"No, I tipped that in."
 

Had a HS D-II BV game yesterday. Blue is leading White by about 15 late in the 2nd quarter. Kid for Blue drives the lane, shoots, and both my partners (at C & T) whistle White for a foul (good call). From L I see the ball in my peripheral vision fall through the net. Trail starts to report the foul but instead turns around and asks my partner and I if the shot fell. I defered to C who had a much better look, but he admitted he didn't know (his answer: "I called the foul so I quit looking"...&#*$@). So I told T the ball fell. Questions, smirks, murmurs abound, so now I'm assuming I must have kicked it. I'm standing in the lane as the players line up for the free throw, so I half-jokingly say "Did he make the shot?" First a couple of White kids mumble something, but then a big kid for Blue says "No, I tipped it in." I say thanks and run to T and tell him no basket, two shots.

How about that honesty?...though I'm still not sure he realized what he did. :) To his credit, Blue's coach just smiled and never said a word.

I like that kid! He has class and a sense of right and wrong!

He'll never make president.

Swallow your pride and ask the table for help. They are a part of the officiating crew as well. :)

Good call to make. I find that the table is very relaible on "did it go in " questions.

That's good advice and I'll keep this in mind for future reference. The clock operator at this particular school is superb, though the young lady keeping the books was very new to the job, so I'm sure she would have been of no help. Good call, Trigger...thanks.

Be very careful to ask the table for that kind of information. They have a vested interest in the outcome many times. They might not be as honest as this kid. It is an option, but might not be the best option. This is why you cannot stop officiating when a shot is in question. Even if you are the non-calling official you cannot stop officiating. Situations like this are the very reason you have to keep watching what the ball is doing.

Peace

Thanks Rut, this is equally good advice. The clock operator at this particular game is very good and would have given an honest answer, but there are plenty of schools where you couldn't be confident in the answer the table gives.

The main point of the original post was the Blue kid copping to the tip-in and that I'm still not sure if he has figured out what he did. It was certainly a learning experience for me about officiating a play all the way through, and knowing your partners. I've called enough with the T who who didn't watch the entire play that I should have known to pay even closer attention to everything that happened. He's capable of calling a good game, but you never know when he may do something goofy or lazy.

Since I'm new to my particular area, I've made it a practice now in pregame to mention that if I'm lead calling a shooting foul; I'm going to need help on whether the ball goes in or not. I will normally see it, but it's not uncommon for me to miss it while watching the players' actions after the whistle.

Moving has really forced me to focus on my pregame as much as anything.
Also, I've noticed that if you get to the table without having given the "count-the-bucket" signal, they tend to ask you if it counts.

similar situation
 

A couple years ago, boys varsity, 30 point game home is winning...At the home end of the floor 2nd half, pass across the court, 2 whistle, I am the lead. The ball goes out of bounds on my sideline, I didn't see a tip, but I was concentrating on the my area and the pass came from partners area and went out at about the free throw line extended...I glance at my partner, he didn't have a great look, but didn't see a tip, so with visitors already down by 30 we decide to give it to them. Putting the ball in in front of the home bench the home coach quietly says, Chad I think that ball was tipped...so I check with my partner, again, he says no tip visitors ball...As I am administering the throw in, the visiting teams coaches son is going to throw it in...or so I thought...He comes over I am going to hand it to him, he says I tipped it, I say ok blue ball (his team) he says, no I can't take it I tipped it out....so I go to my partner and tell him what the kid is saying....he says ok then give it to white, as we are giving it to white, blues coach says hey hey, I thought it was blue....partner tells him he will have to ask his son when they get home LOL....