Most Difficult Level to Officiate

[jdw3018]

I'm getting started again this year for the first time after a couple years off, and have had JH boys and girls, a JV boys scrimmage, a V boys scrimmage and a V girls scrimmage. Needless to say, I'm having a great time, and am pleasantly surprised at how quickly it's all coming back to me. Of course, I'm also older and the pains are even quicker to come back!

Just out of curiosity, what level does everyone feel is the most difficult to officiate? JH, JV, V? Boys? Girls?

Personally, the most difficult time I've had so far was with the JH girls. Some of that was the first game, some of it was both teams full-court pressing the entire game, but I really feel those games are difficult because the level of skill is relatively low, there's a TON of incidental contact - mostly due to being uncoordinated - and it's very difficult to call a consistent game because of the amount of "gray" involved. The different maturity levels at that age is always a factor, as there was a 5'10 girl running down the court next to a 4'10 girl.

Anyway, just looking for some feedback, and also any advice on how to adjust my calling when going level-to-level - I've got everything from two Varsity games each on Tuesday and Friday next week, to Jr. High "B" Team the next.

Thanks!

[rainmaker]

The most difficult level to officiate today is whatever is the opposite of what you just did yesterday. So if you've got JH girls yesterday, and you did V boys yesterday, well, God help you! And vice versa, of course.

[BEAREF]

I think that skill level has a lot to do with the difficulty or ease to officiate. The better the skill level the easier it is for me to officiate. When I'm working the lower level games I feel that it's important to call the very obvious fouls and violations but I have to admit that there is some stuff that I just let go. In my opinion I am there so things don't get out of hand. I've worked some 5th grade boys teams that play more disciplined defense than some of the varsity teams...boy, were they fun to work!

[jritchie]

I agree, the hardest thing is adjusting to something different everynight! I called a boys NAIA game on saturday and then girls varsity last night, it's daylight and dark, you have to adjust to it! But i have to say that the biddy league games are the hardest to TRY and call.. You have to deal with the little johnny and suzie's that don't have a clue and their parents think they are all stars and you have to play coach more than official! What is the worst is doing biddie league early saturday morning for 4 or 5 hours, then having to adjust and do a College level game that night, have to adjust really quick.. It's all good though, it's all for the kids.

[Junker]

JH girls is the worst to me. I have found that the better games I work, the harder it is to go down and work lower level games. Friday night I had my first HS games of the year (I've been working some college for 3 weeks or so). The JV girls game was just an incredible eye opener for me. It was incredibly difficult to stay focused and call the game because the skill level was nowhere near what I had been seeing. Adjusting to a higher level has its difficulties, but going down is harder I think.

[tjones1]

Well, I have found the hardest level to call is whenever the ball isn't going into the hole! In most cases, it's the lower levels.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

Anyway, just looking for some feedback, and also any advice on how to adjust my calling when going level-to-level - I've got everything from two Varsity games each on Tuesday and Friday next week, to Jr. High "B" Team the next.

Thanks!

I think the easiest way to make the adjustments back and forth, is to develop a set of mantras that you can sort of chant to yourself as you are driving to the game, and then in the first few minutes. Here are some of mine.

Going into a JH girls game: "Call the obvious, watch for illegal screens, quick on the held ball."

Going from JH girls into boys V ( I make this shift a lot during the off season) "Hold the whistle, let 'em play, but call the obvious. Watch for advantage. Keep an eye in the post."

Then into JV girls,: "Quick on the held ball, call the contact tight, no cheap and-1's".

You'll develop your own. Even so, eventually, I think you have to start to cut out the lowest level games, except for real emergencies. I know around here there are some college assignors that won't "let" you work JH games. They don't like how it affects their games.

[blindzebra]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

I think the easiest way to make the adjustments back and forth, is to develop a set of mantras that you can sort of chant to yourself as you are driving to the game, and then in the first few minutes. Here are some of mine.

Going into a JH girls game: "Call the obvious, watch for illegal screens, quick on the held ball."

Going from JH girls into boys V ( I make this shift a lot during the off season) "Hold the whistle, let 'em play, but call the obvious. Watch for advantage. Keep an eye in the post."

Then into JV girls,: "Quick on the held ball, call the contact tight, no cheap and-1's".

You'll develop your own. Even so, eventually, I think you have to start to cut out the lowest level games, except for real emergencies. I know around here there are some college assignors that won't "let" you work JH games. They don't like how it affects their games.

