Please clarify the following.
What is the proper mechanic for stopping the clock when the ball goes out of bounds on your line? I have read that you have to put up your hand first to stop the clock and then point direction. I have also been told that we are not supposed to put our hand up and just point direction. I need some hard evidence to prove what is the correct way not what each official would like to do. Was it discussed at the NCAA clinics this year? If possible please quote references or links with references.
Thank you

CCA Men's BB Officiating Manual, Section 14 Out of Bounds(Page 43 0f 2005-06)
"Three distinct and separate movements may be made for an out-of-bounds call...
Stop the clock, point the direction, then indicate the throw-in spot."

Straight from the book for you.

Notice the key word MAY.

We have actually been given conflicting instructions on this issue. The rulebook has an appendix showing all the approved signals. The rulebook tells us that the stop clock signal may be omitted on an OOB violation. (NCAA 2006 rulebook, Appendix VII, BR-176.) This is actually a change from 2 or 3 years ago, when the rulebook said that there was no stop clock signal for an OOB violation (2003 NCAA rulebook).

However, in the '04-'05 CCA Men's Basketball Officiating Manual (Men's Crew of Three), page 25 says:

So what do we follow? The rulebook or the manual? The answer is you follow what your supervisor tells you. At the 2 camps that I attended this year, both run by D1 men's assignors, the assignors have told me that they want to see the stop clock signal. I'm quite certain that other assignors don't care. But since I'm trying to impress those assignors, guess what I do?

Just to throw in my two cents - in NCAA-W the mechanic is to just point the direction and not use the stop clock signal first.

So in NFHS is it required to use the stop clock mechanic when a ball goes OOB? Or do you just blow whistle and signal direction?

NFHS does require the stop clock signal before signaling direction.

Why?

To signal to the timer to stop the clock.

the whistle and an open hand on the violation is the correct mechanic to stop the clock, then you point.

Remember in NFHS and below you are dealing with amateur clock operators etc.,

In NCAA ball the clock operators are paid professionals who do it game after game after game.

So in NCAA games they know when to stop the clock, but in HS ball they need a little reminder.

Signals are an important part of officiating IMO and when you see an official with horrible signals it does reflect on the official to coaches and fans.

thanks
David

"Brevity is the soul of wit" -- William Shakespeare (Hamlet; Act 2, Scene 2)

<font size = -4>Wow, two Shakespeare references already today and it's not even 9:30 am!</font>

"Now we sit through Shakespeare in order to recognize the quotations." -- Orson Welles

"WTF?!" -- Dan_ref

I was going to claim "shut up" but "wtf" works too.

btw, shut up.

I don't think leaving out the stop clock signal equates to an official having horrible signals. In fact, I know it doesn't. :D

I think the officials that look like weather vanes (using one arm to stop the clock while using the other one to point direction) are all the reason I need to say it isn't always necessary. They look like they are about to break into a YMCA routine!

in context
 

No you're correct, but my statement was about officials signals in general.

However, for new officials, I would always recommend, when in doubt use the signals.

Thanks
David

Always listen to your supervisors. If they want you to do the signal, you better use the signal. If you want to work for others and you are unsure what they think, use the signal. Unless you are told to not use the signal, I would use the signal. Supervisors are looking for any reason to say "why not" when it comes to not promoting officials. Why give them another reason to not give you a shot? A D1 official told me that the officials at that level do not do the same things they did as they were moving up the ranks. He also said that they are not going to fire he best officials in the country either because they do not use "perfect" mechanics. The choice should be an easy one if you are not working the D1 level on a regular basis.

Peace

There are so many more important things when it comes to signals. IMHO, there are officials who follow the manual perfectly and come off looking very weak/unconvincing. Also, some officials are as quiet as a church mouse when signaling, instead of riding the wave of loud to soft for effect. I don't have perfect/textbook mechanics but I do have great mechanics. Make sense? I work on strong mechanics enough in front of the mirror that I haven't heard anything about stopping the clock in some time.
Something else to think about when working with a young official is the fact that it looks best to use the same hand to stop the clock and point. And, this should be done with the proper hand so your body can remain facing the court. When an official doesn't use the stop-clock mechanic that allows another split second to use the proper hand. The same principles apply for calling a foul/using your "hammer." If you use the 'wrong' hand/arm an official's view is blocked. Not that I really think about mechanics much. :D

Want to throw my two cents into the discussion.

I got started in all this by working the table so this is my perspective. One thing the fed may be considering here is that in some gyms, depending on the play involved combined with the view you have inside a crackerbox (or a large gym that's packed) the hand may be your visual and ONLY queue to stop the clock because be damned if you're going to hear that wistle sometimes.

I never saw WTF in all the Bard that I have read.

I think either of these work:

Et tu, Brute?

What a piece of work is man!

;)

One monkey-33 seconds....
http://www.forumspile.com/WTF-Orangutan.jpg