Missed a big call

[fonzzy07]

First, we are all human and make mistakes, the player should not have mouthed off like that, it is not your fault he mouthed off, sounds like a good T.
Onto your question. One simple thing to keep in mind is to move. move both latterally and also deeper. This will help to open up those sight lines and you will not be screened as often.
I am only 5-7 so I know how you feel being surrounded by tall people, being short means I just have to move more, and from what I've been told I am becoming a pretty good official.
Good luck and keep learnin
fonzzy07

[Back In The Saddle]

First of all, congrats on doing your best with the training you've been given. You're doing the right thing by studying the rules and cases, working lots of games, and hanging out here to learn from more experienced officials.

Second, no amount of pushing from behind is any kind of excuse for foul language. That was his choice, not an inescapable consequence of being fouled. Good T.

Third, this year I have seen (or perhaps recognized?) more cases than ever before where two-person mechanics are just not adequate to give you complete coverage. It's just the nature of the beast. Yet those of us who live with it, soldier on.

Fourth, there are two schools of thought on where to be as lead (the guy under the basket) on a drive down the middle. One is to be at the near lane line extended, perhaps even a step or two into the quicksand. The other is to go wide and watch from the outside of the lane. Both schools of thought work sometimes, and both can leave you in a world of hurt sometimes. From the lane line, you are straightlined and cannot see that the driver was pushed from behind, but it's often the best angle to see contact to the front of the driver. From out wide, you may be able to see the push from behind. Then again, you may not. If the defense collapses on the driver, you may not be able to see anything at all. Oh, if you try them both, you will inevitably prefer one over the other. But you'll still find games where you're preferred vantage point is useless and you will have to use the other.

Fifth, generally I think this call has to come from the trail. One tendency that most of us had/have to overcome is wrongly relinquishing responsibility for the player driving from trail to the basket once he leaves the trail's area. The trail simply must take this play all the way to the basket. If he'll do that, most of the time he will catch the pushes from behind. It's possible that your trail had no look at this, but more likely he simply stopped watching once the driver hit the paint.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Fourth, there are two schools of thought on where to be as lead (the guy under the basket) on a drive down the middle. One is to be at the near lane line extended, perhaps even a step or two into the quicksand. The other is to go wide and watch from the outside of the lane. Both schools of thought work sometimes, and both can leave you in a world of hurt sometimes. From the lane line, you are straightlined and cannot see that the driver was pushed from behind, but it's often the best angle to see contact to the front of the driver. From out wide, you may be able to see the push from behind. Then again, you may not. If the defense collapses on the driver, you may not be able to see anything at all. Oh, if you try them both, you will inevitably prefer one over the other. But you'll still find games where you're preferred vantage point is useless and you will have to use the other.

Fifth, generally I think this call has to come from the trail. One tendency that most of us had/have to overcome is wrongly relinquishing responsibility for the player driving from trail to the basket once he leaves the trail's area. The trail simply must take this play all the way to the basket. If he'll do that, most of the time he will catch the pushes from behind. It's possible that your trail had no look at this, but more likely he simply stopped watching once the driver hit the paint.

My personal opinion, BITS, is that in games like these (I haven't done many, but have seen quite a few at camps and so on) with two whistle, working about half-way to the sideline or further out is almost always better, if there's room to get deep in case you need to see the front of the driving player.

I totally agree about trail, especially if the drive comes from his side of the floor. If the drive is down lead's primary, then lead better just keep the angle regardless of where that takes him and make the call. But anywhere in the key or on trail's side of the key, trail better take it.

Also, a late whistle could be okay. You don't really see the whole thing, but it's obvious to everyone in the gym that the shooter was pushed. You see him flying past, with a shocked look on his face, you hear the gasp of the crowd, no whistle from P, pause, no whistle, TWEET!!

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

My personal opinion, BITS, is that in games like these (I haven't done many, but have seen quite a few at camps and so on) with two whistle, working about half-way to the sideline or further out is almost always better, if there's room to get deep in case you need to see the front of the driving player.

Like I said, there are two schools of thought about this. My experience has been that if the defense is playing man, and they have the discipline to stick with their man, then wider usually works better. If they're playing a zone, or if the defense collapses on the driver, the lane line is usually the better look. In intramural leagues, it's a crap shoot and you just have to adjust to how they play.

Originally Posted by rainmaker

I totally agree about trail, especially if the drive comes from his side of the floor. If the drive is down lead's primary, then lead better just keep the angle regardless of where that takes him and make the call. But anywhere in the key or on trail's side of the key, trail better take it.

Agree

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Also, a late whistle could be okay. You don't really see the whole thing, but it's obvious to everyone in the gym that the shooter was pushed. You see him flying past, with a shocked look on his face, you hear the gasp of the crowd, no whistle from P, pause, no whistle, TWEET!!

This is really a crap shoot. With more experience you can sometimes make an educated guess when "something" happens about what it must have been. But from the OP it seems like he was completely unaware that anything nefarious had happened. I'd rather look somewhat clueless for having missed this, than risk looking completely incompetent by calling something I didn't see and may very well be completely wrong about. Just my $0.02.

[SMEngmann]

My advice to you is to always put yourself in position to have a clear look at the defender in your competitive matchups, and, to have an open look at the play (i.e. you see ball and both defenders and are not blocked out by other parties). A lot of newer officials have the tendency to ref the game like they watch it as a fan, which is to always focus on the ball and on the offensive player, which will severely limit what you can see as an official.

On the play that you described, it very well could have been your partner's call, unless the drive came from your side of the court and the defender was right behind him. You were right in not calling the foul, because you didn't see it, and it's better to miss calls by relying on your partner's better look, than it is to call plays that aren't there because you're think it looks like a foul. Bottom line, go to where you can referee the D and have a good, open look at the play, which for me as L, most of the time is from the lane line maybe a step or 2 in, to about halfway between the lane line and the arc.

[fonzzy07]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Also, a late whistle could be okay. You don't really see the whole thing, but it's obvious to everyone in the gym that the shooter was pushed. You see him flying past, with a shocked look on his face, you hear the gasp of the crowd, no whistle from P, pause, no whistle, TWEET!!

I would Say this is bad advice. ONLY CALL THINGS YOU SEE.