Every good official knows how to use their peripheal's (sp?). They also know when to take a peek or a look at the oncoming play. They don't want to be suprised. but I am talking more along the lines of a play coming from T to L's area, or calling across the lane at L or a play that is outside the arc but a little bit closer to the L than the T, or the C calling across the lane on a post play that has curled. These are all instances of plays being in the others primary, but depending on the angle, the others have just as good of a look and if not better to referee the developing play.

IMO, there are many things wrong with your post. You end by saying you don't want to ruin crew dynamics, but you have no problem with someone blowing in your area. Research has been done and blowing out of your area lowers your chance of getting a play right. Doesn't that ruin your crew dynamics? A lot can be said about getting calls right, but it seems to be simple to me. If the two or three of us are doing what we are paid to do, we do not often have to blow in each other's area. If we aren't, then we have to constantly do whatever to get plays right. Why do we have primaries and manuals if people just look all over the court during the game? Ironically, all this normally happens where the ball is. Why don't people blow in others' area off-ball? There is a name for that, it is called ball watching. Do I think this is a rigid philosophy? No, during gametime and yes during pregame, training, etc.

This is not what the OP was talking about. Picture this. You're lead, shot goes up on the baseline right in front of you. Trail is where he should be, but he calls the foul on the shot. He has no business looking there; sometimes we do. I think ballwatching is something that has to be trained out of us. But the first step in training it out of yourself is to stop blowing the whistle on that play unless it's just too blatant to miss. Even then, be prepared to explain why you were looking there when there's screeners and rebounders on your side of the lane pushing each other around.

I would ask my partner, "What did you see on the play........?" Then I would say, well since this was in my area, I had a great look at the play and I did not see it that way. Maybe then they will get the hint. If that does not work do as Mick says a lot. "Get in, get done and get out."

Peace

I completely agree (Should I have mentioned how many times I agree or disagree with your posts over several years? :D)

Peace

:D <b> </b>

as Mick says a lot. "Expecting another foot or 2 of snow over the weekend."


Man, I would rather have that than what we're having...rain, rain, rain. Friday night's football game - the lockerroom we used had a weather station right outside. I emptied the rain guage when we got there at 5:30 (hope I didn't ruin any projects)...when we left at 9:45, it read 1.2 inches. And it's been raining ever since...pouring rain all day today. Flood warnings all around...I'd rather have snow.

OK - back to the original post...err, what was the question again?

Officiating a football game in the snow is fun. Officiating a football game in a heavy rain isn't.

Worse - I was coaching! Kid runs a sweep toward our sideline, our middle backer chases him down and crushes him next to our sideline...the ensuing wave of water hit the linejudge right square in the face. Would have been funny if it wasn't 45 degrees at the time...handed him a towel and told him to duck next time.

Looks good on the LJ.

In those heavy-rain games, the middle of the field always turns into a mudhole. Those snussy's that work as the HL or FJ just hate like hell to git in there and get dirty. Part of the WhiteHat and the Umpire's job is to lure 'em into the center of the field so we can kick mud all over their clean, white knickers.

I had a partner do this to me as a JV ref.

He would call fouls from the division line as trail, in front of me on the baseline as lead. At half time I asked him politely to stop calling in front of me. He stated, "I call what I see no matter where it is on the court". I again politely asked him to stop, but he pulled the, I'm the veteran on me. So I told him calmly but firmly that if he called another one in front of me that I would make him look bad because he's making me look like I can't call the game.

2 minutes into the third I'm lead, literally 2 feet from the play. A1 has the ball driving on the baseline to the hole. A2 handchecks B1 into A1 which goes out of bounds. I hear from half court his whistle going off. He calls the foul on B1. B's coach yells at me that's my call why didn't call it. I yelled back from the base line, because A2 caused the foul and should have been called for it instead.

Needless to say the coach and my partner had a discussion after that.

In the locker room my partner asked me why I did that, I told him, "I asked you nicely twice to not call in my area, and you rudely pushed my request aside".

He picked up his bag and walked out without another word.

You shouldn't have done that! It is something I would do, but you shouldn't have done it. :D

It is bad, but I would have liked to be there during that game.

I've been known to go get one right in front of him/her...equally bad, equally wrong, against the other team he/she didn't rob with a call out of his/her area...make eye contact after the whistle to make sure they are aware that I intended it.

Of course this type of tactic is best used in rec ball, when pre-game never occurs.

Now for those that think seeing something means it's okay to call it, even outside your primary, well if it isn't something non-basketball...that means a cheap shot...leave it alone.

The backside in the lane, the gray areas where primaries meet need to be pre-gamed and are the only areas where a "reach" can occur.