varsity criticism or just helping!

[Chess Ref]

i would like to try and contribute something. I am a 2nd yr official. So this is my opinion on this deal.

Officiating is not rocket science, it is not some magical thing, its a set of very specific skills with some judgement thrown in. I think some of the skill sets are unique but nevertheless they are just skill sets. Also there is the learned ability to perform under pressure. Bottom line for me is officiating is a set of skills, I learn them I get better. So on to the Varsity refs.

I have the attitude of taking what I like and leaving the rest. I think most humans are delusional about their abilities. Whether in officiating or in tennis, or tiddlewinks. I also believe people when they are helping out with their criticisms might have other agendas. Some examples from this year.

Two older V refs rating me. One rips me a new one at half-time about a shot clock violation we missed. Skill set i am working on. The other has very specific things that I need to do,ie stay off ball, pinch down to help on backside while rebounding. So I pinch down and i get beat one time all night. The ripper on my evaluation rips me for being lazy, getting beat, not hustling.
The helper vet doesn't even mention it. My perception is the helper vet is comfortable with he is getting older and he is assuming more of a mentor role then worrying about getting replaced. The ripper vet with his dyed hair and bad wig, slight exageration, is in fear and he manifests it on to other people. i can't stop typing this stuff.

Believe it or not this flowed so much better in my head then it came out on paper.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Chess Ref
i would like to try and contribute something. I am a 2nd yr official. So this is my opinion on this deal.

Officiating is not rocket science, it is not some magical thing, its a set of very specific skills with some judgement thrown in. I think some of the skill sets are unique but nevertheless they are just skill sets. Also there is the learned ability to perform under pressure. Bottom line for me is officiating is a set of skills, I learn them I get better. So on to the Varsity refs.

I have the attitude of taking what I like and leaving the rest. I think most humans are delusional about their abilities. Whether in officiating or in tennis, or tiddlewinks. I also believe people when they are helping out with their criticisms might have other agendas. Some examples from this year.

Two older V refs rating me. One rips me a new one at half-time about a shot clock violation we missed. Skill set i am working on. The other has very specific things that I need to do,ie stay off ball, pinch down to help on backside while rebounding. So I pinch down and i get beat one time all night. The ripper on my evaluation rips me for being lazy, getting beat, not hustling.
The helper vet doesn't even mention it. My perception is the helper vet is comfortable with he is getting older and he is assuming more of a mentor role then worrying about getting replaced. The ripper vet with his dyed hair and bad wig, slight exageration, is in fear and he manifests it on to other people. i can't stop typing this stuff.

Believe it or not this flowed so much better in my head then it came out on paper.

You could be right, how these 2 people deal with you is based on your youth and their own lack of same.

Could also be that the ripper has been a jerk since he had a full head of undyed hair and the helper is just a nice guy.


btw...how do you "miss" a shot clock violation?

[Chess Ref]

If I remember correctly shot up, horn, neither me or partner made a decision on whether or not it hit the rim. So it was and looked ugly. We had also struggled all night with the shot clock. Neither of us had the shot clock stuff nailed, but I am working on paying more attention to it all the time. Actually had the clock person reset the shot clock the other night to like 18 seconds. For me doing something the first time is the hardest , then it gets alot easier pretty quick.

[Dan_ref]

Well, you did make a decision, didn't you? You either did or did not blow the whistle.

I think part of the problem with the shot clock for you guys with a full head of hair is you're not really used to having complete awareness of any clock - I bet you messed up that shot clock violation because you were surprised to hear it go off. Get into the habit of locating both shot clocks and the game clocks when you enter the gym. And glance at it whenever possible, which should be often if the clocks are where they should be. Always check the time on the shot clock at a whistle - one of the crew should always have it. Always check it on a ball reversal. Always check it on a shot, whether it goes in, misses or hits. Always check it before putting the ball in play. Always check it on a completed throw-in. Check it when the ball swings out of your primary. Check it when there's nothing else going on. It's easy once you get the nack of it. The harder part is actually remembering what the thing said when you need to!

Enough free advice for 1 day, next time I'll just rip you a new one for screwing up.



[Edited by Dan_ref on Dec 27th, 2005 at 12:04 PM]

[brianp134]

Originally posted by truerookie

Wow!

All I can say is you're gonna be very happy person then because I don't think too many officials will be going out of their way to try to help you again after the first time you come at 'em with that one. I know I'd tell ya Sayonara.

[/B]

I am not looking for any misunderstandings here. All, I am saying if you can find the time to make any comments make it worthwhile by have an evaluation form with you. [/B][/QUOTE]

Rook, We are trying to help you understand how officiating works. Since you are in your 2nd year, you have not mastered the art of officiating. I am pretty sure that you haven't grasped all the aspects of game management, consistency, advantage/disadvantage, just to name a few. However, if you have this down pat, let me be the first one to apologize to you.

Maybe you should be the one who carries a pen & pad with you to games, so if someone wishes to give you some knowledge about the game of basketball, you will be ready and taking notes. Its not fair for you to put the onus on an official trying to give you some insight! Alot of what you will learn will not be written anywhere.

While we may never meet, no one wants you to be black-balled in your 2nd year. That could make for a short career or a lonely one. There are a lot of us on this forum who work full varsity schedules and are also on the college circuit. At the college level we are evaluated on a nightly basis. None of my evaluators or observers at the college level have given us a written evaluation to take home and study.

Sometimes it is a lot easier for an official to tell you a couple of things to work on rather than giving you a complete evaluation.

By the way I am also a VETERAN and it has nothing to do with officiating!

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by Dan_ref
Always check the time on the shot clock at a whistle - one of the crew should always have it. Always check it on a ball reversal. Always check it on a shot, whether it goes in, misses or hits. Always check it before putting the ball in play. Always check it on a completed throw-in. Check it when the ball swings out of your primary. Check it when there's nothing else going on. It's easy once you get the nack of it. The harder part is actually remembering what the thing said when you need to!

Don't forget to always check at the beginning of a game/half/quarter/OT!

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally posted by BktBallRef

How about "Opinions are like ***holes, everyone has one."

If that were true, it would be possible to rip somebody a new opinion.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Mark Dexter

Don't forget to always check at the beginning of a game/half/quarter/OT!

[Chess Ref]

I agree with you D-ref on all the clock stuff. Last year i didn't know the shot clock existed, now I am working on managing the clock.

PS i do have a full head of hair but I am not young. Just younger than someone who was born in 40's or 50's.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by Back In The Saddle

If that were true, it would be possible to rip somebody a new opinion.

That's why a new one is ripped, so that one can form a new opinion!