Coverage Areas

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Just at a guess, Tom, how many times a year do you actually run into a game situation where you feel that you should reach out and help your partner(s) out?

I might be wrong, but I'm guessing that it isn't very often.

On occasion, in my case...

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

And the rules don't support this.

And although assignors give out the games, they don't write the rules. And if they choose who to give games to based on whether or not they follow their personal philosophy, they probably should reconsider what they're doing - they should be assigning games based on skill and fairness, not in support of their personal philosophy.

IMO, two things are indicating you haven't been doing this too long.

1. You are still wanting to find our mechanics in the rulebook. Do you even know there are mechanics books? What does our mechanics have to do with the playing rules of basketball? Will you want the coaches to put their plays in the rulebook next?

2. Look at what you said about assigners! I'm new to this area and last week I had a game with a guy who is in several conferences (3 of them are D1). One of the first things he says to me is, "In this league..." He said that because different assigners have different philosophies. That is the way it is so you should just get over it.

How long have you been officiating and what level do you currently work? I'm only curious because what you are complaining about is just the nature of the beast.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

On occasion, in my case...

Can you explain, in detail, the difference between "not very often" and "on occasion?"

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by tomegun

And your guess would be correct!

And that was probably the exact same point that both of us were trying to make.

It just doesn't happen often enough to warrant looking all over the gym. Jmo, but if and when it does happen, it will grab your attention anyway. You won't have to look for it.

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by tomegun

IMO, two things are indicating you haven't been doing this too long.

1. You are still wanting to find our mechanics in the rulebook. Do you even know there are mechanics books? What does our mechanics have to do with the playing rules of basketball? Will you want the coaches to put their plays in the rulebook next?

2. Look at what you said about assigners! I'm new to this area and last week I had a game with a guy who is in several conferences (3 of them are D1). One of the first things he says to me is, "In this league..." He said that because different assigners have different philosophies. That is the way it is so you should just get over it.

How long have you been officiating and what level do you currently work? I'm only curious because what you are complaining about is just the nature of the beast.

8 years, Jr High/HS JV, Soccer, basketball, and Swimming.

And I am saying different assignors can have different philosophies, just as different officials can have different philosophies. Choosing to accept or refuse to do a game because of philosophy is one thing. Assigning games based on a personal philosophy is completely another.

As for mechanics - I have all of the books related to NFHS basketball (all 5-6 of them) as of 2 years back. I know mechanics are listed separately. What I am saying is the rules say one thing, and mechanics contradict this (in regards to what people can and should call). If the mechanics are so important that they overshadow the rules, or change them, shouldn't they be part of the rules? If they are only guidelines, then we can choose to follow them or now.

Now, if a League has different rules, that's fine. Those are the rules of the league, and they are rules, like the game rules. If the league says to follow those mechanics without fail, then the conflict mentioned in the last paragraph shows up.

Maybe it is the nature of the beast.

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Can you explain, in detail, the difference between "not very often" and "on occasion?"

Very little. Not very often to me means a couple of times a season. On occasion means, to me, maybe between several times a game and once every several games.

Also, not very often is a negative statement. On occasion is a positive statement. Both are similar, but different in how they state the point.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

And I would love to know what you think I said that indicated my local rules interpreter said I was doing was wrong. The only time I mentioned anything like that was when the rules interpreter said "Ignore a call outside your area, rather than get the call right". If that's what you're talking about, then you are fully in support of passing on calls of anything that is outside your area, regardless of if it is the right call or not. You're saying it is the wrong call if it is outside your area, period. And the rules don't support this.

Well, David, first of all, I don't think that you really understand what your rules interpreter, as well as people on this forum, are trying to tell you. And second, if you choose to ignore what your interpreter and assignor are telling you, you will have all kinds of time available to officiate soccer games.

[tomegun]

OK wise guy, how long have you been officiating basketball and what levels? I didn't want you to group swimming and soccer into the answer.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

On occasion means, to me, maybe between several times a game and once every several games.

