How much do you talk?

[Scrapper1]

I don't talk a lot. I don't usually verbalize the type of foul at the spot. I will sometimes verbalize the number of the player who fouled (kind of verbal bird-dogging). I try ALWAYS to verbalize the shooter's number if we have free throws. I will say "the ball went in" if my partner has a foul and may not have seen the try enter the basket. I will tell my partner that I have his/her shooter (without saying the shooter's number).

Occasionally, I will say "good call, partner" on a bang-bang play if I also have a fist in the air.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I try ALWAYS to verbalize the shooter's number if we have free throws.

And I usually never do this. Only because I have a tendency to remember the last thing I verbalized if something unusual happens in between the foul call and reporting. After the foul, I used to say, "White 35 is my shooter." Then two players will give each other a stare-down, and I would step in between them to calm them down, call for someone with a towel to wipe up the floor, quickly answer the one player's question about what he did, another player comes up and wants a TO, so I tell them to hang on for a moment, and then when I FINALLY get to the table to report, I say "White, 35...(oh, crap)". That's why I started verbalizing the color and number of the player who fouled, and pointing to the shooter and saying, "Here's my shooter" so my partners are able to pick it up. This is just something that works for me; not everyone has the same problem I do of not enough space in short-term memory to remember everything...

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

"Here's my shooter" so my partners are able to pick it up. This is just something that works for me; not everyone has the same problem I do of not enough space in short-term memory to remember everything...

Works for me too.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

Works for me too.

What works for you too?

What were we talking about?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

What works for you too?

What were we talking about?

We were talking?

[truerookie]

I am a talker.

[refnrev]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

We were talking?

______________________________
I think you two are talking too much.

[rockyroad]

Between partners, I don't believe it is possible to over-communicate. The more communication between us, the better...most of the ugly things that have happened in my games can be traced back to some lack of communication. Doesn't even have to be verbal - just looking and making eye-contact is a big thing...but when we have weird things going on, it really settles everyone down when they hear us communicating with each other.

Between us and coaches, the communication should be kept to a minimum...if they have a reasonable question, I will respond. If they want to whine and gripe, we're not gonna talk very much that night...

Between us and players, communication helps a lot. I talk to players during dead ball periods quite often. I stay away from things like "Stop doing this" or "Set better screens" and just keep it light with them...if they have a reasonable question, I will answer it. If they come in griping, they get told to knock it off...

[zebraman]

I agree, it's almost impossible to overcommunicate with partners. I communicate more every year and verbalize way more than I used to also.

[jeffpea]

Don't forget that you communicate using many different "tools": whistle (volume, duration, etc); body language (lethargic looks indecisive or energetic/sharp looks confident); movement; etc.

IMHO, there is a solution to every problem and it will always include communication.