Hey I am a new ref. I only work in a 2 man crew, but recently I have been watching collage games to make me a better ref, and this 3 man crew has got me interested, but I can't figure out how it works. Could someone at least give me a little idea and maybe how to watch them so that I can learn? thanks

I think you need to be a little more specific. Also, what level did you watch on TV? The NBA is different from Men's NCAA. NCAA Men's is different from Women's NCAA and both the NBA and NCAA mechanics are different from the NF. If you have specific questions we can help you much better. It is hard to explain something and we do not know what you are asking.

Peace

I was watching mens NCAA. I guess my question has to do with position, area of responsability and how they rotate? thanks

Basic principles:

• Generally the goal is to double up on the ball-side, where most of the action and players are.
• Positions are Lead, Trail and Center (usually called C, sometimes slot)
• The L's area depends on what system you're using but generally he has the low post, at most half of the paint, and some amount of other real estate between the lane and the three-point line.
• The T's area is from the edge of the L's area, down into the corner, to the center line on his half of the court. Above the free-throw line, he has over to the far lane line. I'm guessing that in a half-court set he has all of the backcourt.
• The C has everything else in the half court not covered by L and T, including the other half of the paint.
• Rotations are normally initiated by the L when he comes ball-side
• When the L rotates, the old C moves up to T, the old T moves down to C
• The simplest explaination on switching is that if you're staying in the half court, the calling official goes table-side and the old table-side fills the hole.
• On throw-ins you always start by doubling up the ball-side.

Collage games? Is that something they do in Art class? :D

Fonzy, welcome to the forum from your friendly Mr. Annoying Spelling Guy. ;)

In Fed, L has all of the paint now.

Are you sure about that? I've heard nothing of that change. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage b/c I only get the IAABO mechanics manual, instead of the FED. But nothing was mentioned about that at the interpretation meetings that I attended. Any reference, Forks?

That is not true at all. Depending one who is where all officials could have a call in the lane. The L really only has one side of the paint. The Center has the other half of the paint. The trail would have a ball handler that goes from outside the paint into the paint on a drive to the basket.

Peace

As stated the L does not have all of the paint, he only has half of it.

I think, Jeff, that one of the IHSA mechanics presentations had the L's area shown as all of the paint. It's unclear to me whether that's an IHSA change, or a "typo" in the presentation.

I know for a fact there are people redoing the mechanics presentations because some of the information is either not completely correct or not in step with newer mechanics.

I was not going off the IHSA PowerPoint Presentation. I was going off some NF information. I know it has been taught at IHSA camps that the Center can call things in the lane.

Peace