Game speed

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by blindzebra
Work as many games at whatever level you can, any other advice is total BS.

You can learn from ANY game experience if you approach it the right way.

Game speeds will change even if you are doing HS varsity or college ball, based on the teams involved, so working the different ages is not a hindrance.

Approach the games the same way, getting a feel for the change in speed comes with working more games, and you will find that it will eventually come down to just a trip or two down the floor to adjust.

The question was not whether you can learn things from all levels. The question was how you adjust to different speeds of basketball. When you work games that are more inline with what you want to work, it is a lot easier to adjust to the slight speed changes from a top level to another.

Also, I will adamantly disagree with working all levels you can learn something. I do not think anyone can seriously learn from a Men's League, where no organized offense or defense is run. I do not think a lot of officials that want to use proper mechanics or procedures working a lot of JH and non-school leagues learn a lot. Mainly because fellow officials tend to cut corners and you do not always follow the same procedures that you will when you work a HS game with a uniformed governing body.

I know too many young officials that all of a sudden got better when they left the Men's Leagues and JH games alone. Why, because they finally had to call things and deal with people that required more from them. Working Men's Leagues and JH games can be a complete mixed bag from one site to another.

Peace