Direction signal

[dan74]

Hey everyone,

Is there a proper way to signal play direction following a violation or an OOB situation. Almost all the officials I've worked with signal a violation with their right arm above their head...some then give the play direction with only their right arm, some use the left or right, depending which way play is heading. Is there a more accepted way or is this preference?


Thanks.

[jkjenning]

Use the same arm to signal the violation and the direction - otherwise you will be told you look like you are directing traffic.

[mick]

Originally Posted by dan74

Hey everyone,

Is there a proper way to signal play direction following a violation or an OOB situation. Almost all the officials I've worked with signal a violation with their right arm above their head...some then give the play direction with only their right arm, some use the left or right, depending which way play is heading. Is there a more accepted way or is this preference?
Thanks.

Preference:
Face court
Use the either arm at shoulder height
Do not cross arm over body

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by mick

Preference:
Face court
Use the either arm at shoulder height
Do not cross arm over body

That works....

[Rusty Gilbert]

You CAN develop the ability to raise the correct arm for the "stop clock" signal and then use the same arm to point in the correct direction. It takes some work (summer camps and preseason scrimmages are great times to practice this), but it can become second nature pretty quickly.

And on those occasional calls where the wrong arm goes up, get the call right by using the other arm to point or turning your body slightly (don't turn away from the play) to get a better "pointing angle." (The above posts about not crossing the arm over the body is really good advice. That probably is the worst way to compensate.) Only you and your partners (and maybe an evaluator and other officials in the stands) will notice.

[dan74]

I'm still not quite sure how best to do this...I'll add a bit more detail...

Situation: I'm the trail in two person opposite the table and have a team A traveling violation in my primary in the frontcourt (team A's basket is to my right). I raise my right hand to stop the clock, signal travel and then do I:

1) turn my body with shoulders facing the division line and use my right arm to signal play going towards team B's basket (which means I would essentially turn away from the players momentarily to signal...although many could see from the side, as would the table and benches);

2) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal with my left arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone); or

3) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal across my body with my right arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone but bringing my right arm across my chest)? Tried it yesterday a couple times but it didn't feel right.

Thanks.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by dan74

I'm still not quite sure how best to do this...I'll add a bit more detail...

Situation: I'm the trail in two person opposite the table and have a team A traveling violation in my primary in the frontcourt (team A's basket is to my right). I raise my right hand to stop the clock, signal travel and then do I:

1) turn my body with shoulders facing the division line and use my right arm to signal play going towards team B's basket (which means I would essentially turn away from the players momentarily to signal...although many could see from the side, as would the table and benches);

2) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal with my left arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone); or

3) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal across my body with my right arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone but bringing my right arm across my chest)? Tried it yesterday a couple times but it didn't feel right.

Thanks.

Option 2. That works because there's a signal between "stop the clock" and "point the direction."

When there isn't a signal, on an out of bounds, for example, you should raise the left hand to stop the clock and then point with the left hand.

[eg-italy]

Originally Posted by dan74

I'm still not quite sure how best to do this...I'll add a bit more detail...

Situation: I'm the trail in two person opposite the table and have a team A traveling violation in my primary in the frontcourt (team A's basket is to my right). I raise my right hand to stop the clock, signal travel and then do I:

1) turn my body with shoulders facing the division line and use my right arm to signal play going towards team B's basket (which means I would essentially turn away from the players momentarily to signal...although many could see from the side, as would the table and benches);

2) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal with my left arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone); or

3) while continuing to face the players, table and benches (with my back relatively squared to the nearest sideline), signal across my body with my right arm toward team B's frontcourt/basket (which means I'm still facing everyone but bringing my right arm across my chest)? Tried it yesterday a couple times but it didn't feel right.

There's something that I don't understand: if, facing the baseline, team A's basket is at your right, you can't point to B's basket bringing your right arm across your chest, unless you turn facing the sideline.

Raise your right arm, pivot on your left foot slightly, and point to B's basket with the right arm; you'll still be facing the players. That's why (at least in two person crews, FIBA) we stay on the left side of the court, because the majority of people are right-handed and so the majority of direction signals can be done with the right arm without turning away from the court.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by eg-italy

There's something that I don't understand: if, facing the baseline, team A's basket is at your right, you can't point to B's basket bringing your right arm across your chest, unless you turn facing the sideline.

Raise your right arm, pivot on your left foot slightly, and point to B's basket with the right arm; you'll still be facing the players. That's why (at least in two person crews, FIBA) we stay on the left side of the court, because the majority of people are right-handed and so the majority of direction signals can be done with the right arm without turning away from the court.

eg-italy:

Under FIBA rules, each team defends its own basket and shoots at its opponent's basket, i.e., Team A defends A's basket and shoots at Team B's basket, while Team B defends B's basket and shoots at Team A's basket. Under NFHS, NCAA Men's/Women's, and NBA/WNBA rules each team shoots at its own basket and shoots and its opponent's basket, i.e., Team A shoots at Team A's basket and defends Team B's basket, while Team B shoots at Team B's basket and defends Team A's basket. This is be definition under FIBA, NFHS, NCAA Men's/Women's, and NBA/WNBA rules codes. And the play being discussed was being played under NFHS rules.

Also, NFHS two-man mechanics, left-handed mechanics was done away with a number of years ago.

MTD, Sr.

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Rusty Gilbert

And on those occasional calls where the wrong arm goes up, get the call right by using the other arm to point or turning your body slightly (don't turn away from the play) to get a better "pointing angle." (The above posts about not crossing the arm over the body is really good advice. That probably is the worst way to compensate.) Only you and your partners (and maybe an evaluator and other officials in the stands) will notice.

Nothing like telling someone the wrong way to do something with details.

[eg-italy]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

eg-italy:

Under FIBA rules, each team defends its own basket and shoots at its opponent's basket, i.e., Team A defends A's basket and shoots at Team B's basket, while Team B defends B's basket and shoots at Team A's basket.

I was using NF terminology: the OP said he was "trail, opposite table, with A's basket at his right" and that he called a traveling to team A.

That's only a problem of understanding what "having A's basket at the right" means. I assumed it was at the right when facing the baseline, i.e., the OP was on the left side of the court. Now I see that he meant to have A's basket at his right when facing the table side. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, but I always think to "left" and "right" referring to "facing the baseline in the direction of the play". Shouldn't the trail be always facing the basket?