Rookie-my hat is off to you veterans

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

if that's what they like to do whee you work

Reminds me of Muhammed Ali's great poem:

Me
Whee!

-back to the football game.......

[dan74]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

OK, the first game - after his awesome pregame - I would have covered my mouth and told him if he ever said anything like that in a pregame about how great he was and how inexperienced I was - he could work alone! I assure you, if he doesn't need me there - I'm heading to the house. There aren't enough games or there isn't enough money to put up with a$$e$ like that.

I'm insensed at his actions and words.

I didn't say anything after his comment before the first game because I thought he may have just slipped and didn't mean anything by it (I hadn't met the guy before that night).

I've been giving officials that partner with me a lot of latitude, as I'm trying to learn and not make waves. Once he introduced me the same way before the second game, I tried to distance myself from him as much as possible. He'd corner the coaches and drone on about unique basketball situations he's come across. All of his story's had a similar pattern, he was always right and others were idiots. Rather than confront him, I got out of there as soon as the home team hit the last second game winner. As the home team's players and coaches were running onto the court to swarm the hero, I was running for my bag to get the heck out of there.

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

I'm insensed at his actions and words.

Incensed. Sorry, had to do it before someone else beat me to it.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by dan74

I didn't say anything after his comment before the first game because I thought he may have just slipped and didn't mean anything by it (I hadn't met the guy before that night).

I've been giving officials that partner with me a lot of latitude, as I'm trying to learn and not make waves.

If you do have to work with him again, God forbid, when he says that stuff in pre-game again, which he will, you look at the coaches, laugh flippantly and say, "He's such a card!" Then say seriously, "We're both going to work hard for you and with you, and give you our best game ever!" Then just turn and walk away. Let him stew in his own juices.

[Back In The Saddle]

Being around HS students working games frequently reminds me why I'm so glad that I'm not in HS any more. And reading your original post reminds me why I'm so glad I got through my first couple of years.

Being a rookie is tough. Setting aside those, hopefully few, idiot partners (hey, what else can you really do, you can't fix 'em!), just learning to do the job takes time and patience. You will make a lot of mistakes. You will look at a lot of plays and just scratch your head and wonder what you should have called or done. You'll look at plays and realize too late what you should have called. You will hear reactions from players/coaches/fans at something you called or no-called and wonder what game they are watching. Actually, that part never really goes away.

All the while, you'll be getting better at calling stuff that you previously missed, or mishandled, or just plain screwed up. Little by little, game by game, you'll get better.

And once you get the T thing sorted out, and learn when and how to use it effectively, you'll find that you get more respect, and coaches will begin to pick their battles more intelligently. Or could it be that by that time most coaches will have seen you and come to accept you more anyway. Kind of a chicken and egg thing for rookies.

Then, every once in a while you'll get a game where there is a lot of stuff that you've gotten good at, and nothing much that you're not good at yet, and you'll walk away feeling like you completely nailed that game. You won't be able to stop grinning for days. It'll remind you once again why we do this...

BECAUSE IT'S FUN!

So stick with it. Hang in there. Keep working hard. Find something that motivates you (perhaps even the thought of passing up all those D-level officials who made your life difficult in the early days), and keep on keepin' on.

And like Rainmaker alluded to, this time of year it just gets more intense. Around here, and I assume it's similar in most areas, we're just starting region play. Now it's for real. All the games up to this point were to get the teams ready for region. Region win/loss records determine who moves on. You get more rivalry games, the intensity goes up, and sometimes the ugly comes out.

Case in point, before this week, I have not had a single non-administrative T in any of my games. This week, I've had five. Three have been on players, two on coaches. Three were in one game. In both coach cases, I've warned and then (shortly) T'd, and the game became significantly better. I think you'll find equally remarkable results.

As for the whole to-stop-sign-or-not-to-stop-sign debate, new officials should absolutely make the stop sign a part of their bag of tools for controlling coaches. Inexperienced officials usually take too much crap. And then only T when they're completely frustrated and fed up with a coach. They haven't learned the skills of how to deal with coaches in the time between when the behavior starts and the T is warranted. Using the stop sign gives you a tool to use in that space. But if the coach runs the stop sign, T him immediately. And if the behavior has no "escalation," if it is immediately over the line, whack without warning.

Bottom line, stick with it. It'll get better.

[Terrapins Fan]

I have heard that about 1 out of 3 people who take the training, quit after the 1st year. In our association it seems to be much higher than that.

Lasy year we had 8 start and on 2 in the ned. this year, 10 started the classes and there are only 2 left now.

We start our officials off with middle school games, the pay is low, the travel distance is high sometimes. I was offered a middle school game the other day, the pay is $35 but the travel was 65 miles each way. I can see why someone wouldn't want to take an assignment like that. And on top of it deal with the fans, coaches and players....

[bigdogrunnin]

I would dare to say that 1 out of every 2 officials who get in, are out within the first 3 years after starting. A lot crap to put up with. Get in there, do your job the best you can, then get out of there and reflect on your performance. Don't let fans bother you . . . 99.999% know less about the rules of basketball than G.W. Bush. As you improve as an official, your confidence will also improve. Your issues with coaches will also decrease because of better game management. Hang in there!

As for your partner . . . YOU GOT HOSED!!! I would NEVER sell out my partner. As far as coaches know, we all have at least 20+ years experience calling NCAA D-I basketball, or at least that is what they can think.

[IowaMike]

Your partner selling you out at the pregame was a bad move on his part. I worked with veteran officials who were jerks when I was a newbie too as I am sure we all have. The guy who comes in for your freshman game and lets you know what a big favor he is doing someone by working such a low level game because hey, he has done college games. Then he tells you all about how great he is. I hope to God I never become that guy. I will say that 95% of the officials I have ever worked with were great people who tried to help me when I was less experienced.

