You can pregame and prepare for this all you want. Eventually, it will even happen to great officials. Sometimes, you just can't hear each other's whistle, can't see each other's hands, and don't expect the other be covering the play.

I've had it happen twice. Once working with a newer official (but not a rookie) while I was trail covering a 1:1 backourt play. There was a collision and 2 bodies went down. Knowing that I would be the only one covering the play, I whistled and sold my call. While he <em>knew</em> to NOT cover that part of the floor it didn't stop him for calling it too. I never heard or saw him do so but he did.

Only out was the double foul since he signaled and the coaches saw him signal.


The other case what not realy the same situation but demonstrates how it could happen.

I'm lead and 2 guys are posting up hard. I blow my whistle, play stops, I do the prelims and start toward the table only to see that my partner was doing the same thing. I didn't know what he was doing since the foul was lead side and well below the blocks. I was going to yield to him anyway and just confirmed who he had it on. It was neither of the players I had involved in the play.

Turns out he had an independant foul near the top of the key such that our whistles sounded simultaneously and for the same duration such that neither of us heard the other. It was only after a moment of confusion that we realized what was going on...reported both fouls...went to AP.


I mention this just to point out that no matter what you prepare for, wierd things can and do still happen.

I've also had a blarge. Happened only once to me. It was my first game using pro rules. I was Lead. A drive started from the Trail's primary and the dribbler crashed with a secondary defender in my primary.

I had a block and signaled. My Trail had offensive and signaled. He came to me and basically said "I got it" and he sold the heck out of the offensive and that's what we went with.

Three things to say about the situation. First, I went back to the tape and watched the play about 50 times, and I honestly still couldn't say for sure if it was a block or charge. On a play that close, I would've preferred it if he had backed off and let me have it in my primary.

Second, by rule we did not handle the situation correctly. We should've charged both fouls and resumed with a jump ball. But since we were the only ones that knew that, I don't think it hurt anything.

Third, this blarge probably resulted from a difference in philosophy between pro and college officials (it was my first pro experience). The pro official will say that if the play originates in his primary, then he should have first crack at the play all the way to the basket. The NCAA official will probably say that since it was in the Lead's primary, and especially since the contact was with a secondary defender, the Lead should have first crack at the play.

Anyway, it happens, for whatever reason.

i thought
 

that pro and ncaa 3 man mechanics had the official whose primary the drive began from as the official who would have the play the whole way? am i wrong in that assumption?

It's a pretty mixed bag right now. It used to be -- and not very long ago, maybe 2 years -- that everybody in the college ranks would say that if the contact is in my primary, it's my call. Period. Doesn't matter where the drive started.

Now, there are some officials who hold to your assumption. If the play starts in my primary the call is mine, period, regardless of where the contact occurs.

There are also officials who say that if the drive starts in my primary, then the call is mine regardless of where the contact occurs -- unless the contact is with a secondary defender. In that case, the call goes to the "primary" official.

Pregame, pregame, pregame.

I think the last option works best...the trail often doesn't know where the 2nd defender under the bucket came from and only picks them up at the last second. Taking it all the way to the hoop in the primary defender works since the trail has seen the entire play.

Interesting Play!!
 

*i think that this call should be a charging if the defender's feet were still and if not then it should be a blocking foul...if that makes sense...*

[Edited by BiG_UNiT_32 on Aug 26th, 2005 at 02:34 PM]

Re: Interesting Play!!
 

Nope, it doesn't make any sense at all--rules wise. Whether the defender's feet were still or not isn't relevant in any way as to whether it's a block or a charge.

Re: Re: Interesting Play!!
 

Yep, sounds like you are trying to use the interpretation they use in the stands.