One man mechanics

[bigwhistle]

I saw an article posted today on one man mechanics at this site today and wondered if anybody has a better way to work a solo game than is suggested.

Just being curious in case the situation arises this season.

[Danvrapp]

Try to stay opposite the table, and have a talk with the table people before the game, and ask 'em to keep an eye on the sideline for you. Sometimes, they can be useful for OOB situations, and that way you don't have to use the arrow so much.

That, and stick to your guns. You're (obviously) going to miss quite a bit of "stuff," so don't let either coach intimidate you. If you talk with the coaches before the game and they're OK with you working alone, the have to expect that you'll miss a call or two.....or three....or four....

[bob jenkins]

1) You have two options: Work the coach's side (as recommended in the article) or work opposite the table. If you work the coach's side, you'll see what they see. If you work opposite, you'll be able to see the bench and won't have to listen to them as much. I prefer to work opposite most of the time, , but if I need to be table-side, that's okay for a few trips down the floor.

2) I'm generally free-throw line to free-throw line, but I'll go baseline for a throw-in, and on free-throws, or if I sense a play is going that way. If that means I'm training behind on a fast-break or two, so be it.

3) Get a good off-ball call on each team early (this is good advice for two-and three-person officiating as well).

[mick]

Originally posted by bob jenkins
1) You have two options: Work the coach's side (as recommended in the article) or work opposite the table. If you work the coach's side, you'll see what they see. If you work opposite, you'll be able to see the bench and won't have to listen to them as much. I prefer to work opposite most of the time, , but if I need to be table-side, that's okay for a few trips down the floor.

2) I'm generally free-throw line to free-throw line, but I'll go baseline for a throw-in, and on free-throws, or if I sense a play is going that way. If that means I'm training behind on a fast-break or two, so be it.

3) Get a good off-ball call on each team early (this is good advice for two-and three-person officiating as well).

Bob,
I prefer "opposite " also. And, I work the same as you with regard to 2) and 3).
Also, I am happy to say I have never had to work a varsity game alone, so... at the beginning of the game, I have always asked the coaches to help me on their side, as necessary.
mick

[JRutledge]

I personally go where ever I need to go. I go across the court, go to the baseline, or anywhere the ball is or go where the ball is going to be. I use all the principles of of 3 man, or 2 man to get good angles. But no matter what, I move all over the place. This might not be a popular thing to do, but I move all over and do not car where the ball is. And if it looks like I am hustling, they tend to stay off your back. And that is really what I want to accomplish anyway. And I am rather younger and athletic, so moving around is not a problem for me. If you are not young and athletic, you might want to be more deliberate in your movements than me. But I think you need to let the play, or plays dictate where you go. If you have an offense that is always up top and throwing the ball back and forth between guards, you might not need to move at all. But if you have a post game, you might favor a lower position.

[Just Curious]

Originally posted by JRutledge
If you are not young and athletic, you might want to be more deliberate in your movements than me. But I think you need to let the play, or plays dictate where you go.

This is crucial when us old folk try to get out of our wheelchairs (after we wheeled it up from the baseline or all the way across the court), grab our canes/crutches, and try to get our hands around the throat of some fan 3 to 4 rows behind the scoretable before we "forget" where we were going.....

[mick]

Originally posted by JRutledge
I personally go where ever I need to go. I go across the court, go to the baseline, or anywhere the ball is or go where the ball is going to be. I use all the principles of of 3 man, or 2 man to get good angles. But no matter what, I move all over the place. This might not be a popular thing to do, but I move all over and do not car where the ball is. And if it looks like I am hustling, they tend to stay off your back. And that is really what I want to accomplish anyway. And I am rather younger and athletic, so moving around is not a problem for me. If you are not young and athletic, you might want to be more deliberate in your movements than me. But I think you need to let the play, or plays dictate where you go. If you have an offense that is always up top and throwing the ball back and forth between guards, you might not need to move at all. But if you have a post game, you might favor a lower position.

Rut,
I used to do that.
But, my G.A.S. meter doesn't read high enough.
Probably is age.

Are you runnin' around in your cute little knickers?

mick

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by mick

Rut,
I used to do that.
But, my G.A.S. meter doesn't read high enough.
Probably is age.

