I need your opinion
 

Like Ive said before I am a relatively new official, but just now got serious. I need some help on a issue that I have. This is kind of vague, and I expect to get different point of views. I am not really sure what to be "thinking" when I am refing off-ball and then on-ball. For example, this happens to a lot of officials, but I am just looking around, and then out of nowhere, someone trips and I have no idea what happened. Was it a block, was it a charge, etc.? So that is my question, what are you thinking when you are watching the paint? Also what are you trail when on-ball, ect. I know all of this will perfect with experience, but I need to learn what it is I need to be doing. I have 5 games tommorow, so I will practice all of this. (also quick question, what do you prefer: rulebook or officials manual?)

Self Talk
 

Tiger Woods says he has conversations with himself regarding his play, while he is playing. I have found it helpful to develop my own brand of self talk when I am on the floor, i.e. - As L, "Where is my first competitive match-up?" or "Is that defender secondary or primary to me?" or "Where is the ball?" or "Did the player gain an advantage?" These are just some of the things that help me. There are many other processes but the sooner you develop this kind of process, the better you will be!
TR

Sounds like you are having the same problem all of us have had. Its called ball watching!! Here's something to help you officiate off ball and to stay in your primary. Find your competitive match-ups in your area. I.E Offensive player and a defensive player. Find their #'s and say to yourself I'm refereeing #'s so & so. When your refereeing your match ups your refereeing the defense first. Your looking for illegal contact by the defense or offense

When your on ball the same thing exists. Referee the defense. While keeping an eye on the offense looking for illegal contact or violations.

I defiantly prefer the rule book. You have to know the rules. The manual will help you to understand the mechanics of officiating. Like knowing what your primary is.

Lastly, experience is the best teacher. Find a good association and join. Look for a good mentor in your association and be willing to learn

Good Luck!!!

Stop watching the ball. Watch the players in your area. Stay wide so that you can see more. If you do not see the entire play, then it's nothing.

You need all the books: rule book, case book and official's manual. You can't choose one and ignore the rest.

The simple answer to your (boldface) question above is "Yes". You can't "prefer" one over the other...you have to know and apply each, all the time, every time.

To learn to watch off-ball, tape a college game from a TV broadcast. Watch the game as usual, until there's an off-ball foul. Then rewind the tape until a few seconds before that off-ball foul. Watch to see the foul develop. The first time you try this, you won't succeed. So rewind and try again. Once you clearly see the foul as it develops, rewind and watch it again. Then in your next game, watch off-ball as much as you can, until you catch a real foul. Once you've got that under your belt, it's a lot easier to look off.

As far as what else to watch, I think the easiest way to maintain a proper focus is to speak to your self out loud. You can do it quietly, but doing it out loud helps keep your attention "out there" and not in your head. Speak the numbers of the players in your primary, and do it by match ups. "13 on 15, 32 on 44" and so on. Then aDD a sort of running commentary, again quietly, but out loud. "14 screens 31, 31 dodges around, 44 drops to the basket to catch a pass...." Another way to talk at this level is to try to see the plays. Is defense in a zone or a match-up? Is offense running the pick-and-roll to the left, or the right? When the coach yells, "33 crimson" what does that mean?

Once you can do this with consistency, start adding the thought and the word, "legal". 14 screens, legal, 31 dodges, well, legal, 44 drops to the basket, no contact so legal..." There's a lot more legal stuff to concentrate on, so it's easier to keep your head in the game. As you watch a play develop, you'll see the illegal stuff more easily if you're also watching for the legal stuff.

I "self talk" sometimes too. Especially in the slot. Things like..."Off Ball" "Competitive matchup"....."Ref the D"

I never thought of it that way, but that's great. I can see that helping the brain digest exactly what it is seeing.