Teen-age Officials

[Raymond]

This is a question for those of you who started officiating as teen-agers.

What did you find was your most effective method of learning and comprehending the rulebook at that young of an age?

[Ref in PA]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

This is a question for those of you who started officiating as teen-agers.

When I started reffing at age 16, I only had a rule book. I drew upon experience playing the game and trying to read and comprehend the rules. I reffed little kid's games my first year and added and adult rec league my second year. Later on in college, I reffed intermural games and attended a clinic and watched videos.

I knew how to manage a game, but my rule knowledge and mechanics lacked quite a bit.

[fonzzy07]

I am a current teenaged ref. I am doing the high level rec games and am doing my fair share of middleschool games ie 7th, 8th, and freshman patch games. I read one section of the rulebook a night. I have also found that my first year when I wasnt as exicted about reffing, the simplified and illustrated version of the rule book helped. Right now I am working as many games as possible, reading the rule and casebooks, talking to other officials, watching other officials, and I plan to attend a camp this summer. I know I'm weird for doing this at such a young age, but I am a ref so I guess it makes sense.

[refTN]

I knew how to do nothing, I just blew my whistle all the time, which caused for a lot of problems. I was always trying to explain to the coaches why I called this and that. I read my rulebook cover to cover(except for the score keepers responsibilities) and after seeing tons of plays do you get better and better at calling a game. ABA director of officiating Tom ( I can't think of his last name right now) said there is a difference between a referee and a whistle-blower, a referee can distinguish at different levels of play what is and is not foul in regards to what players at different levels can play through, and a whistle-blower is just what his name describes.

As far as how I comprehend my rulebook. As far as that goes get a mentor, preferably two, to have two different point of views or philosophies of what that rule means or how they interpret it, you then can choose or even mix the two if possible into the philosophy that you will eventually gain and have.

[refTN]

Originally Posted by fonzzy07

I am a current teenaged ref. I am doing the high level rec games and am doing my fair share of middleschool games ie 7th, 8th, and freshman patch games. I read one section of the rulebook a night. I have also found that my first year when I wasnt as exicted about reffing, the simplified and illustrated version of the rule book helped. Right now I am working as many games as possible, reading the rule and casebooks, talking to other officials, watching other officials, and I plan to attend a camp this summer. I know I'm weird for doing this at such a young age, but I am a ref so I guess it makes sense.

Not weird at all, I attended my first camp as a teenager, if you are doing this at that young of an age then you have a passion for it and there is no problem with getting seen at such a young age. It can only help you. Alot of people say that the first impression is a lasting one, but as a teenager in a profession where alot of guys are alot older than you, the evaluators are going to be saying to themselves that you have plenty of years to be molded since you are so young.

[fonzzy07]

On that how do I start to get looked at? what do I need to do know to get the big games down the road?

[refTN]

Originally Posted by fonzzy07

On that how do I start to get looked at? what do I need to do know to get the big games down the road?

Getting the big games involves time, seeing plays, and having a good feel for the game. It will just happen if you are good enough.

To be seen, just go to camp, listen, and work your butt off, hard work pays off.

[tjones1]

Most important to me is the will to want to be perfect, even though I understand that isn't possible.

Asking as many questions as possible, reading this forum with all the various situations that occur, watching the varsity guys -- seeing their call, do you agree, if not do you see where they are coming from, and of course working the games so you can make mistakes and learn from them. As an official, I'm not worried about making mistakes, but I am worried about making the same mistake repeatedly.

[Back In The Saddle]

Maybe I'm the wierd one, but when I was a teen I would take the rulebook too literally. It wasn't until I grew up that I could understand how the rulebook was more shades of gray than black and white. That actually helped me a lot.

[SMEngmann]

My only piece of advice is to not worry about judgement right away, it will only come with seeing plays at different levels and with experience. Make sure you know the rules and that you're in the right place and looking in the right place first. A lot of the acceptance of the call has to do with where you are when you blow your whistle and how confident you look, in other words, your believability. Judgement will come, but make sure your mechanics are good, you look the part and you hustle.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Does starting my basketball officiating career just after I turned nineteen qualify me as an official who started out as a teenage official?

MTD, Sr.

[crazy voyager]

I am a teenage ref (15 now, was 13(!) when I called my first game)

I have played the game scince I was 10 and when I got the chance to become a ref I signed up and started holding the whistle in our practises. My coach didn't mind if I blew the whistle insted of sitting on the bench as a sub so I started my first training there. Then I went throught the training and got myself a rulebook. I am a reader (I've read extremly fast and started reading books for adults around the age of 9) and I read my rulebook, I read it firstly cover to cover, then I went throught the most importent parts over and over again (fouls, violations and so on). I just tried to assimilate all the things in it, and it worked pretty well for me.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Does starting my basketball officiating career just after I turned nineteen qualify me as an official who started out as a teenage official?

MTD, Sr.

Mark, technically it does, but I'm looking more at HS age. My son is only 13. When, or if, he feels the urge to give this a try I will be able to take care of all the mechanics, court coverage, & positioning stuff. But getting him to comprehend, recognize, and then apply the rules seems like the more daunting task.

It's hard enough to get him to read a Social Studies handout then answer 10 fill-in-the-blanks questions.

[smoref]

I started officiating when I was 12 years old. A guy who was a father figure to me ran tournaments and he needed a ref so I was thrown in. I didn't join the high school association until I was 26.

I have always thought back to where I would be if I started doing is seriously while I was in high school, but I am very happy with the progress that I have made in the 6 years that I have been doing it.

I can't wait for the day that my daughter or son come up to me and ask if they can ref, but if they don't it will be okay as well.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Mark, technically it does, but I'm looking more at HS age. My son is only 13. When, or if, he feels the urge to give this a try I will be able to take care of all the mechanics, court coverage, & positioning stuff. But getting him to comprehend, recognize, and then apply the rules seems like the more daunting task.

It's hard enough to get him to read a Social Studies handout then answer 10 fill-in-the-blanks questions.

Since I am now 54 years old, I guess I was trying to recapture my boyhood and boost my self esteem.

MTD, Sr.