the Lead worked in the middle of the lane.

The NF has not accepted all of these changes with open arms and has cost our state a voice with the NF rules committee.

This comment interests me quite a bit. I'm not sure what you mean by "cost our state a voice" on the rules committee. The only change that you mention that has NOT been adopted by the FED is the shot clock. MA also uses a shot clock. There's two things to say about this.

1) I've been told by our state athletic association that the FED is not upset about us using a shot clock. So if you've lost your "voice" on the committee, could there be some other reason for it?

2) I was told by this same person (speaker at our board banquet last year) that every state has a vote on the rules committee on a rotating basis. No state is excluded from sitting on the committee. However, the FED will bar states from chairing the committee if they are out of line in certain ways. (The reason MA is ineligible to chair the committee is that we play halves instead of quarters.) So can you explain what you mean by "cost our state a voice" on the committee?

I'm interested to hear how these things work. Thanks

[NDRef]

Chuck,

Thanks for the correction regarding the lead--you are correct--typo on my part. I've been doing this (officating)for 25 years so I might be a little dated on the NF rules committee issue. But, as I have understood it from the past the NF will allow states to do something (3 pt line, six fouls, shot clock, etc.) on a trial basis without losing representation--then if the NF adapts it goes into their rules, etc. However, if they don't and your state continues you lose some input with the NF (I thought it was with the rules committee). The reason this has stuck in my head was because of how long our state has been using the 3 point line--and there was some issues with the NF in the late 80s. If I have clouded the issue, I apologize I just wanted to share some background about our state.

I assumed that Ms. Struckoff was referncing ND and either she wasn't completely aware of what we were doing, or Jeff misinterpreted what she said about the lead. I can't imaging any state putting the lead directly in the middle of the lane. Absolutely nothing is gained from this vantage point in 2 or 3 whistle coverage.

Thanks for taking an interest.

[Love this Game]

Originally posted by blindzebra

The post has more meaning than just passing along a little info.

We have a certain poster from Ohio that argued that the FED mechanics were set in stone a few weeks ago.

Where is this posting at (regarding Ohio)!!

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Did somebody secede, and I didn't hear about it?

Actually Chuck that was Mary's references not mine. Texas I know in football does not use NF Rules. Texas football uses NCAA Rules and Mechanics across the board. I believe because of Texas' stance on football, they do not have anyone that represents Texas with the NF at any level or sport. I know Pennsylvania also uses NCAA rules for football as well, but I think they have some representatives on some level. I do not know all the details but she did reference Texas in her presentation and I was assuming that that was the only state that was not included with the NF.

Peace