I didn't start officiating until I was 39 so stick with it. It does get better and so will you. I don't think I could have done it when I was 18 because I was probably too much of a hothead. The maturity of the additional years is a good thing for me. As you get more comfortable with yourself on the court, the criticism from the coaches will bother you less and you won't take it as personally. You will also become more comfortable dealing with them. Don't be afraid to give out a T, it is just another violation. Don't make it personal, it's just one call out of many you might make during a game. I honestly don't even hear coaches or the fans most of the time anymore. Good luck and hang in there.

[blindofficial]

I don't let anyone get to me. Now saying that, I realize there is a line where a 'T' is warranted, but I tend to not let it get to that point. That being said, some coaches want to get a 'T' to fire the team up.

I'd just ditto what everyone else has said before and that is to just relax and have fun! Also, SELL THE CALL! I've learned if you sell the call, even if its your first or 40th year, the coaches tend believe you know what you're doing if you sell the calls.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by blindofficial

Also, SELL THE CALL! I've learned if you sell the call, even if its your first or 40th year, the coaches tend believe you know what you're doing if you sell the calls.

Hmmmm.....

I've always found that the calls usually sell themselves. Get 'em right and there's no real need to sell 'em.

There might be a case for selling a tight block/charge call at a critical point of the game, but other than that I personally don't believe in the big sell. Just making the call confidently is good enough imo.

[deecee]

in the beginning over T it up baby -- then as you get more comfortable tone it down. but new guys take tooooo much from coaches. you could always tell a coach

"coach you are talking to me like you assume this is my first game I have ever officiated. you keep it up and your assumption will be proven very wrong very fast."

DO NOT YELL THIS ACROSS THE GYM -- this is a you to coach line -- some might say you are baiting him I call it a test.

[dan74]

First, if I'm the lead and hear a coaches comment that I feel is over the line, do I stop the clock and then go to the coach or wait until the next dead ball?

Second, I just read a highly debated thread having to do with rookies who may be calling too many violations/fouls, therefore, "interupting" game flow. I, on the other hand, am a rookie who leans to the other side of the spectrum.

For background, I was a basketball player with a football body. As a result, and not being the quickest player on the court, I played post and banged a bit more than most. I, so far as an official, have allowed a more physical style of play, but I've also considered my bias and have been cognizant of advantage/disadvantage. Also, being new, I have assumed , rightly or wrongly, that my more experienced partners wouldn't want a rookie blowing a ton of whistles.

I'm thinking too much out there. I sometimes allow a bit more contact than maybe I should and then a split second later kick myself for not blowing the whistle.

With the amount of griping by the coaches, it seems like they want everything called. Maybe other rookies aren't experiencing this, but it's as if their griping results in less experienced officials calling a tighter and tighter game.

[Chess Ref]

[QUOTE=dan74]I'm thinking too much out there. I sometimes allow a bit more contact then maybe I should and then a split second later kick myself for not blowing the whistle.

I also let too much go in my first year and a half or so. ALL the coaches unhappy,even the winning ones, and a majority of my games went sideways. Kids tackling, shoving etc. A vetearn ref and someone I thought did a great job cornered me at half-time one game and said " Blow everything, they breathe on them tweet. " I was not having fun and tried that and forgot about Adv/Dis. It took about 15 games or so and lo and behold I could now start learning about Adv/Dis.

I was also a football player in school so if the kid could get up after another one of my no calls I felt okay with my no call of letting them play. Am I still learning about Adv/Dis , of course I am but I am not lerning in the middle of a riot. Out of 60 or so games this year only have had 1 go sideways - I didn't stop the rough play on the ball handler. I am having alot more fun. FWIW I regularly get the losing coach come up and thank me for a nicely called game. IMO I needed to do that couple of weeks of blowing everything then I was able to start learning Adv/Dis.....

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by dan74

1) First, if I'm the lead and hear a coaches comment that I feel is over the line, do I stop the clock and then go to the coach or wait until the next dead ball?

2) Second, I just read a highly debated thread having to do with rookies who may be calling too many violations/fouls, therefore, "interupting" game flow. I, on the other hand, am a rookie who leans to the other side of the spectrum.

1) Stop the clock if you're going to call a technical foul. If not, wait until the next opportunity to smarten the coach up, be it a whistle or when you're by his bench next.

2) Sigh. Every time you blow your whistle, you interrupt game flow. Does that mean that we're all supposed to stop blowing our whistles? This "game interrupter" nonsense just means "If I blow my whistle, it's OK. If you blow your whistle, it may or may not be OK- depending on how I personally feel about your call". That's my take on it anyway. Just more gobbledegook! Some officials call a tight game; some officials call a loose game. If you're consistent, the players will adjust.

[dan74]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

2) Sigh. Every time you blow your whistle, you interrupt game flow. Does that mean that we're all supposed to stop blowing our whistles? This "game interrupter" nonsense just means "If I blow my whistle, it's OK. If you blow your whistle, it may or may not be OK- depending on how I personally feel about your call". That's my take on it anyway. Just more gobbledegook! Some officials call a tight game; some officials call a loose game. If you're consistent, the players will adjust.

One partner I had at halftime, yes, the same one who gave me the glowing introductions, provided me input on a couple of my calls in the first half. I never could understand how he, as the trail (two person), had such good looks at plays in my primary-near the baseline-with a bunch of players in the paint. My guess is to him I was interrupting flow by making incorrect calls; however, to me, I called what I saw.