You have games where you just have to go into your partner's area several times to make calls that you think they're missing? Several times in one game?

It's a wonder that you've lived as long as you have.

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by tomegun

OK wise guy, how long have you been officiating basketball and what levels? I didn't want you to group swimming and soccer into the answer.

6 years of basketball, Jr High through JV. - Happy?

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

6 years of basketball, Jr High through JV. - Happy?

Forget whether I'm happy or not. Your original answer was misleading and IMO you did that on purpose. I could go on and on about that, but I won't.

You are talking like you have this thing beat, but you don't. In reality, very few of us do (not me). However, you cannot tell an assigner what to do or have such a hard stance on officiating at such an early stage of your career. You could slow your progress down by doing what you are talking about when you make it to varsity. The R could report back to your assigner and your progress could come to a halt. Just think about it. If you are using the board to vent that is cool. Just let that be known.

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

You have games where you just have to go into your partner's area several times to make calls that you think they're missing? Several times in one game?

It's a wonder that you've lived as long as you have.

I didn't say I HAVE to. I said that it has happened.

As for living, that is just another example of the ego concept - "How could you POSSIBLY want to come into my area that much?" I think if we threw the egos out, and just did our best for the game as a whole (and not just for our individual areas), we would be much better off. You folks are saying it is best for the game if we stay in our own little areas and out of each others. Again, I say, if it is THAT important, make it a rule, and only allow officials to call stuff in their primaries. If there are two games running on parallel courts, I don't have the right to call stuff on the other court - why should I have the right to call stuff outside my primary if I'm never supposed to?

I have rarely found a basketball official that is willing to admit they messed a call up (and fix it, when possible), except to other officials or other people, like coaches, after a game, when their mistake stands. Basketball officials, of all of the officials I have seen and had contact with, have the biggest ego "My call-right or wrong", or "It was my call to mess up, so stay out of my area". And again, I need to say - I'm not the one determining the right-ness of the call - it is a call that anyone who knows what they are doing that is watching would admit is wrong.

[drinkeii]

Originally Posted by tomegun

Forget whether I'm happy or not. Your original answer was misleading and IMO you did that on purpose. I could go on and on about that, but I won't.

You are talking like you have this thing beat, but you don't. In reality, very few of us do (not me). However, you cannot tell an assigner what to do or have such a hard stance on officiating at such an early stage of your career. You could slow your progress down by doing what you are talking about when you make it to varsity. The R could report back to your assigner and your progress could come to a halt. Just think about it. If you are using the board to vent that is cool. Just let that be known.

First, I was not being misleading - I consider myself to have been officiating sports for 8 years - soccer and swimming for 8, and basketball for 6. I actually have been officiating basketball for close to 8, just not with the PIAA.

As for progress, I am relatively happy with the level of games I work. Some people have aspirations to become a college official or professional - I'm happy where I'm at. I like to try to get better, but don't necessarily see a need to move up to higher levels.

And no, I can't tell an assignor what to do. But I can have a problem with how they do things, and be willing to make this publically known. I don't have a problem with our current assignors in any of the sports I officiate.

We have different rules interpreters and assignors in our chapters. I think this is a good thing. But I also find it interesting that the rules interpreter gives very detailed information about how certain rules are to be interpreted, and many officials just do whatever they want, and get games anyway. I'm not talking mechanics - I'm talking the rules themselves. This makes no sense to me. Besides, again - the mechanics are guidelines - the rules are the rules.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

I think if we threw the egos out, and just did our best for the game as a whole (and not just for our individual areas), we would be much better off.

There is just one very small, tiny, wee problem though, David. Along with throwing the egos out, you're also throwing out standard floor coverages that the NFHS has developed and established over many years, along with the accompanying calling philosophies that go along with those floor coverages.

Don't let that stop you though.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by drinkeii

First, I was not being misleading - I consider myself to have been officiating sports for 8 years - soccer and swimming for 8, and basketball for 6. I actually have been officiating basketball for close to 8, just not with the PIAA.

Would that be officiating intramural basketball up to now, David, by any chance?