Pre Game

[Official99]

Originally Posted by garote

One that I always use, I usually say more for myself than my partner. OFF-BALL, OFF-BALL, OFF-BALL...any idiot with 3 cents in their pocket can call the ball. The refs that move up are the ones that get the off-ball calls!!!!

Thats a great point. Especially if you are trying to move up. Observers like officials that make good calls off-ball... especially in their own area. Very rarely does a game need six eyes on the ball; very rarely does it need four eyes on the ball! Stay home, make the calls and trust your partner. Most experienced referees can tell if their partner is a strong or weak official before they even walk on the floor. You will know before the game even starts if "your" areas are going to be wider (so you can help out and pick up the slack) or smaller (because you are working with a Jim Burr and don't want to over step your boundary).

Another thing I like to talk about is keeping it even. If I make a call at one end of the floor, my partner should know about it so they can make the same call at the other end (if the same or similar situation should happen down there). If the crew is making consistent calls at both ends of the floor, no one can complain.