Being a Good Partner (part 2)

[Hawks Coach]

A previous thread on being a good partner offered the guidance to call the same game. I agree with this guidance, but have a question as to how you put it in practice. In my experience, we have in our association (and probably all associations) refs who are very quick whistles and refs who don't appear to remember that they brought their whistle (and I mean every time they are on the court, not just certain games). It seems especially noticeable that our notoriouos slow whistles either dictate the way the game will be called or have a game that is called totally differently by each partner. I have yet to see the slow whistles change their game to be in line with their partners. The officials that I think call a pretty good game tend to adjust to these partners, but that means that we will have a lot of no-calls throughout the game and very sloppy ball.

How do you deal with this scenario? As a coach, I hate to watch ugly basketball. I don't believe that my players learn much from it either, and both teams tend to get frustrated. The only good thing is that the game is consistent, so my players at least can adjust. But it makes for bad bball in general. And when the quick whistles are happening (and one partner adjusts to his partner's bad habits), you end up with two teams playing their entire bench and a foul every possession - consistent again, but no flow and ugly ball. In AAU Regionals, we shot 37 free throws, 25 in the second half against a zone defense! I can assure you we deserved half that total at best.

[Tim Roden]

I think the goal is to get the quick whistlers to slow down and the slow whistlers to speed up. I don't remember talking very much about it with partners. I don't try to adjust to my partner on this issue. I want the coaches to know the next time I call a game that I will be consistant with the speed I was last time. With the no whistlers I can adjust to that. What I want to do is watch the foul that my partner makes and stay consistant with that call.

[Edited by Tim Roden on Jun 5th, 2001 at 01:02 PM]

[mick]

Originally posted by Hawks Coach
The officials that I think call a pretty good game tend to adjust to these partners, ....

Hawks Coach,
When I started doing this thing, I had different partners every game, and since I was trying to learn the ropes and trying to "be consistant with my partner", my game had no identity.
The way I called a game was the way I perceived my varying partners were calling a game, so my game was all over the place.
It wasn't until I determined to call "my game", in accordance with "my understanding" of the rules, that my game became an expected commodity.
I found that I could work with good officials very comfortably, when I was solid in my task that I would not call "my partners game". My game is becoming a good official's game.
I will not reach to carry a weak partner, but I may reach to help out a good partner, as I hope they will reach out to bail me out of a bad place.
Now..., before, during, and after most games, we discuss who, what, where, and why in an effort to homogenize the product by verification and clarification.
mick

[CoachB]

Originally posted by mick

The way I called a game was the way I perceived my varying partners were calling a game, so my game was all over the place.
It wasn't until I determined to call "my game", in accordance with "my understanding" of the rules, that my game became an expected commodity.

As long as they are knowledgeable and consistent the players can adjust to what is being called.

[Hawks Coach]

Players adjust well when the game is consistently called. Players have a hard time adjusting to a pair of refs that are calling two entirely different games, because they 1) don't usually pick up on the differences for a while, and 2) can't be guessing as to when and where a call will come from.

I am somewhat surprised to se the first two responses, because it seems that I have seen a lot of adjusting going on from experienced refs. Just my view from the bench, obviously. I can understand why you don't want to adjust, but it sure makes it hard when we ot partners who aren't on the same page.

[mick]

Originally posted by Hawks Coach
Players adjust well when the game is consistently called. Players have a hard time adjusting to a pair of refs that are calling two entirely different games, because they 1) don't usually pick up on the differences for a while, and 2) can't be guessing as to when and where a call will come from.

I am somewhat surprised to se the first two responses, because it seems that I have seen a lot of adjusting going on from experienced refs. Just my view from the bench, obviously. I can understand why you don't want to adjust, but it sure makes it hard when we ot partners who aren't on the same page.

Hawks Coach,
Tony Haire has been working with the same partners for years. You gotta know what you are gonna get when they hit the floor.
In many areas, the people, that offer contracts, may offer games to officials that have never met, or even seen each other work. Maybe those officials are from different associations, or no association, and have been taught, or not taught, different philosophies.
If the contracts were given to one official, who then puts his crew on the floor, you may be more apt to get "one" game called at a time.
mick