What do u guys do?

[crazy voyager]

this is fun, becuse I'm 14, and I've only been reffing for 1½ year. You don't happen to have an msn or email you can send ot me? I'd love to share excperiences with somebody who knows how it is to ref as a young person (in our case, 14)

And also, tips:

1. Like said, find a mentor, I just did this and found out it helps a lot

2. Work games, get excperience, always go through games afterwards thinking, what you did good, what you did wrong, how to prevent it from going wrong next time

3. Read through mechanics, read rules, you can't be a good official if you have to think all the time. The stuff should be printed so deep you don't have to think

4. Learn from mistakes, we all make them, but if you're smart, you just don't do them, you use them and turn them into a good lerning excperience.

good luck, and don't forget to pm a mail and msn (if you've got any) to me please

[juniorRef]

thanks. my dad has officiated for a long time, and he is thinking about coming back into it. If he does, i'm just going to follow him to all of his games. thanks for the input.

[Blind & lovin' it]

Hey, sorry I'm late to the conversation but there are a few things that make up for inexperience (I'm only at 5 years myself).

Hustle - I'd be pissed too if some ref that was 30ft from the play blew a whistle on a play he couldn't keep up with.

Blow loud and have a straight arm - they'll believe much of what you say as long as you're confident and crisp.

Never do the wrong 'over the back' mechanic - I hate that. It's a push or its not. None of this hula-dance signal bullsh*t.

And if you can, find someone who can critique you from the sidelines. I started working for a college intramural department and there's no better way to learn than having someone assess you every 3rd or 4th game.

Oh, and give someone a T, so you get your first one over with - its such a big deal until you give a few.

Good Luck

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by crazy voyager
this is fun, becuse I'm 14, and I've only been reffing for 1½ year. You don't happen to have an msn or email you can send ot me? I'd love to share excperiences with somebody who knows how it is to ref as a young person (in our case, 14)

I think it would be good for you-all to communicate off the board, but don't go away completely. For every question you post, there are lots more young officials checking this board who need to know the answers, but are too shy to ask. Make friends, by all means, if you want to, but also stay in touch here.

[refTN]

I love seeing guys this young working. I have been at this for 4 years (since I was 16) and I was bit by the bug.

I would have to disagree with not watching NBA officials, I personally love watching them and feel, since it is their sole job, that they do it better than anyone else in the world. Personally, I like the way they rotate because they move at an accelerated pace where as most college officials when they roatate just walk across the lane not caring if they rotate or beat the play.

I would definitely find a mentor and fast. Mine is a college official, which is where I aspire to go to, so if that is where you aspire to go to as well I would advise finding a college official within your high school assosciation, if not there are great high school officials out there so hookup with them.

Get to a camp and get to one quickly, they are easily the best thing for you. You pick so much up in those couple of days because you live and breathe officiating everyday.

The rulebook and casebook are your best friends. I have read both cover to cover, but that still doesn't mean you should apply all the rules literally. You should know the purpose and intent of the rules.

Good luck and once again welcome to the forum. It is so great to have another young official on the forum.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally posted by refTN
Personally, I like the way they rotate because they move at an accelerated pace where as most college officials when they roatate just walk across the lane not caring if they rotate or beat the play.

I disagree.

NBA officials are very good, there's no doubt about it. However, a new official can learn things he'll have to un-learn as he moves up to high school ball if he's not aware of the mechanics differences. So watch them, especially how they handle themselves. But be aware that not everything they do should be emulated at lower levels.

As for rotating, the college officials I've talked to and the camps I've attended teach walking across the key. You should rotate early enough that you don't need to run to beat the ball. Plus, you should be officiating as you go, and that's easier to do if you are walking briskly rather than running. The NBA system may teach a different philosophy, and keep in mind that it's an altogether different level of ball, but it's unfair to say that college officials walk because they don't care. They walk because their bosses tell them to and my observation has been that they rarely get beat.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle
I disagree.

NBA officials are very good, there's no doubt about it. However, a new official can learn things he'll have to un-learn as he moves up to high school ball if he's not aware of the mechanics differences. So watch them, especially how they handle themselves. But be aware that not everything they do should be emulated at lower levels.

There are a lot of things we can all learn from NBA Officials. It is still officiating despite what many think. Their mechanics and philosophies on calls are different, but it is still basketball.

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle
As for rotating, the college officials I've talked to and the camps I've attended teach walking across the key. You should rotate early enough that you don't need to run to beat the ball. Plus, you should be officiating as you go, and that's easier to do if you are walking briskly rather than running. The NBA system may teach a different philosophy, and keep in mind that it's an altogether different level of ball, but it's unfair to say that college officials walk because they don't care. They walk because their bosses tell them to and my observation has been that they rarely get beat.

NCAA Men's rotation philosophy is not to run during rotations. That is the philosophy in the NBA and NCAA Women's Officiating. It is not about caring, it is about what is taught and expected. The running philosophy is new. NBA officials used to walk slower than NCAA officials during rotations.

Peace

[refTN]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle

I disagree.

NBA officials are very good, there's no doubt about it. However, a new official can learn things he'll have to un-learn as he moves up to high school ball if he's not aware of the mechanics differences. So watch them, especially how they handle themselves. But be aware that not everything they do should be emulated at lower levels.

As for rotating, the college officials I've talked to and the camps I've attended teach walking across the key. You should rotate early enough that you don't need to run to beat the ball. Plus, you should be officiating as you go, and that's easier to do if you are walking briskly rather than running. The NBA system may teach a different philosophy, and keep in mind that it's an altogether different level of ball, but it's unfair to say that college officials walk because they don't care. They walk because their bosses tell them to and my observation has been that they rarely get beat.

What i meant by saying they don't care is that it looks like they move as if they don't care. I see alot of times in the NCAA when a ball is in the post and the L either doesn't rotate at all and leaves it to the C to have what is known in my area as the "lone ranger" play, or rotates without an accelerated pace and is too late to see the start, develop, and finish of a play which I feel causes a lot of missed plays. I guess you can say I am biased as well, Cause that is where I want to be so that is why I watch them more than anybody, but at the same time there are things you can bring with you to a high school game from the NBA and there things you can't, same with college and the NBA. I say the college and the NBA, but when the SEC conference was under Guthrie almost everything was done like the NBA.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally posted by Kevzebra
Grow really, really, really thick skin!

But that don't mean eat lots of candy and get fat.