things that strike this rookie as odd...

[cmathews]

the pregame meeting "warning" is pretty common. I am of the mind that I don't start the TO clock until the players have made it near their own benches anyway, so while the players are coming over I can get the full or thirty signal. However if I look over and ask full or thirty and don't get a response, it is a full....

The three second thing will be debated here I am sure. I am one that will do almost anything to avoid a three second call. As you progress you may or may not adopt this philosophy. What I tell our young guys here when I see them using the 3 second call a lot is this. What advantage did they gain? I warn them tell them to get out, but if they don't dump the ball into them or they don't set a screen in the lane, what advantage have they gained? Maybe 1 in 10 times they will get position on a rebound. If there is no advantage gained there is no violation. You see it all the time, evaluators tell us not to worry so much about the palming violation if the player is just up on top yo yoing the ball, not trying to get somewhere....I know for a fact that the big dogs at D-I go out of their way to not call three seconds. At a camp I heard someone ask a guy who has worked a national chapionship game in the last 5 years what he would do if a kid was in the lane...he said, I will warn him, if that doesn't work, I will walk up to him and tell him to get is lazy a$$ out of the lane, and if that doesn't work I will go grab him and pull him out of the lane.....

[truerookie]

SWMOzebra, you have to adopt the philosphy of the SMBOA if you belong to that association. They have a philosphy in that part of the state which is odd.

[Junker]

I try to talk to players about 3 seconds. I view this call as a game interruptor. I'll speak loudly, "Get out of the lane white" or whomever a couple or few times and if they don't get moving, I'll blow the whistle. In my pregame, I usually mention to players to be listening to us as we will be talking to them at times during the games. Just the way I handle it.

[JRutledge]

If I call 3 seconds, I want the call to be an obvious call. I do not want a toe on the line to be my call. What I usually do is say "Lane" a few times and that usually helps get a kid to get out of the lane. Also this is not a huge priority when compared to contact fouls and other player movement that could cause fouls. I am not "looking" to call 3 seconds.

Peace

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Junker

I view this call as a game interruptor. I'll speak loudly, "Get out of the lane white" or whomever a couple or few times and if they don't get moving, I'll blow the whistle.

But if you blow your whistle, isn't that then a game interrupter?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by truerookie

SWMOzebra, you have to adopt the philosphy of the SMBOA if you belong to that association. They have a philosphy in that part of the state which is odd.

What you should do in both of these situations, is find out what the prevailing practice is in your area. Whatever most other officials do is what you should do. Unless most officials specifically go against what is dictated by your local authority. If your association or board has a specific way they want you to handle it, do it that way.

[SWMOzebra]

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Near as I can tell, the 3-sec. warning seems to be the prevailing philosophy locally. I guess I'm too new to the job to understand the concept of "game interrupter." Each whistle interrupts the game and I'm there to enforce the rules consistently and fairly. I think I understand the advantage/disadvantage argument and agree that extra lane time does not necessarily impart any advantage to the violator, but I also notice the rules don't make that distinction. It appears to be consistent with others in the area I'll have to go to the warning as well.

As for the TO drill, I haven't found anyone else who works it quite like my P did....but I'm not complaining about how he handled it, I had just never encountered it before that night. Then again, as a rookie, I can say that I encounter something new at pretty much each game I call!

[Jesse James]

Originally Posted by SWMOzebra

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Near as I can tell, the 3-sec. warning seems to be the prevailing philosophy locally. I guess I'm too new to the job to understand the concept of "game interrupter." Each whistle interrupts the game and I'm there to enforce the rules consistently and fairly. I think I understand the advantage/disadvantage argument and agree that extra lane time does not necessarily impart any advantage to the violator, but I also notice the rules don't make that distinction. It appears to be consistent with others in the area I'll have to go to the warning as well.

As for the TO drill, I haven't found anyone else who works it quite like my P did....but I'm not complaining about how he handled it, I had just never encountered it before that night. Then again, as a rookie, I can say that I encounter something new at pretty much each game I call!

To muddy your waters a little more--just remember that an offensive post player that's getting 5 or 6 seconds in the lane every trip, may well be dragging a second defender with him---that leaves another shooter with a better look than what he might have had otherwise. Even though a bit latent, it seems like a hell of an advantage to me. But I think I was always in the minority on this one. Just food for thought.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by SWMOzebra

I guess I'm too new to the job to understand the concept of "game interrupter."

Me too.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SWMOzebra

I guess I'm too new to the job to understand the concept of "game interrupter." Each whistle interrupts the game and I'm there to enforce the rules consistently and fairly.

Game interrupters are calls that are either too technical or things that do not really need to be called. In other words you call a traveling that is questionable or a carry call that might be questionable at best. Almost universally 3 second calls are considered game interrupters if it is called very technically. I would never say not to make that call, just do so trying to prevent it. If you have to make that call, you after all are an official and have a whistle as a tool. I can tell you that I am lucky if I make this call one time in a season. I have found ways to warn and get my point across and not making this call. As time goes on you will see this is not a high priority.

Peace

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Game interrupters are calls that are either too technical or things that do not really need to be called. In other words you call a traveling that is questionable or a carry call that might be questionable at best. Almost universally 3 second calls are considered game interrupters if it is called very technically.

Gee, from what I've read, I coulda sworn that game interrupters happened when an official disagreed with another official's call.

Learn sumthin' new every day....