Are you runnin' around in your cute little knickers?

mick

Reminds me of a story:

One fine day 2 bulls, a younger one (let's call him Jeff)
and an older one (let's call him Mick) were walking through
the pasture when they saw a herd of cows gathered up on a
hill. Jeff turns to Mick and says: "Hey Mick, let's run up
that hill and intoduce ourselves* to one of them cows!"
Mick turns to Jeff and says: "Nah, let's just walk up there
and intoduce ourselves* to all of them!"

*Nudge nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean, eh, know what I
mean!

[mick]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

Reminds me of a story:

One fine day 2 bulls, a younger one (let's call him Jeff)
and an older one (let's call him Mick) were walking through
the pasture when they saw a herd of cows gathered up on a
hill. Jeff turns to Mick and says: "Hey Mick, let's run up
that hill and intoduce ourselves* to one of them cows!"
Mick turns to Jeff and says: "Nah, let's just walk up there
and intoduce ourselves* to all of them!"

*Nudge nudge, wink, wink, know what I mean, eh, know what I
mean!

Sparky,
I don't get it.
Sounds like Bull.
You need a game don't you?

mick


...and yer probably right

[mikeref]

Other than summer league basketball, where do officials call games with only 1 official? In Wisconsin we are told (by the WIAA) NEVER and I mean NEVER to officiate a game by yourself, no matter what the situation. The possibility of some type of lawsuit is ever present!! Do not think for one minute that some mom or dad in the stands would not take your behind to court if something happened. No game is important enough to put your career on the line. The society that we live in makes that absolutely ctystal clear.....at least to me!!!

[mick]

Originally posted by mikeref
Other than summer league basketball, where do officials call games with only 1 official? In Wisconsin we are told (by the WIAA) NEVER and I mean NEVER to officiate a game by yourself, no matter what the situation. The possibility of some type of lawsuit is ever present!! Do not think for one minute that some mom or dad in the stands would not take your behind to court if something happened. No game is important enough to put your career on the line. The society that we live in makes that absolutely ctystal clear.....at least to me!!!

mike,
Happened to me once last year. ...maybe 3 times total.
My partner didn't show up because he volunteered to put out a house fire with his volunteer Fire Dept.
Did the JV alone and had a replacement show up for the varsity game.
I know of no MHSAA reason to not "Do what we have to do".
mick

[Camron Rust]

I do exactly as JRutledge

Originally posted by JRutledge
I personally go where ever I need to go. I go across the court, go to the baseline, or anywhere the ball is or go where the ball is going to be. I use all the principles of of 3 man, or 2 man to get good angles. But no matter what, I move all over the place. This might not be a popular thing to do, but I move all over and do not care where the ball is. And if it looks like I am hustling, they tend to stay off your back. And that is really what I want to accomplish anyway.

[Mark Padgett]

I try and alternate sides, with a tendency to work over 2/3 of the time away from the benches, for reasons stated above. Also, before the game, I tell the coaches that I'm not going to see everything, but I'll do the best I can. If it's a rec game, I tell them that all inbounds in the backcourt below the free throw line due to a foul or violation will be inbounded at the free throw line. That helps a lot.

I usually don't go below the free throw line on either side, and generally wind up working at about the 3 point line most of the time the offense is setting up. Sometimes I notice a team will have a tendency to be "right or left handed" on offense, so I try to work that side.

Also - don't be afraid to call jumps if you really don't see who touched it last on OOB. Now, having said that, you will find that a lot of the time on an OOB, the proper team will just go over to inbound the ball while the other team gets set on defense, so that makes it easy to tell who should have the ball. Try to wait to see if that happens before you call a jump.

[rgaudreau]

I know that in the league that I coach, it is very rare to get more than one ref except for playoff games. There aren't enough refs to go around.

We're gradually trying to train high school students to ref by involving them in local clinics. But it is not always too easy.

The worse thing about only having one ref per game is that if they get sick or delayed, the home coach has to take over. I enjoy reffing, but I'd rather coach my team, than ref a game they are playing in.

Ren Gaudreau
Timmins, On, CANADA

[rainmaker]

This is what I always say to all the starters:

"The rules are a little different when I'm working alone.
1. I will try to stay out of the play, but if I'm not as fast as the ball, you're going to have to work around me.

2. Please chase the ball for me, and be honest about the OOB's.

3. No one is allowed to foul if I'm not looking. "

Girls always laugh at that last one, boys never do.

Last game I started alone, there wasn't a single foul until my partner showed up about five minutes into the game!!