Mantras to focus are good and all, but I disagree with the quick on the held ball.

I see way too many held balls called in girls games, and being quick is one of the reasons why.

I see way too much contact passed on to arrive at that quick held ball too when the girls are standing...ball on the floor fine, avoid a big dog pile, but too many times players are trying to tie up any ball they can get near during normal play.

I see them grabbing from the side, bear hugs from behind and a lot of times I see a held ball as a result and that quick to call a held ball plays into that, IMO. Call the foul in those situations early and they cut that crap out and start playing basketball the right way.

I worked 7 games in a girls varsity holiday tournament last week and in those 7 games we only had 3 or 4 held balls and all were on the floor...and no we weren't in the double bonus in the first quarter either.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by blindzebra

I worked 7 games in a girls varsity holiday tournament last week and in those 7 games we only had 3 or 4 held balls and all were on the floor...and no we weren't in the double bonus in the first quarter either.

You may notice that I was talking about JH girls. Which is very, very, very different from varsity girls.

You also may notice that I said, "Your mantras might be different from mine."

You also may notice that the held balls were absolutely not the point of the thread.

And as long as this is turning into a list, you also may notice that the thread was about switching levels, not about held balls.

Just want to point that out. Also, there is a little button both bottom and top of every page on this site for starting a new thread. Get the hint?

[blindzebra]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

You may notice that I was talking about JH girls. Which is very, very, very different from varsity girls.

You also may notice that I said, "Your mantras might be different from mine."

You also may notice that the held balls were absolutely not the point of the thread.

And as long as this is turning into a list, you also may notice that the thread was about switching levels, not about held balls.

Just want to point that out. Also, there is a little button both bottom and top of every page on this site for starting a new thread. Get the hint?

JH or JV even more of a reason not to be quick on the held ball...break them of that habit early, play basketball and stop mugging players trying to tie it up.

As for the rest...there are many new officials that read the forum looking for advice and when they see 7000 posts, they might just heed that advice, without thinking it through. I completely disagree with the philosophy you posted and wanted those new officials to get that opposing point of view.

If you are too thin skinned to be disagreed with, perhaps posting on a forum isn't such a good idea.

And the lower the talent level, the harder the officiating.

[daveg144]

I have always thought that JV girls is the hardest level to officiate (especially at small schools because if you have any talent you'll be on the varsity team). Many times there is no one who can handle the ball well, so you end up with a lot of held balls and travelling calls. As was said earlier, there is also a lot of contact because players can't get out of each other's way. You've really got to try and be patient with your whistle so they can have some "flow" to the game.

Elementary school and younger kid's games are a different animal, but I have always enjoyed working them. The parents are usually worse (seems like the younger the players the worse the parents) and often times the coaches have no clue. However, the kids are almost always great. They're smiling all the time whether they're up or down by 20 points.

I've worked some 5th grade boys tournaments where both teams score in the 50's (with 6 minute quarters)! That's just a lot of fun to see kids that young play so well (okay, so they don't always play great defense!).

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by blindzebra

JH or JV even more of a reason not to be quick on the held ball...break them of that habit early, play basketball and stop mugging players trying to tie it up.

As for the rest...there are many new officials that read the forum looking for advice and when they see 7000 posts, they might just heed that advice, without thinking it through. I completely disagree with the philosophy you posted and wanted those new officials to get that opposing point of view.

If you are too thin skinned to be disagreed with, perhaps posting on a forum isn't such a good idea.

And the lower the talent level, the harder the officiating.

Thin-skkinned?? Me?? Well, yea, sometimes, but not here. Sheez if my self-identity depended on what people like you think of me, I would be in trouble.

I don't understand why the philosophy of the mantra is that difficult for you to accept. Self-talk is a very valuable tool in making mental adjustments, whether temporary or permanent. I would have thought that would be just a basic psychological principle that wouldn't need much discussion. I agree that no one should adopt anything I say (or that anyone else here on the baord says) without thinking it through first. So if the OP thinks through the mantra thing, and decides it works for him, will it be okay for him to adopt it, even though you don't agree? rolleyes yourself, fella...

[M&M Guy]

I was starting to get a little hungry...

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I was starting to get a little hungry...

SHHH!!! ...pass some of that over here...

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

SHHH!!! ...pass some of that over here...

...As soon as I finish wiping up the spilled beer and chips...

Need salt?