I've had a friend in the stands use a laser to measure and mine is actually 6.345 ft. when I start to signal it. My wingspan is 75.018 inches, so I have to make an adjustment on the spread of my arms. It all seems to work out.

While it is not the mechanic in Fed it is in NCAA and it does show the coach that you are aware of the situation.
What most people (other than officials) do not understand is what you are looking for for 6'.
the measurement it isn't forehead to forehead of players leaning over like most people think it is toe to toe which makes it look wider than it is.
So I think the mechanic is useful and I use it at all levels - if you do not feel comfortable or your assoc. says don't use then don't.

I agree - it should be obvious - but you have to realize that we're communicating with coaches, players, fans, the media, etc.

Yes, it is an unoffical signal in Fed, but it's common in college and the coaches and fans are used to seeing it. I cetainly don't use it all of the time, but I do use it sometimes because it can be helpful and can alleviate misuderstanding.

Seeing that's not the letter or the spirit of the NFHS rule, I certinaly wouldn't be happy if I was a coach and this shorter distance was obvious (such as by the mid court or free throw circles). It would also likely garner a lower officials rating, also.

Why doesn't it meet the spirit and intent of the <b>closely-guarded</b> rule? Do you really believe that a defender passively standing 6 feet away from a dribbler and making absolutely no attempt to play any kinda real defense is <b>closely-guarding</b> anything?

Six feet might meet the <b>letter</b> of the rule, but it's debatable whether it really meets the <b>spirit and intent</b> of the <b>closely-guarded</b> rule.

I also think that an official calling the 6' distance by rote on a passive defender is gonna get a much lower rating from an evaluator than the official who's calling it more according to the intensity of the defense being played. To use one on the modern buzz words, imo it's a game interruptor to call it the way that you're suggesting.

And who cares what coaches think anyway? We don't call games to please coaches- that's impossible to do anyway. As long as this play is called consistently and the same at both ends, coaches have got no b!tch at all imo.

LOL!

May we have permission to add your creative remark to our own repertoire of come backs?

And it's not about the inches... it's all about the feet!

;)

IMO, the intent has 2 parts... 6 feet or less and defending a player. It should not be called if both criteria’s are not met.

But I think the main problem is when officials use that arms extended mechanic that is not listed officially by the NFHS.

Some even use the "fingers-to-hand-slap" indicating a ball was blocked. Now that mechanic might be useful when during a dead ball words won’t be heard to communicate to an irate coach.

I don’t think it is a useful mechanic. I am not a certified NCAA official, yet there isn’t any need to use a signal that means the same by not using any signal at all to indicate there isn’t any closely guarded situation.

This NCAA signal can confuse usage of a full second time-out. The difference being that one uses an open hand instead of a cup like hand.

By the way... the NCAA signal chart has both the team control and play control fouls using the same men's/women's mechanic.

Some officials act as if a signal isn't listed in the mechanics manual it has no value. I disagree. Not that I think a "clean block" mechanic on a shot has any value.

Working 3-person, I'm C opposite table. Pass out to the key is deflected by B into the backcourt. T has no clue if the pass hit A's hand or B's hand on the way to the backcourt. He looks at me and I'm giving a tipped ball signal and play continues. No doubt in my mind had I not given this signal that the T would've called a backcourt violation because he told me later he would've. :)

Who said anything about a passive defender?

If there is a defender in a guarding stance within 6', the count should be on. We should not wait until 4.5'.

Mark:

Unlike my post in the Inadvertant Timeout thread, I hope that this post was not circumlocutory. :D


MTD, Sr.

Wow! If there are many more comments on this thread we're gonna need to petition NFHS to include this topic on next seasons 'Points of Emphasis'.
My main point was that in my judgement the defender (2 feet on floor facing opponent) is WELL within 6 ft on MANY occasions when the official is observed holding both arms out to side as if the defender must be within 2, maybe 3 ft before a 5 sec. count will begin...
To me...it's just elementary being able to judge whether there is good defense and will we as officials recognize that and give him/her a count.
Most HS players are, on avg., 6 ft tall.
If a HS player is standing at a distance that once lying flat on floor would be touching their opponent, BEGIN THE COUNT, they are close enough. What are we waiting on?

Who said anything about a passive defender?

[/B][/QUOTE]I did.

This is how I judge it, although I adjust for whether the player is taller or shorter than 6 feet. I've also heard that it can be guestimated by whether both sets of hands reaching straight out to each other would touch. I simply can't visualize the radius of the free throw circle.